“We know what we are, but not know what we may be. ” The man with a vocabulary with over twenty-nine thousand words, William Shakespeare is one who left a lasting impact on the world and even affects the world today. Shakespeare is a writer who has affected the world most. He started from a very young age; he was successful early on, and affected many of the themes of present day literature. William Shakespeare was born on April 2, 1564 in Stratford Upon-Avon, England (Will in the World). His birthdate is often celebrated on the day of his death, April 23, 1616. Shakespeare was born into a middle-class family. His father had many occupations.
He was involved in farming, wood trading, tanning, leatherwork, money leading, and was a public official (History. com). However by the 1580s, his dad became financially broke. Shakespeare did not let this stop him. Shakespeare started attending school at a vey young age. He is believed to have started between the ages of six and seven. Shakespeare attended King’s Edward New School and was taught reading, writing, and classics. While Shakespeare attended school, it was under the Monarch of King Edward IV. During this time, students were taught beliefs of the reigning monarch (1599 A year in the life of William Shakespeare).
Since his dad was a public official, it is believed he received free tuition (The Biography. com Website). It is known that Shakespeare excelled in school. The young prodigy began reading books well above his comprehension level. One book he read was The Usher’s Duty. Shakespeare grew quickly into his manhood. He was married by the age of eighteen. Shakespeare married Anne Hathaway on November 28, 1582. There were debates about whether they married because she was pregnant (History. com). After seven months of their marriage, their daughter Judith was born in May 1583. Later Shakespeare and his wife had two more children.
They had one girl, Susanna and one boy Hamnet, who died at the age of eleven while Susana and Judith lived to old ages (The Biography. com). After this, Shakespeare went through a time period of lost years and after moved into his theatrical beginnings. However, there is no documentation on what he was doing. One source has given accounts of anecdotes and gossip about him, which is really all we are given. It is not clear as to what happens to Shakespeare for a while (Shakespeare’s Lost Years). By the time documented accounts of Shakespeare’s life were made, readers get a sense that he had already made a name for himself.
Soon he became well-known throughout the region. Shakespeare’s first play is believed to have been performed in or around the year 1592. He was most likely living as an actor up until this point. It is believed he had written many plays prior but had not had a performance. Shakespeare was criticized. One scholar said that he was trying to reach above his rank. They said he was trying to match “better and more educated” writers (The Biography. com). William Shakespeare influenced many to have a love for literature, even royalty. Elizabeth I was ruler at the time and she had a profound love for literature.
She and Shakespeare loved to act together. Queen Elizabeth had a great love for the classical period and enjoyed theatrical entertainment. Queen Elizabeth heavily influenced the progress of English drama. Shakespeare and Elizabeth became close and he showed to be a faithful servant to his royal mistress. Shakespeare wrote A Midsummer-Night’s Dream, an early poetical drama for the queen. One story of Shakespeare and Queen Elizabeth being at a theatre one evening; Shakespeare was playing King and Queen Elizabeth bowed to him but not return salutation.
The Queen passed again and attempted to get his attention by dropping her glove. Shakespeare picked it up and added to his lines, “And though now bent on this high embassy, yet stoop we to take up our cousin’s glove” (Absolute Shakespeare). According to documents of State papers, Shakespeare and others played in two comedies before the Queen in 1594, at the Royal Palace at Greenwich. Queen Elizabeth supported Shakespeare’s writing and works because she was concerned with all levels of society and not just royal or wealthy.
Overall Queen Elizabeth had a very positive effect with production of Shakespeare’s plays. Especially because Queen Elizabeth even had her own acting company called the “Queen’s Men. ” In 1603, Queen Elizabeth died and people were sad as well as Shakespeare. After her death, Shakespeare’s writing were affected and caused tragedies to occur in his plays, which were some of his best plays. After the death of Queen Elizabeth, Shakespeare was the manager of Lord Chamberlain’s Men, which was an acting company in London. At this point of Shakespeare’s career he wrote his most famous play, Romeo and Juliet.
Soon after the death of Queen Elizabeth I was King James I was the next in Line. Just like Queen Elizabeth, King James also had a great love for literature and Shakespeare After the crowning of King James I; he changed Shakespeare’s acting company to the King’s Men, which was very popular (The Biography. com). After about twenty years went by, the renewal of the lease for the property the theatre they had been using was up. Many people wanted it. James Burbage, the man who built it and had owned it died in February 1957 (Rebuilding the Globe). In April the lease expired.
Still, there were many disputes for about two years and during that time, the company was performing at a near by town theater. One day they had a solution that would bring drastic change for both theatres. They decided to demolish the theater of the nearby town and bring the timber over to cover the cost of the new theater. Cuthbert and Robinsons, the sons of James Burbage offered the new guys shares in the buildings. Shakespeare was one of the four actors who bough a share in the Globe. In early 1599, the theater thrived for about fourteen years and was home to many of Shakespeare’s plays.
During a performance of Henry VIII, wadding from a stage cannon caught the roof on fire and the theatre burned down all in two hours. The theater was rebuilt quickly, however this time Shakespeare only acted for new Globe Theater but did not write for it. Shakespeare was an outstanding writer and became a person many adored. Shakespeare has written many forms of writing, including thirty-seven plays and 154 sonnets. Some of his plays include Hamlet, Twelfth Night or What you Will, Titus Andronicus, The Tempest, Two Noble Kinsmen, and many more. Many of Shakespeare’s poems are famous.
His arguably most famous poem is The Darling Buds of May. On top of this he has also written many sonnets. Sonnet 18 start’s with, “ Shall I compare thee to a summer’s day? ” In this Sonnet, Shakespeare uses brilliant language and creates a sense of love and admiration. There is much controversy if Shakespeare wrote his plays. Traditionally the belief is that Shakespeare was a poet, playwright, and actor. Critics known as “Oxfordians” argue that the more likely contender was Edward de Vere that authored Shakespeare’s plays (Absolute Shakespeare).
However the problem with the thought is that Edward de Vere died before Shakespeare’s plays were written (Absolute Shakespeare). Shakespeare left an affect on the world that changed all forms of plays, songs, and writing. There are over 300 adaptions dating from 1930s have been recorded. Shakespeare’s work was not truly appreciated until the nineteenth century during the beginning of the Romantic Period. During the Victorian Period, Shakespeare became very popular and boomed from there (The Biography. com Website). Shakespeare influences many performances.
He has influenced a lot of themes such as forbidden love, death, and good versus evil. Along with themes he also created a lot of diversity between cultural and political contexts. (The Biography. com Website). Shakespeare has influenced songs, movies, books, and art. Literature as we know today would not be the same without Shakespeare. Before Shakespeare’s times, English language was not standardized. He introduced 1,700 original words into the language, which we still use today. Along with the words, Shakespeare also came up with many phrases we use today such as “breaking the ice” or having a “ heart of gold. Not only did he just impact phrases and literature but especially our schooling.
Almost all literature classes at some time will read Shakespeare in most areas of the world. Shakespeare is the most well know writer who has left the greatest impact on the world. Shakespeare started from a very young age, he was successful early on, and effected many of them themes of present day works. Shakespeare was one of the greatest writers in the world. He accomplished a lot in his lifetime and left an impact on the world so great that it still affects us to this day.