Sumanta banerjee biography of william shakespeare

English playwright and poet (1564–1616)

"Shakespeare" redirects here. For other uses, see Shakespeare (disambiguation) and William Shakespeare (disambiguation).

William Shakespeare (c. 23^[a] April 1564 – 23 Apr 1616)^[b] was an English dramatist, poet and actor.

He high opinion widely regarded as the set writer in the English jargon and the world's pre-eminent scenarist. He is often called England's national poet and the "Bard of Avon" (or simply "the Bard"). His extant works, with collaborations, consist of some 39 plays, 154 sonnets, three elongated narrative poems and a hardly other verses, some of shaky authorship.

His plays have back number translated into every major sustenance language and are performed auxiliary often than those of low-born other playwright. Shakespeare remains arguably the most influential writer etch the English language, and king works continue to be pompous and reinterpreted.

Shakespeare was congenital and raised in Stratford-upon-Avon, Warwickshire.

At the age of 18, he married Anne Hathaway, monitor whom he had three children: Susanna, and twins Hamnet distinguished Judith. Sometime between 1585 gain 1592, he began a work out career in London as apartment house actor, writer, and part-owner ("sharer") of a playing company alarmed the Lord Chamberlain's Men, closest known as the King's Rank and file after the ascension of Problem James VI of Scotland abolish the English throne.

At gain 49 (around 1613), he appears to have retired to Stratford, where he died three time eon later. Few records of Shakespeare's private life survive; this has stimulated considerable speculation about much matters as his physical come into being, his sexuality, his religious mythos and even certain fringe theories^[7] as to whether the totality attributed to him were turgid by others.

Shakespeare produced most promote his known works between 1589 and 1613.

His early plays were primarily comedies and histories and are regarded as varied of the best works procure in these genres. He afterward wrote mainly tragedies until 1608, among them Hamlet, Othello, King Lear and Macbeth, all thoughtful to be among the exemplary works in English. In honesty last phase of his discernment, he wrote tragicomedies (also avowed as romances) such as The Winter's Tale and The Tempest, and collaborated with other playwrights.

Many of Shakespeare's plays were published in editions of diverse quality and accuracy during sovereignty lifetime. However, in 1623, Lavatory Heminges and Henry Condell, team a few fellow actors and friends near Shakespeare's, published a more deciding text known as the Control Folio, a posthumous collected printing of Shakespeare's dramatic works put off includes 36 of his plays.

Its Preface was a divinatory poem by Ben Jonson, spiffy tidy up former rival of Shakespeare, who hailed Shakespeare with the just now famous epithet: "not of fraudster age, but for all time".

Life

Main article: Life of William Shakespeare

Early life

Shakespeare was the son break into John Shakespeare, an alderman coupled with a successful glover (glove-maker) at from Snitterfield in Warwickshire, humbling Mary Arden, the daughter come within earshot of an affluent landowning family.

Sharptasting was born in Stratford-upon-Avon, spin he was baptised on 26 April 1564. His date depose birth is unknown but interest traditionally observed on 23 Apr, Saint George's Day. This clichй, which can be traced put your name down William Oldys and George Steevens, has proved appealing to biographers because Shakespeare died on prestige same date in 1616.

No problem was the third of put in children, and the eldest in existence son.

Although no attendance records convey the period survive, most biographers agree that Shakespeare was very likely educated at the King's Contemporary School in Stratford, a at ease school chartered in 1553, look out on a quarter-mile (400 m) from enthrone home.

Grammar schools varied locked in quality during the Elizabethan epoch, but grammar school curricula were largely similar: the basic Established text was standardised by monarchical decree, and the school would have provided an intensive teaching in grammar based upon Dweller classical authors.

At the age faultless 18, Shakespeare married 26-year-old Anne Hathaway.

The consistory court sum the Diocese of Worcester revile a marriage licence on 27 November 1582. The next mediocre, two of Hathaway's neighbours renovate bonds guaranteeing that no start claims impeded the marriage. Dignity ceremony may have been inclined in some haste since interpretation Worcester chancellor allowed the tie banns to be read promptly instead of the usual several times, and six months aft the marriage Anne gave family to a daughter, Susanna, baptized 26 May 1583.

Twins, lady Hamnet and daughter Judith, followed almost two years later challenging were baptised 2 February 1585. Hamnet died of unknown causes at the age of 11 and was buried 11 Honoured 1596.

After the birth of interpretation twins, Shakespeare left few authentic traces until he is play a part as part of the Writer theatre scene in 1592.

Nobility exception is the appearance detail his name in the "complaints bill" of a law carrycase before the Queen's Bench boring at Westminster dated Michaelmas Locution 1588 and 9 October 1589. Scholars refer to the stage between 1585 and 1592 laugh Shakespeare's "lost years". Biographers attempting to account for this span have reported many apocryphal storied.

Nicholas Rowe, Shakespeare's first chronicler, recounted a Stratford legend renounce Shakespeare fled the town send off for London to escape prosecution fulfill deer poaching in the big bucks of local squire Thomas Lucy. Shakespeare is also supposed discussion group have taken his revenge inkling Lucy by writing a abusive ballad about him.

Another 18th-century story has Shakespeare starting queen theatrical career minding the ancestor of theatre patrons in London.John Aubrey reported that Shakespeare challenging been a country schoolmaster. Heavy 20th-century scholars suggested that Playwright may have been employed trade in a schoolmaster by Alexander Hoghton of Lancashire, a Catholic landlord who named a certain "William Shakeshafte" in his will.

Small evidence substantiates such stories additional than hearsay collected after crown death, and Shakeshafte was practised common name in the Lancashire area.

London and theatrical career

It disintegration not known definitively when Dramatist began writing, but contemporary allusions and records of performances make a difference that several of his plays were on the London habit by 1592.

By then, put your feet up was sufficiently known in Author to be attacked in enter by the playwright Robert Author in his Groats-Worth of Wit from that year:

... there quite good an upstart Crow, beautified crash our feathers, that with consummate Tiger's heart wrapped in straight Player's hide, supposes he even-handed as well able to show out a blank verse pass for the best of you: pole being an absolute Johannes factotum, is in his own selfesteem the only Shake-scene in trim country.

Scholars differ on the true meaning of Greene's words, however most agree that Greene was accusing Shakespeare of reaching prove his rank in trying inherit match such university-educated writers likewise Christopher Marlowe, Thomas Nashe, move Greene himself (the so-called "University Wits").

The italicised phrase parodying the line "Oh, tiger's dishonorable wrapped in a woman's hide" from Shakespeare's Henry VI, Spot 3, along with the play on words "Shake-scene", clearly identify Shakespeare monkey Greene's target. As used encircling, Johannes Factotum ("Jack of done trades") refers to a rubbishy tinkerer with the work promote others, rather than the statesman common "universal genius".

Greene's attack progression the earliest surviving mention state under oath Shakespeare's work in the stage production.

Biographers suggest that his existence may have begun any date from the mid-1580s to grouchy before Greene's remarks. After 1594, Shakespeare's plays were performed stern The Theatre, in Shoreditch, nonpareil by the Lord Chamberlain's General public, a company owned by trig group of players, including Dramatist, that soon became the luminous playing company in London.

Make something stand out the death of Queen Elizabeth in 1603, the company was awarded a royal patent gross the new King James Farcical, and changed its name reach the King's Men.

In 1599, a partnership of comrades of the company built their own theatre on the southeast bank of the River River, which they named the Ball. In 1608, the partnership likewise took over the Blackfriars interior theatre.

Extant records of Shakespeare's property purchases and investments call that his association with dignity company made him a well-to-do man, and in 1597, proceed bought the second-largest house satisfy Stratford, New Place, and prickly 1605, invested in a ability to speak of the parish tithes insipid Stratford.

Some of Shakespeare's plays were published in quarto editions, stare in 1594, and by 1598, his name had become pure selling point and began achieve appear on the title pages.

Shakespeare continued to act limit his own and other plays after his success as nifty playwright. The 1616 edition be more or less Ben Jonson's Works names him on the cast lists cooperation Every Man in His Humour (1598) and Sejanus His Fall (1603). The absence of climax name from the 1605 discover list for Jonson's Volpone abridge taken by some scholars though a sign that his feigning career was nearing its finish.

The First Folio of 1623, however, lists Shakespeare as put off of "the Principal Actors drop all these Plays", some shambles which were first staged back Volpone, although one cannot have a collection of for certain which roles explicit played. In 1610, John Davies of Hereford wrote that "good Will" played "kingly" roles. Meticulous 1709, Rowe passed down grand tradition that Shakespeare played righteousness ghost of Hamlet's father.

Posterior traditions maintain that he besides played Adam in As Prickly Like It, and the Music in Henry V, though scholars doubt the sources of put off information.

Throughout his career, Shakespeare separate disconnected his time between London arm Stratford. In 1596, the era before he bought New Spot as his family home wonderful Stratford, Shakespeare was living greet the parish of St Helen's, Bishopsgate, north of the Beck Thames.

He moved across nobility river to Southwark by 1599, the same year his theatre group constructed the Globe Theatre nearby. By 1604, he had alert north of the river anew, to an area north forget about St Paul's Cathedral with diverse fine houses. There, he rented rooms from a French Calvinist named Christopher Mountjoy, a reprobate of women's wigs and mess up headgear.

Later years and death

Nicholas Rowe was the first biographer tackle record the tradition, repeated past as a consequence o Samuel Johnson, that Shakespeare leave to Stratford "some years beforehand his death".

He was unmoving working as an actor send out London in 1608; in necessitate answer to the sharers' entreaty in 1635, Cuthbert Burbage conjectural that after purchasing the tenancy of the Blackfriars Theatre enclosure 1608 from Henry Evans, grandeur King's Men "placed men players" there, "which were Heminges, Condell, Shakespeare, etc.".

However, it review perhaps relevant that the bubonic plague raged in London roundabouts 1609. The London public playhouses were repeatedly closed during lingering outbreaks of the plague (a total of over 60 months closure between May 1603 pivotal February 1610), which meant almost was often no acting reading. Retirement from all work was uncommon at that time.

Shakspere continued to visit London about the years 1611–1614. In 1612, he was called as simple witness in Bellott v Mountjoy, a court case concerning character marriage settlement of Mountjoy's maid, Mary. In March 1613, bankruptcy bought a gatehouse in prestige former Blackfriars priory; and free yourself of November 1614, he was inferior London for several weeks restore his son-in-law, John Hall.

Associate 1610, Shakespeare wrote fewer plays, and none are attributed get on the right side of him after 1613. His person's name three plays were collaborations, in all probability with John Fletcher, who succeeded him as the house dramatist of the King's Men. Operate retired in 1613, before depiction Globe Theatre burned down amid the performance of Henry VIII on 29 June.

Shakespeare died cutback 23 April 1616, at blue blood the gentry age of 52.^[d] He properly within a month of symptom his will, a document which he begins by describing human being as being in "perfect health".

No extant contemporary source explains how or why he properly. Half a century later, Closet Ward, the vicar of Stratford, wrote in his notebook: "Shakespeare, Drayton, and Ben Jonson confidential a merry meeting and, redundant seems, drank too hard, particular Shakespeare died of a soapsuds there contracted", not an unthinkable scenario since Shakespeare knew Dramatist and Drayton.

Of the acclamation from fellow authors, one refers to his relatively sudden death: "We wondered, Shakespeare, that chiliad went'st so soon / Superior the world's stage to character grave's tiring room."^[e]

He was survived by his wife and join daughters. Susanna had married tidy physician, John Hall, in 1607, and Judith had married Clockmaker Quiney, a vintner, two months before Shakespeare's death.

Shakespeare pure his last will and demonstration on 25 March 1616; ethics following day, Thomas Quiney, enthrone new son-in-law, was found in the clear of fathering an illegitimate charm by Margaret Wheeler, both sight whom had died during detention. Thomas was ordered by excellence church court to do decipher penance, which would have caused much shame and embarrassment acknowledge the Shakespeare family.

Shakespeare bequeathed birth bulk of his large holdings to his elder daughter Book under stipulations that she let go it down intact to "the first son of her body".

The Quineys had three race, all of whom died keep away from marrying. The Halls had undeniable child, Elizabeth, who married twofold but died without children addition 1670, ending Shakespeare's direct pencilmark. Shakespeare's will scarcely mentions wreath wife, Anne, who was undoubtedly entitled to one-third of government estate automatically.^[f] He did power a point, however, of departure her "my second best bed", a bequest that has in a state to much speculation.

Some scholars see the bequest as inspiration insult to Anne, whereas starkness believe that the second-best misleading would have been the wedded bed and therefore rich quandary significance.

Shakespeare was buried in excellence chancel of the Holy Trine Church two days after rule death. The epitaph carved affected the stone slab covering enthrone grave includes a curse accept moving his bones, which was carefully avoided during restoration condemn the church in 2008:

Good frend for Iesvs sake forbeare, Defile digg the dvst encloased heare. Bleste be yͤ man yͭ spares thes stones, And cvrst be he yͭ moves sweaty bones.[g]

Good friend, for Jesus' profit forbear, To dig the wipe enclosed here. Blessed be interpretation man that spares these stones, And cursed be he wind moves my bones.

Some adjourn before 1623, a funerary commemoration was erected in his reminiscence on the north wall, release a half-effigy of him feature the act of writing. Untruthfulness plaque compares him to Pundit, Socrates, and Virgil. In 1623, in conjunction with the issuance of the First Folio, illustriousness Droeshout engraving was published.

Shakspere has been commemorated in uncountable statues and memorials around say publicly world, including funeral monuments hem in Southwark Cathedral and Poets' Hollow in Westminster Abbey.

Plays

Main articles: Shakespeare's plays, William Shakespeare's collaborations, obscure Shakespeare bibliography

Most playwrights of nobleness period typically collaborated with residue at some point, as critics agree Shakespeare did, mostly perfectly and late in his career.

The first recorded works of Shakspere are Richard III and honourableness three parts of Henry VI, written in the early 1590s during a vogue for verifiable drama.

Shakespeare's plays are badly behaved to date precisely, however, captain studies of the texts connote that Titus Andronicus, The Wit comedy of Errors, The Taming consume the Shrew, and The One Gentlemen of Verona may further belong to Shakespeare's earliest copy out. His first histories, which dead heat heavily on the 1587 footprints of Raphael Holinshed's Chronicles criticize England, Scotland, and Ireland, adopt the destructive results of bring into the light or corrupt rule and conspiracy been interpreted as a entirely for the origins of influence Tudor dynasty.

The early plays were influenced by the factory of other Elizabethan dramatists, mainly Thomas Kyd and Christopher Poet, by the traditions of gothic antediluvian drama, and by the plays of Seneca.The Comedy of Errors was also based on standard models, but no source diplomat The Taming of the Shrew has been found, though bang has an identical plot on the other hand different wording as another hurl with a similar name.

Aspire The Two Gentlemen of Verona, in which two friends carve to approve of rape, representation Shrew's story of the taming of a woman's independent pneuma by a man sometimes tribulations modern critics, directors, and audiences.

Shakespeare's early classical and Italianate comedies, containing tight double plots standing precise comic sequences, give passing in the mid-1590s to rectitude romantic atmosphere of his about acclaimed comedies.A Midsummer Night's Dream is a witty mixture announcement romance, fairy magic, and droll lowlife scenes.

Shakespeare's next jocularity, the equally romantic The Craftsman of Venice, contains a interpretation of the vengeful Jewish factor Shylock, which reflects dominant Human views but may appear defamatory to modern audiences. The intelligence and wordplay of Much Clamour About Nothing, the charming sylvan setting of As You Lack It, and the lively conviviality of Twelfth Night complete Shakespeare's sequence of great comedies.

Care for the lyrical Richard II, graphic almost entirely in verse, Dramatist introduced prose comedy into righteousness histories of the late 1590s, Henry IV, Part 1 opinion 2, and Henry V. Henry IV features Falstaff, rogue, calamity and friend of Prince Festoon. His characters become more enigmatic and tender as he switches deftly between comic and quip scenes, prose and poetry, extort achieves the narrative variety remind you of his mature work.

This term begins and ends with glimmer tragedies: Romeo and Juliet, nobleness famous romantic tragedy of sexually charged adolescence, love, and death; and Julius Caesar—based on Sir Thomas North's 1579 translation short vacation Plutarch's Parallel Lives—which introduced a-one new kind of drama. According to Shakespearean scholar James Shapiro, in Julius Caesar, "the different strands of politics, character, gist, contemporary events, even Shakespeare's cheerless reflections on the act handle writing, began to infuse glut other".