Research Paper: William Shakespeare

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William Shakespeare, an accredited playwright and poet was born to the late Mary Arden and John Shakespeare. Shakespeare’s birthdate is not known but it is celebrated April 23 (Bentley 11). In this time period a child had to be baptized on the nearest Sunday and Shakespeare was baptized on April 26, 1564. There are no records that proves that Shakespeare attended school as an adolescent but it was assumed that Shakespeare attended Stratford grammar school. Because of financial issues he was removed from school in his early teens (Walter 4). Shakespeare did not face many challenges growing but as adult that’s when he faced most of his challenges in life such as the death of his son, the heavy criticism of his work, and also the Black Plague. The death of his son was the first major tragedy in his life. During a time in Shakespeare’s life where he disappeared nobody knew of his whereabouts and none were recorded (Lindaman). These black periods lead to a lot of doubting and questioning did Shakespeare really write all of his work? Or did he use someone else’s work and sold it as his? “No scrap of his own letters or manuscripts has survived, nor have the records of his school years, his theatrical tours or anything he ever said to anyone” (Michell). The big debate about Shakespeare work was how could a man that did not have the proper education to write such in depth and amazing plays. Many people such as Delia Bacon questioned his work because of his education and assumed that he had help from someone with a good education to be able to put such pieces together with that type of syntax. You could not blame anyone for wondering how a man with merely an education could come up with such pieces of grand pieces of work that would be u... ... middle of paper ... ..., Beginnings to 1607, Revised Edition (Volume I). New York: Facts on File, Inc, 2010.America History Online. Facts on File, Inc. Medium of publication consulted. 17 Nov. 2013. Michell, John. "Doubts and Questions." Who Wrote Shakespeare? Thames and Hudson, 1996. 67-112. Rpt. in Shakespearean Criticism. Ed. Michelle Lee and Dana Ramel Barnes. Vol. 41. Detroit: Gale Research, 1998. Literature Resource Center. Web. 17 Nov. 2013. Powell, I. Enoch. “The Trick of that voice.” Spectator 30 Oct. 1993: 26+. Opposing Viewpoints in Contexts. 17 Nov. 2013 "Shakespeare, William." Arts and Humanities Through the Eras. Ed. Edward I. Bleiberg, et al. Vol. 4: Renaissance Europe 1300-1600. Detroit: Gale, 2005. 353-355. Gale Virtual Reference Library. Web. 17 Nov. 2013. Walter, James, and Gerald Edward Moira. Shakespeare's True Life,. London: Longmans, Green &, 1890. Print.

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