The Death of William Shakespeare
William Shakespeare is one of, if not the worlds most revered English writers. His works have inspired many to write and follow in his footsteps, and break new ground in terms of ingenuity and innovation. As described in The Anxiety of Influence, by Harold Bloom, that Shakespeare's works will never be subjugated. His works could never be looked at as second best and should be praised for his enterprise.(Bloom)
If we are to talk about the death of superlative writer of all time, we might as well start at the beginning of the end. The date is November 28th,1582, The Bishop of Worcester issues a marriage license to the young Bard of 18 years old, and to his newly wed wife, Anne Hathaway of 26 years old. There is some controversy as to whether was in love with two women, both with the name Anne. There are records of a Anne Whateley which may be a mistake for Hathway as the clerk was described as a “nincompoop”. There is also another theory of there being another Wm Shaxpere and the Annam Whateley to be married in Temple Grafton, and the Wm Shagspere and Anne Hathwey who were to married in Stratford. Although this debate relies on the assumption that William had a relative of his staying in Temple Grafton, or that another man with a similar name was staying there, both being far fetched. Now to me the more believable of the theories, was that William Shakespeare was a fancy man, and there was two different Annes’, Whateley and Hathaway. This portrays Shakespeare as being torn in two, on one hand he has Whateley, which evidence suggest that he planned to marry her first, then on the other he had the moral obligation to wed Hathaway who was with child, which was in all likelihood his. Neverless Willia...
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..., Henry VII and Two Noble Kinsmen. Tragically the Globe Theater catches fire during the play of Henry VII and burns to ashes and it only grows worse for Shakespeare. On March 25, 1616 a feeble Shakespeare calls for his lawyer to make some minor changes to his will. The odd changes included were leaveing his “second best bed” to his wife and £10 to the poor. On his 52nd Birthday William Shakespeare succombes to a unknown illness on April 23, 1616. He was buried in Holy Trinity Church in Stratford, the very same church he was baptized.
Shakespeare's death at the age of 52 still remains a mystery, but given the time he lives in with numerous disease giving the average life expectancy of 35 years, Shakespeare fared quite well. He left behind one of the greatest legacies, and his excogitation was unparalleled. His works will live on for Eons and will never be forgotten.
The famous writer, Shakespeare, was said to have been born in Stratford as the first son to John and Mary Shakespeare on either the 21st, 22nd, or 23rd of April 1564. Most assume that Shakespeare’s birth occurred on the 23rd where then; he was baptized three days later on April 26, 1564. When he was five years of age, Shakespeare attended King’s New School at Stratford. Around 1574 or 1574 Shakespeare graduated from the Lower school to the Upper. There is no record telling how long Shakespeare had spent at King’s New School. There is a chance that Shakespeare was also apprenticed at his father’s shop. In 1582 Shakespeare became associated with the eldest daughter of the Hathaway family. In November of that year, Shakespeare and Anne Hathaway were licensed to marry but the court of Worcester. The couple had approximately three children together: Susanna, Hamnet, and Judith. Susanna was born in 1583 and the twins were born two years after. The time after this, from 1585 -1592, became known as the lost years as there are little known about Shakespeare in that period of time. It is assumed that around 1590 Shakespeare left Stratford to London and began his play writing career. Shakespeare’s first play had been Henry VI, Part One. Then in 1593, the theatres became closed due to the bubonic plague and reopen the next year. During that ...
Few writers have managed to enter the world-wide public consciousness as well as Shakespeare; everyone knows his name and can terribly misquote his plays. Yet, for all his popularity, many of his critics have called him unlearned, saying his plays are entertaining but shallow. These same critics often point at the many inconsistencies of his writing, claiming that Shakespeare was not trying to convey anything but witticisms and beautiful sounds. Of course, even his harshest detractors acknowledge his plays and sonnets have influenced the world's literature on a scale that is intimidating; every writer of his era stood in his shadow, and modern literature stands on his shoulders. Shakespeare was a product of his time as much as any man must be, and his writing is rife with the ideals of Neoplatonism, which was only just surfacing in the European realm of thought as Shakespeare began writing. Platonism and its effect on Shakespeare, and in turn his effect on modern literature, has had lasting repercussions.
William’s father, John Shakespeare married Mary Arden in the year 1557. “John and Mary Shakespeare’s first two children, Joan and Margaret, died as babies. Such early death was not unusual because there was no protection against childhood illnesses . It is remarkable that their next child, William, survived” (Greenhill and Wignall 5). It is estimated that William Shakespeare was born on April 23, 1564. William was born and raised in Stratford-upon-Avon. Stratford-upon-Avon is a famous tourist attraction today. Hundreds of thousands of people visit Stratford every year to view William’s birthplace, death place, and grave. “William was born when the plague was raging in Stratford. That year nearly fifteen percent of the town’s population died of the killer disease” (Greenhill and Wignall 5). When William was about six he was sent to the King’s New School. The King’s New School was a grammar school. “The school day in the 1500s was long and hard” (Greenhill and Wignall 5). School began as early as six in the morning and ended at five in the afternoon. There were eight hours of teaching in a day and the school day began and ended with prayers. “Schoolwork at the g...
In countries all over the globe the name William Shakespeare brings to mind literary genius, a character so famed in eloquence and creativity that none other comes close to him in prestige. Yet for centuries scholars, students and readers have argued a very fundamental question: whether or not the plays and poems attribute to William...
Shakespeare paints a vivid picture of the deaths that are carried out in the book with his use of words and description of life and the afterlife. The death of each individual holds a certain meaning, for each death sets about a reaction. It just goes to show that revenge and greed is never the answer and a heart filled with such will be the death of one self. No one in the book dies without a purpose or without an elaborate reason.
William was the son of John Shakespeare and Mary Arden. John Shakespeare made gloves, owned a general store and held high town offices such as mayor for a few years. Not much information is known about his mother Mary Arden other than that she’s from a farming family and is a higher class than John. His parents were married around 1557. Shakespeare was the third of 8 children. He had three brothers and four sisters. In 1558 John and Mary had their first child, a girl named Joan. Unfortunately, Joan only lived for about two months and then died from the Black Death plague that struck the town. Four years later, they had another daughter named Margaret. She lived for a year, but supposedly also died from the plague, although no one knows for sure. After Joan came William. He was their first son and the first of Mary and John’s children that survived to adulthood. After William came Gilbert, another son who lived to adulthood. In 1569, Mary...
William Shakespeare has become landmark in English literature. One must be familiar with the early days of English literature in order to comprehend the foundation of much of more modern literature’s basis. Shakespeare’s modern influence is still seen clearly in many ways. The success of Shakespeare’s works helped to set the example for the development of modern dramas and plays. He is also acknowledged for being one of the first writers to use any modern prose in his writings.
The works of Shakespeare are some of the most respected in English literature. They have set the standard for all the great writers who followed. Although these works have been attributed to William Shakespeare of Stratford, they could have been written by anyone. The definite authorship of a work is always uncertain, but these works are particularly contested. There are those who believe someone besides Shakespeare of Stratford wrote the works, while others believe his identity, as a whole, is a conspiracy. Clearly the author of a work is important, but some wonder if knowing the author’s identity is really worth all the fuss. The works of Shakespeare will still reign at the top of English literature no matter who wrote them. Therefore, the question of authorship may not even be relevant.
The impeccable style and craft of Shakespeare’s writing has always been looked upon with great respect, and it continues to serve as an inspiration to writers and thinkers today even as it did when it was being first performed in London. Shakespeare’s modern audience, however, is far less diverse than the one for which he originally wrote. Due to the antiquity of his language, Shakespeare’s modern readership consists mostly of students and intellectuals, whereas in Shakespeare’s own time, his plays were performed in playhouses packed with everyone from royalty to peasants. Because of this, Shakespeare was forced to write on many different levels, the most sophisticated of which appealed to his more elite audience members, while the more straightforward and often more crude of which appealed to his less educated viewers, and the most universal of which still appeals to us.
William Shakespeare spent the later years of his life in London, England. This part of his life deserves to be noted, because of his outstanding accomplishments towards society. A big part of Shakespeare’s accomplishments derive in the city of London. William Shakespeare’s life in London consisted of the lost years, involvements with the Globe Theater, creations of brilliant Early works, articulate writing styles that catch the eye, and controversies about whether Shakespeare was educated enough to construct plays the way that he did in this short time period.
England's most talented and well know poet and dramatist was born on April 23, 1564, at Stratford-upon-Avon, located in the cetre of England. His father, John, was a glove-maker and wool dealer involved with money lending. His mother Mary Arden was the daughter of a Farmer. William was the third out of eight children whom all died young. His father became Mayor in 1568, after serving on the town council for many years.
William Shakespeare treats death in Romeo and Juliet different for each set of characters. Some character deaths was because a familial issue, other were for legal issues. Romeo and Juliet's death was a familial issue, Mercutio’s death was a personal issue and Tybalt's death was a legal issue.
Arguably the greatest playwright of his time, perhaps in all of history, William Shakespeare's literary works have had a tremendous impact (see Appendix 2). Reaching into the pop culture of the modern world through movies and quotes used in everyday conversation, Shakespeare's influence is astounding (see Appendix 1). One rarely stops to think, however, about events that had an impact on Shakespeare's life, particularly his writing. The outbreak of the plague, social disparity, political unrest, just a few of the historical happenings that impacted Shakespeare's plays, including Macbeth, Romeo and Juliet, Othello, and Henry IV
Throughout the United States and the entire world people are aware of Shakespeare; however, many people wonder why society wants their citizens to continue to read William Shakespeare’s plays and poems. Shakespeare continues to influence today’s environment and brings people together by speaking of a common author that most people know. All across the world, students must read at least one of Shakespeare’s works; which often develop those children who read his works into better writers. During the Elizabethan Era, William Shakespeare experienced an uneventful childhood and had a basic education; however, his life still seems to be shrouded with mystery and raises the argument that he was not only the most successful, but also the most mysterious playwright, actor, and poet from that time period.
William Shakespeare’s life has brought much curiosity to many. This is natural as he is considered to be the greatest figure of English Literature. William Shakespeare, in terms of his life and work, is the most written-about author in the history of Western civilization. His works include 38 plays, 154 sonnets, and 2 epic narrative poems, the First of which was published after his death in 1623 by two of Shakespeare's acting companions, John Heminges and Henry Condell. Since then, the works of Shakespeare have been studied, analyzed, and enjoyed as some of the finest work of art in the English language.