The Incredible Success of William Shakespeare
explanatory Essay
972 words
William Shakespeare’s work is known throughout the world and has been performed in countless hamlets, villages, cities and metropolises for more than 400 years. And yet, the personal history of William Shakespeare is somewhat a mystery. There are two main sources that provide us with a basic outline of his life. One source is through the plays, poems and sonnets he wrote, and the other source is from official documents, such as church and court records. But these sources can give only so much, they only tell us about specific events that happened that happened in his life, not much about the person experiencing them. William Shakespeare was a successful poet and playwright during the Elizabethan era, and became the most popular dramatist of his age.
Even though there are no known birth records for William Shakespeare, there are records of a baptizing that indicate he was born on or near April 23, 1564. (--) Shakespeares parents, John Shakespeare and Mary Arden, had five other children, Joan and Judith his two older sisters, and Gilbert, Richard and Edmund, his three younger brothers. John Shakespeare was a leather merchant and Mary arden was a local land heiress. Shakespeare’s father, John Shakespeare became a successful merchant and held official positions as alderman and bailiff, which is kind of like the mayor, before William was born. However in the late 1570's , John's wealth decreased.(--)
There are very few records of Williams childhood that exist, and barely any about his education. Scholars suspect he attended the King's New School, in Stratford, where he was most likely thought reading, writing and the classics. He would have most likely been qualified for free tuition due to the fact that he was the ...
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... they were no longer close. Still, there is barely any evidence that they had a difficult marriage, so it makes it hard to believe that theory. Some scholars observe that the term " second-best bed" refers to the marital bed, and the "first-best bed' refers to a bed used for guests.
Questions rose about the true authorship of Shakespeare's plays 105 years after he died. Literary critics and scholars began to suggest names like Christopher Marlowe, Edward de Vere and Francis Bacon:they were men that had a more known background; as the real authors of the plays. These ideas came from the fact that there isnt a lot of information about Shakespeare's life and due to the death of contemporary primary sources. Records from the Holy Trinity Church and Stratford government show that there was a William Shakespeare but none of them show he was playwright or an actor.
In this essay, the author
- Explains that the personal history of william shakespeare is somewhat a mystery. there are two main sources that provide us with an outline of his life.
- Explains that there are no known birth records for william shakespeare, but records of a baptizing indicate he was born on or near april 23, 1564.
- Explains that there are very few records of williams' childhood that exist, and barely any about his education. scholars suspect he attended the king's new school, in stratford.
- Explains that shakespeare was 18 when he married anne hathaway, who was 26 and pregnant, on november 28, 1582, in worcester, canterbury province. there are no records of his life for the seven years after the twins were.
- Explains that shakespeare was a managing partner in an acting company in london, the lord chamberlain's men, by the early 1590s.
- Compares the convention writing style of shakespeare's earlier plays with his creative style. william used unrhymed iambic pentameter to write his plays.
- Describes shakespeare's works including: all’s well that ends well, cymbeline, the merry wives of windsor, much ado about nothing, pericles, prince of tyre, taming of the shrew, twelfth night,
- Explains that shakespeare's death is a mystery, with church records showing he was laid to rest on april 5, 1616 at trinity church.
- Explains that there isn't a lot of information about shakespeare's life and due to the death of contemporary primary sources.
Related
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- William Shakespeare: A Legendary Authorexplanatory essayWilliam Shakespeare’s intellectual use of the English language is what brought him prosperity throughout his lifetime, and what brings us to tears and laughter in the modern world. The life of Shakespeare is of great importance to English literature because of his many contributions including poetry, stories, and plays. However, many people do not know that he also owned a business. “William Shakespeare was a professional actor, a businessman, and a playwright. Today, nearly four hundred years after his death his plays are still performed” (Greenhill and Wignall 4).
In this essay, the author
- Opines that william shakespeare's intellectual use of the english language brought him prosperity throughout his lifetime, and brought us to tears and laughter in the modern world.
- Explains that william shakespeare was born and raised in stratford-upon-avon, a famous tourist attraction today.
- Explains that when william shakespeare was eighteen years of age, he married anne hathaway. their marriage was arranged quickly because they obtained a special license from the bishop of worcester on november 27, 1582.
- Explains that shakespeare was an active poet, playwright, and actor. he also tampered in the world of business.
- Explains that william shakespeare's plays and poems attract people young and old. his influence extends from theatre and movies, to literature and even the english language itself.
- Explains that greenhill, wendy, and wignall, paul. shakespeare: a life. chicago, il: reed educational & professional publishing, 2000.
908 wordsRead More - William Shakespeare's Biographyanalytical essayFrom baptism records, we know William's father was a John Shakespeare, said to be a town official of Stratford and a local businessman who dabbled in tanning, leatherwork and whittawering which is working with white leather to make items like purses and gloves. John also dealt in grain and sometimes was described as a glover by trade.
In this essay, the author
- Analyzes how little is known about william shakespeare, despite his reputation as one of literature's greatest influences. anecdotes and criticisms by his rivals suggest he was indeed a playwright, poet, and actor.
- Explains that william was born in 1564, based on the earliest record of his life, his baptism, and the bard's baptism date.
- Explains that william was the third child of john and mary shakespeare. he was followed by gilbert, richard, and edmund.
- Explains that william's father was john shakespeare, a town official of stratford, who dabbled in tanning, leatherwork, and whittawering.
- Explains that john was a prominent man in stratford and was one of fourteen burgesses which formed the town council. william himself is often described as keen businessman so we can assume he got his business acumen from his father
- Explains that william's mother was mary arden, who married john shakespeare in 1557. she inherited much of his landowning and farming estate when he died.
- Explains that a bond certificate dated november the 28th, 1582, reveals that an eighteen year old william married the twenty-six and pregnant anne hathaway.
- Explains that william's family was unusually small in a time when families had many children to ensure parents were cared for in later years.
- Demonstrates that the great bard was also a poet by entering his first poem venus and adonis in the stationers' registrar on the 18th of april, 1593. the playwright registered his second poem the rape of lucrece.
- Explains that william's sonnets were published without his permission in 1609, and it is considered unlikely that many of his deeply personal poems would be revealed to the outside world.
- Explains that william left his family home in 1609 to pursue his craft in london. he visited only during the forty-day period of lent when theatres would later close in accordance with the traditional banning of all forms of diversionary entertainment around this important easter event.
- Explains that william applied for a coat of arms in 1599, despite lack of proof, and later for his mother's coat.
- Explains that william purchased the new place, one of the most prominent and desired properties in all of stratford. given his father's known financial hardship from 1576, william may have used his own money to buy this expensive property.
- Explains that william was living in london around 1601. the playwright's name is recorded in the court records when he gave testimony in 1612.
- Explains that william made his greatest financial gain in 1605 when he purchased leases of real estate near stratford, which doubled in value and earned him 60 pounds income each year.
- Explains that john comb's will bequeathed to the bard the princely sum of just five pounds.
- Opines that william shakespeare's tombstone is an appeal for him to rest in peace with a curse on those who would move his bones.
- Argues that the evidence above proves that william existed but not that he was a playwright nor an actor nor poet.
- Explains that robert greene's groatsworth of wit, bought with a million of repentance was the earliest proof that william did indeed write 37 plays.
- Explains that william's interest in theatre comes from his performances before queen elizabeth herself in 1594. the bard was listed as a shareholder of the lord chamberlain’s company.
- Analyzes how the bard's reputation as a poet was confirmed in 1598 when francis meres attacked him as being "mellifluent" and described his work as honey-tongued sonnets among his private friends.
- Explains that william's theatre presence is confirmed by his ownership of the globe theatre in 1599 and on may the 19th, 1603, he received a patent, titling him as one of james i, the then king of england.
- Explains that shakespeare's plays were recorded and collected in the first folio, which was sold for just 1 pound in 1623. today it fetches nearly 3 million dollars.
- Analyzes ben jonson's poem, which criticizes the playwrights' dramatic plays, in a work entitled discoveries (also known as timber) dated 1641.
1390 wordsRead More - William Shakespeare as a Writeranalytical essayWilliam Shakespeare as a Writer Wherever we go today, we just can't seem to get away from him. He is in movies, in the theater, even on TV. Whether modernized or back in Elizabethan times, his influence is everywhere in the things we use for our entertainment. We think we know who he really was and what his life was all about. He almost seems immortal in our eyes.
In this essay, the author
- Analyzes how shakespeare's influence is everywhere in entertainment, whether modernized or back in elizabethan times. we think we know who he was and what his life was all about.
- Explains that william shakespeare was born in 1564 in stratford-upon-avon, warwickshire, england. his marriage to anne hathaway in november 1582 was a marriage of inconvenience.
- Explains that shakespeare arrived in london around 1591, and his first official publication appeared in 1593 while all theaters were closed for the plague.
- Explains that shakespeare's plays are well-known, and his comedies often stress fictional situations and proclaim their relation to literary traditions.
- Explains that shakespeare's first poem, venus and adonis, was dedicated to sir henry wriothesley, the earl of southampton. it is a tale of love, lust and the classic romantic chase.
- Explains that shakespeare's original works and writings included legal deeds, promissory notes, letters to and from shakespeare, and a "lost" tragedy called vortigern.
- Argues that shakespeare's plays were written too early to be credited to shaksper and were the work of an older man.
- Analyzes how shakespeare's life, work, and controversies come together to form our beliefs of who this great writer really was.
1231 wordsRead More - The Shakespeare Authorship Debateanalytical essayAlthough William Shakespeare is considered to be one of the most revered and well-renowned authors of all time, controversy surrounds the belief that he actually produced his own literary works. Some rumors even go so far as to question the reality of such a one, William Shakespeare, brought on by paralleling the quality of his pieces with his personal background and education. With such farfetched allegations, it persuaded others to peek into the person we all are taught to learn as “Shakespeare”, but who is actually the person behind these genius works of literary promise and enlightenment? To some, Shakespeare is as much accredited to his works as frequently as you see his name placed. To others, Shakespeare is a complex enigma into which we the people are supposed to unravel; the true author behind a falsely-given pseudonym. The debate pertaining to the true authorship of William Shakespeare’s works are still questioned in today’s society.
In this essay, the author
- Analyzes how controversy surrounds the belief that william shakespeare produced his own literary works, paralleling the quality of his pieces with his personal background and education.
- Analyzes shakespeare's illiteracy in the oxford arguments, based on circumstantial evidence that his father could neither read nor write.
- Explains that shakespeare's handwriting was uneducated due to his poor visual penmanship. the first signature was on a deposition he gave, two on property documents, and three on his will.
- Argues that even if shakespeare was a front for writing, rather than an actual human being, why would one person choose to remain anonymous instead of claiming medieval stardom and praise?
- Opines that the burden of proof lies on those who wish to discredit the bard. the debate over the true authorship of shakespeare's works has been ongoing for centuries.
- Opines that although we may never know the true answer to the perplexed mystery surrounding the william shakespeare authorship debate or the figment, unapparent enigma himself, he will continue to remain known as one of the greatest writers of all time.
- Explains that there are several front runners in the conspiracy, including francis bacon, de vere, and marlowe.
- Analyzes j. m. pressley and the shakespeare resource center's "oxford authorship argument." absolute shakespeare. 2000-2005. earl staelin.
1616 wordsRead More - William Shakespeare's Life in Stratford on Avonanalytical essayWilliam Shakespeare was a man who lived a very interesting life. Most people may not realize all the hard work he went through, to become so renowned and still be remembered today after hundreds of years. Although some of the happenings in his life are unknown or lost, there are portions that scholars been able to piece together. First, his birth and family are important, as well as his schooling and childhood, and finally his married life.
In this essay, the author
- Explains that william shakespeare was the son of john shakespeare and mary arden. he made gloves, owned a general store, and held high town offices.
- Explains that william shakespeare went to stratford's grammar school, which was in session year round and had three breaks for holidays. the school was demanding, dull, and strict.
- Describes mabillard, amanda, and shakespeare's brothers and sisters.
- Analyzes the history of william shakespeare’s life in stratford-upon-avon.
- Explains that william shakespeare lived a very interesting life. his birth and family are important, as are his schooling, childhood, and marriage.
- Explains that william was a child that liked to be outside doing something. the town of stratford had numerous plays and pageants, which could have inspired him to write plays.
768 wordsRead More - In the biography “William Shakespeare: a Compact Documentary Life”, Samuel Schoenbaum is able to use diction, rhetoric, and authorial intrusion to establish a timeline of Shakespeare’s life in detail despite having so little accurate information of Shakespeare. As one of the most remarkable playwrights in the world, Shakespeare is highly influential in modern literature and in the modern world.
In this essay, the author
- Analyzes how samuel schoenbaum uses diction, rhetoric, and authorial intrusion to establish a timeline of shakespeare's life in detail despite having so little accurate information. shakespeare is influential in modern literature and in the modern world.
- Explains that shakespeare was born in stratford as the first son to john and mary shakespeare on either the 21st, 22nd, or 23rd of april 1564.
- Analyzes how schoenbuam created informative style writing with an approving tone and a formal yet slightly causal mood in the biography.
- Analyzes how schoenbuam uses authorial intrusion and strict statements of facts on shakespeare's life to determine the formal yet casual mood of the biography.
- Opines that shakespeare is a highly influential figure in the modern world. schoenbaum wrote of shakespeare's accomplishments.
- Explains that shakespeare's life was not an easy one. he had to apprentice at his father’s shop and travel away from his family to start his career. his determination and individuality gained fame and fortune.
853 wordsRead More - Honorificabilitudinitatibus Essayanalytical essayIn conclusion, this essay discussed a couple of the theories that William Shakespeare was not the true author of the extensive works with his name on them. William Shakespeare, though there is not a lot of evidence, wrote the works and people should be happy that we have the works. William Shakespeare was not tried as being the author until at least 150 years after his death. William Shakespeare has left evidence of his will and his house, which can still be visited to this day. William Shakespeare was neither Bacon nor De Vere but he was his own individual person. All of the theories forgot to think about the time in which the plays were written, the amount of time the author had to write these long fascinating works, and whether William Shakespeare did or did not exist.
In this essay, the author
- Analyzes how honorificabilitudinitatibus is an anagram for one of the theories that shakespeare is really the aristocratic lord francis bacon.
- Explains that william shakespeare was born april 23, 1564 in stratford-upon-avon with no birth record but record that he was baptized three days later.
- Opines that the lack of records on shakespeare makes it hard for people to prove that he existed. they argue that many of his works were sloppily signed or signed in a different spelling.
- Explains that one of the theories surrounding the true authorship of shakespeare refers to sir francis bacon.
- Analyzes how the quote uses a nonsensical word honorificabilitudinitatibus, which bacon used in his works.
- Explains that edward de vere, the 17th earl of oxford, was one of the most popular theories of who could have possibly written the shakespearian works.
- Analyzes how shakespeare mocked aristocrats in hamlet. oxford's theory is well-developed and even some websites explain that he could've written some of shakespeare’s work before his death.
- Concludes that william shakespeare was not the true author of the extensive works with his name on them. he was neither bacon nor de vere but he was his own individual person.
1404 wordsRead More - Who Is the Real Author of Shakespear?analytical essayWhalen, Richard F. “Shakespeare’s biographical problems heat up”. Shakespeare Oxford Newsletter 47.2 (2011): 9t. Academic one file Web. 31 Oct 2013.
In this essay, the author
- Explains that the first long assault on who actually wrote shakespeare was written in 1857 by delia bacon, who said he couldn't have been of amazing literature.
- Argues that the real author of shakespeare is edward de vere. the evidence is in the education, mysterious behavior, information saying shakespeare wasn't the true author, and the clues that oxford is the genuine author.
- Explains that shakespeare scholars have a hard time finding contemporaneous documentation for his literary life. the earl of oxford is the true author of the shakespeare plays.
- Analyzes schama, simon, and whalen, richard f. "shakespeare's biographical problems heat up".
792 wordsRead More - Erinn Zubillagaanalytical essayPressley, J. M. "Shakespeare's Works: A Timeline." Bardweb. N.p.,n.d. 30 Apr. 2014. Web. 09 May 2014. .
In this essay, the author
- Explains that william shakespeare was a talented performer and writer who wrote more than 37 plays and over 100 sonnets. there is evidence to prove that he wrote the plays himself.
- Analyzes how shakespeare's timeline allows him to write the plays and sonnets. the timeline provides information for his timeline because there is a gap of missing records, which don't mention much an education.
- Explains that there is no evidence that anyone else had a purpose or chance to write the plays or even did write them.
- Explains that shakespeare had the time and education to write the plays and sonnets. he had a busy life, but enjoyed writing them.
- Concludes that shakespeare wrote his plays because there is enough evidence to show that he wrote the plays and sonnets.
- Analyzes the william shakespeare timeline from no sweat shakespeare, june-july 2013.
- Analyzes how shakespeare wrote his plays, and explains how he wrote them.
657 wordsRead More - The Death of William Shakespeareanalytical essayThe 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)
In this essay, the author
- Opines that 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.
- Analyzes how the bishop of worcester issues a marriage license to the young bard and his newly wed wife, anne hathaway.
- Explains that william and anne had three children during their marriage, including susanna and hamnet and judith.
- Analyzes how shakespeare buys new place, the second largest house in stratford, thanks to his theater work and keen investments.
- Analyzes how shakespeare returns to staftford between 1610 and 1613, where he composes his final plays, henry vii and two noble kinsmen.
- Opines that 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.
640 wordsRead More