William Shakespeare
Essay by Maxi • December 16, 2011 • Essay • 411 Words (2 Pages) • 2,081 Views
William Shakespeare
The Elizabethan era was during Queen Elizabeth's reign. She reigned from 1558 to 1603.
English drama flourished at this time and one spectacular writer was William Shakespeare. It
was said that William is the greatest writer in the English language. No other writer's plays have
been produced so many times or read so widely in so many countries as his.
William Shakespeare was baptised on April 26, 1564. The actual birthdate is unknown but
was believed to be on April 23.He was raised in Stratford-upon-Avon, and was the son of John
and Mary Shakespeare, John was a middle class business man. He was a glove maker who
owned a leather shop. Shakespeare was one of eight children. When William reached the age of
18 he married his beloved wife Anne Hathaway on November 28, 1582. She lived in a nearby
village called Shottery. She was 26 at the time and Shakespeare was only 18. They had three
children: Susanna, Hamnet, and Judith. Hamnet and Judith were twins. Hamnet died in 1596. In
1607, his daughter Susana got married. Shakespeare's other daughter, Judith, got married in
1616.
William began his successful career in London as an actor, writer and owner of a company
later know at King's Men. It is not known when Shakespeare began writing, but records show
that a lot of his plays were on the London stage by 1592. By this time, he had joined one of the
city's theater companies. These companies were made up of a permanent cast of actors who did
different plays week after week. Scholars know that Shakespeare belonged to one of the most
popular acting companies in London called The Lord Chamberlain's Men. Shakespeare was the
leader of the group from 1594 for the rest of his career. By 1594 at least 6 of Shakespeare's plays
have been made. In 1599, he became a part owner of Globe Theater. Shakespeare retired to
Stratford in 1613 where he wrote many of his plays.
William Shakespeare is famous for many reasons. He wrote realistic plays that people could
relate to. They were written in a way
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