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Shakespeare Biography (1090L)

pregnant with their first daughter. The wedding would have been arranged quickly to

Notes on my thoughts,

avoid the shame of having a child born out of wedlock. Shakespeare fathered three

reactions and questions as I

children in all: Susanna; born in May 1583, and Judith and Hamnet; twins born in

read:

February 1585. Hamnet died in 1596, at age 11. Shakespeare was devastated by the

death of his only son, and it is argued that Hamlet, written four years later, is

evidence of this.

Shakespeare’s Theater Career:

At some point in the late 1580s, Shakespeare made the four-day ride to London, and

by 1592 had established himself as a writer.

In 1594 came the event that changed the course of literary history – Shakespeare

joined Richard Burbage’s acting company and became its chief playwright for the

next two decades. Here, Shakespeare was able to hone his craft, writing for a regular

group of performers. Shakespeare also worked as an actor in the theater company,

although the lead roles were always reserved for Burbage himself.

The company became very successful and often performed in front of the Queen of

England, Elizabeth I. In 1603, James I ascended the throne and granted his royal

patronage to Shakespeare’s company, which became known as The King’s Men.

Top 10 Most Important Plays (in chronological order):

Romeo and Juliet (1594-1595)

A Midsummer Night’s Dream (1595-1596)

Much Ado About Nothing (1598-1599)

Henry V (1598-1599)

Twelfth Night (1599-1600)

Hamlet (1600-1601)

Measure for Measure (1604-1605)

King Lear (1605-1606)

Macbeth ( 1605-1606)

The Tempest (1611-1612)

Shakespeare the Gentleman:

Like his father, Shakespeare had excellent business sense. He had bought the largest

house in Stratford-upon-Avon by 1597, he owned shares in the Globe Theater, and

profited from some real estate deals near Stratford-upon-Avon in 1605. Before long,

Shakespeare officially became a gentleman, partly due to his own wealth and partly

due to inheriting a coat of arms from his father who died in 1601.

Shakespeare’s Later Years:

Shakespeare retired to Stratford in 1611 and lived comfortably off his wealth for the

rest of his life. In his will, he bequeathed most of his properties to Susanna, his

eldest daughter, and some actors from The King’s Men. Famously, he left his wife his

“second best bed” before he died on April 23, 1616 (this date is an educated guess

because we only have a record of his burial two days later).

If you visit Holy Trinity Church in Stratford-upon-Avon, you can still view his grave

and read his epitaph engraved into the stone:

Good friend, for Jesus' sake forbear

To dig the dust enclosed here.

Blessed be the man that spares these stones,

And cursed be he that moves my bones.

Jamieson, L. Shakespeare Biography. Available at . October 11, 2011.

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