William Shakespeare
Although William Shakespeare is considered as one of the most famous literature figure and the most famous play writer we know very little about him and about his life. What we do know about his life comes from register records, yourt records, wills, marriage certificates his tombstone and so on.Birth William Shakespeare was born in April in Stratford-upon-Avon, about 100 miles northwest of London. The exact day of his birth is not known. The day is not recorded as is the case of most sixteenth century births. There are records in the Stratford Trinity Church that he was baptized there on April 26. Baptisms were usually only a few days after birth and because we say that he died on the same day in 1616. However this date has no historical base.Parents Shakespeare´s parents were John and Mary Shakespeare. His father, John Shakespeare was a glover-maker. He was very successful.
His mother, Mary Arden was from aristocratic family. John and Mary had eight children. William was the third child and the first son.Education-Shakespeare was probably educated at The Stratford grammar school. Although we have no record of Shakespeare attending the school, due to the official position held by John Shakespeare it seems likely that he would have decided to educate young William at the school. He learned the English alphabet, and then the Latin grammar. Later he translated from Greek.Very important is also marriage. When he was eighteen, he married Anna Hathaway, who was 26 years old. There are two different documents regarding this matter. First us record of the issue of marriage license to Wm Shaxpere and Annan Whateley. And the second is record about marriage William Sahgspere and Ann Hatwey. There are three possible conclusions. 1) in both records are mentioned Shakespeare and Anna. The same people. Because the recorder often made a joke. 2) In the first records is mentioned one couple and in second record another couple. 3) Shakespeare loved one women but he married a second woman from the duty. She was pregnant.
Work:
-Shakespeare was a big poet and wrote some nice sonnets, but the best know are his plays.
-He wrote 37 plays, tragedies, comedies, historical plays and romances, which is something between tragedy and comedy:
-Tragedies: Romeo and Juliet, Hamlet, Othello, King Lear, Macbeth and plays which are something between tragedy and a historical play – Julius Caesar, Anthony and Cleopatra, Coriolanus.
-Comedies: The Taming of the Shrew, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, The Merchant of Venice, The Merry Wives of Windsor, As You Like It, Twelfth Night.
-Romances: Pericles, The Winter’s Tale, The Tempest.
-Historical plays: Richard II, Richard III, Henry IV, Henry V, Henry VI.
Hamlet:
This is also a tragedy. Hamlet is the Prince of Denmark. His mother, a Queen, is a widow and marries Hamlet’s uncle Claudius. However the ghost of dead king appears and tells him, that it was the Queen and Claudius who killed him. He wants revenge. Hamlet writes a theatre play based on this story. But Claudius recognises that the play is about him and sends Hamlet to England to be killed. Later Hamlet comes back to Denmark, Claudius is alarmed and wants to destroy Hamlet. Finally Hamlet kills the whole family and he is also killed. I don’t like this end because it seems to me like modern action films with rows of dead.