William Shakespeare
Early Life
William Shakespeare was born in Stratford-upon-Avon, United Kingdom, in April 1564. He was the
son of middle-class parents, John and Mary Shakespeare. They lived in the small town of Stratford-
upon-Avon in Warwickshire. Shakespeare was the first surviving son, as two earlier children, Joan and
Margaret, had died in childhood. His early life was spent in two locations: Stratford, his native town,
and London, the center of English theatre. His father passed away in 1601 at the age of 70, and about
seven years later, his mother also passed away in 1608.
Education
William Shakespeare began his education at the age of seven at Stratford Grammar School,
where he experienced intense learning in grammar and literature, areas that received special
emphasis. In addition to traditional subjects like rhetoric, logic, history, and Latin, he also
learned basic manners and prayers in a theological environment, alongside the works of great
classical authors. Unfortunately, financial difficulties forced him to leave school. Despite
these challenges, Shakespeare maintained his passion for reading and his interest in theater.
Married Life
Shakespeare married Anne Hathaway at eighteen in 1582. It is, however, interesting that
Anne was seven years older and pregnant at the time of their marriage. Therefore, they had to
welcome Susanna, their first child, very soon. After a few years, they welcomed twins. Sadly,
one of the twins died at eleven. Due to severe poverty, Shakespeare decided to go to London.
He wanted to try his luck with theatrical companies as an actor. Despite his talent in acting,
he succeeded in making a name as a writer.
Death
It is said that Shakespeare always had a sound mind and perfect health. However, he lost his
life on 25 April 1616. The actual cause of his demise is unknown. However, almost a month
before his death, he wrote a will in which he described himself as a perfect man.
Some Important Facts of His Life
1. He is buried in the chancel of Holy Trinity Church in his hometown of Stratford,
Warwickshire.
2. In 1585, Shakespeare disappeared for almost seven years, and historians call this period
of his life “the lost years.”
3. When in 1952 he emerged as an actor and a playwright, he received the title of “upstart
crow” from Robert Greene.
4. The Oxford English Dictionary credits Shakespeare to have introducing almost 3,000
words into the English language.
5 . He wrote 37 plays and more than 150 sonnets and other poems
Writing Career
Although he was forced to leave school at the age of fourteen due to poverty, Shakespeare's education
was sufficient for his career in acting and writing. He quickly made a name for himself in London,
penning his first plays, the *Henry VI* trilogy, between 1590 and 1591. Despite facing an infamous
accusation of plagiarism from Robert Greene in 1592, who referred to him as an "upstart crow" in
*Groatsworth of Wit*, Shakespeare persevered and continued to produce masterpieces until his death.
Starting in 1593, he also wrote his 124 sonnets, further solidifying his reputation as an exceptional
poet and playwright. His notable works include *The Merchant of Venice*, *Macbeth*, *Othello*,
*Venus and Adonis*, *The Rape of Lucrece*, and *Hamlet*.
His Style
Shakespeare established his career as an actor first and then as a playwright. Shakespeare
stepped into the world of literature and theatre, leaving lasting impressions. He became
popular due to his traditional writing style in the early part of his career. First, he strictly
followed iambic pentameter in his blank verse plays, but gradually he moved toward more
conventional practices, adopting his own distinctly personal style in writing based on minute
observation of human life and nature. It is stated that he added almost 1700 new words to the
English vocabulary during the depiction of the university of human nature and experience.
The recurring themes of most of his poems and plays are love, death, betrayal, and jealousy.
Regarding literary devices, he often used extended metaphors, heavy diction, conceits, and
soliloquies to create a unique style in his plays and poems.
William Shakespeare’s Works Best Plays:
William Shakespeare has tried his hands in both plays as well as poetry. Some of his best
plays include; The Merchant of Venice, Romeo and Juliet, The Tempest, Othello, King Lear,
Mid-Summer Night’s Dream, Macbeth and Hamlet.
Best Poems: Some of the best poems he has written includes; “The Rape of Lucrece”, “The Phoenix
and the Turtle”, “Sonnet 20”, “Sonnet 1”, “Sonnet 73”, “Venus and Adonis”, “Sonnet 29”, “Sonnet
130”, “Sonnet 116” and “Sonnet 18.”
William Shakespeare’s Impacts on Future Literature
His pen brought revolutionary changes to the world of literature. Even today, researchers tend
to investigate how his works evolved social, political and theatrical settings. He not only
wrote plays and poetry but also managed to leave a permanent mark on how we live and
speak in contemporary culture. His writings are still subject to interpretation and translation
in various languages. His writing style influenced a large number of renowned writers such as
Charles Dickens, Maya Angelou, John Keats, and Herman Melville. Various writers and poets
use his style as a guiding model for writing plays and poetry. Also, genres of tragedy,
comedy, and tragi-comedy owe a great deal to Shakespeare for popularity and universal
recognition.
William Shakespeare’s Famous Quotes
“To be, or not to be: that is the question”.Hamlet (Act III, Scene I). “This above all: to thine
own self be true”. Hamlet (Act I, Scene III). “But, for my part, it was Greek to me”. Julius
Caesar (Act I, Scene II). “Neither a borrower nor a lender be; For loan oft loses both itself
and friend, and borrowing dulls the edge of husbandry”. Hamlet (Act I, Scene III). “Friends,
Romans, countrymen, lend me your ears; I come to bury Caesar, not to praise him”. Julius
Caesar (Act III, Scene II).
