6/5/2009. The most influential writer in all of English literature, William Shakespeare was born in 1564 to a successful middle-class glovemaker

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Clara Carr
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1 About the Man & Context for the Play English The most influential writer in all of English literature, William Shakespeare was born in 1564 to a successful middle-class glovemaker in Stratfordupon-Avon, England. Shakespeare attended grammar school, but his formal education proceeded no further. 1

Around 1590 he left his family behind and

and Shakespeare eventually became the most

(1558 1603) and James I (1603 1625), and he was

2 In 1582 he married an older woman, Anne Hathaway, and had three children with her. Around 1590 he left his family behind and traveled to London to work as an actor and playwright. Public and critical success quickly followed, and Shakespeare eventually became the most popular playwright in England and part-owner of the Globe Theater. His career bridged the reigns of Elizabeth I ( ) and James I ( ), and he was a favorite of both monarchs. James granted Shakespeare s company the greatest possible compliment by bestowing the title of King s Men. 2

Wealthy and worldfamous, Shakespeare retired to Stratford and died in 1616 at the age of fifty-two.

By the early 18 th Century (1700s), his reputation as the greatest Englishlanguage poet was well

However, the absence of biographical information has left many details of Shakespeare s personal

Some people have concluded from this fact that Shakespeare s plays were really written by someone else

3 Wealthy and worldfamous, Shakespeare retired to Stratford and died in 1616 at the age of fifty-two. Shakespeare s works were collected and printed in many editions in the century following his death. By the early 18 th Century (1700s), his reputation as the greatest Englishlanguage poet was well established. The fascination with his works led to a fierce curiosity about Shakespeare s life. However, the absence of biographical information has left many details of Shakespeare s personal history shrouded in mystery. Some people have concluded from this fact that Shakespeare s plays were really written by someone else (Francis Bacon and the Earl of Oxford are the popular candidates), but the support for this claim is circumstantial and the theory is not taken seriously by many scholars, including one bald one in this room. 3

Without credible evidence to the contrary, Shakespeare must be viewed as the author of the 37 plays and 154 sonnets

In Shakespeare's time this was a reference to January 6th, the final night of January the twelve-day-long Christmas

More particularly, the "twelfth night" was seen as a time of general revelry and mild mayhem, a time when social

4 Without credible evidence to the contrary, Shakespeare must be viewed as the author of the 37 plays and 154 sonnets that bear his name. Or What You Will The legacy of this body of work is immense. In Shakespeare's time this was a reference to January 6th, the final night of January the twelve-day-long Christmas season (a tradition that survives in the well-known carol). More particularly, the "twelfth night" was seen as a time of general revelry and mild mayhem, a time when social and sexual conventions could be freely flouted. Probably written in 1600 or It was probably first performed in February 1602 in front of Queen Elizabeth I, who could order a play whenever she wished. 4

Whether this play was written for a winter performance or whether Shakespeare intended it to have a winter-time setting at all, are matters of scholarly debate.

Night. As was common, Shakespeare borrowed ideas for his plays from stories from earlier literary works. If he was so great, why did he have to borrow ideas?

5 Whether this play was written for a winter performance or whether Shakespeare intended it to have a winter-time setting at all, are matters of scholarly debate. What is more certain, and more important, is that this play draws its inspiration from the traditions of medieval times (temporary sexual freedom and social release) as they related to the Twelfth Night. As was common, Shakespeare borrowed ideas for his plays from stories from earlier literary works. If he was so great, why did he have to borrow ideas? Shakespeare seems to have consulted an Italian play from the 1530s entitled Gl Ingannati, which features twins who are mistaken for each other and contains a version of the Viola-Olivia-Orsino love triangle in Twelfth Night. He also seems to have used a 1581 English story entitled Apollonius and Silla, In Shakespeare s time, an acting company could not expect a playwright to write in a vacuum. The nature of the schedule, in which a new play could be commissioned weekly, required playwrights to get together and share ideas. English playwrights at this time freely borrowed material from one another and shared criticisms and edits. Twelfth Night definitely presents Shakespeare s work, but also the contributions by actors, managers, prompters, and so forth, who all knew what parts of a play to leave in or take out. 5

6 He wouldn t be impressed to learn that his work is being studied. He wrote for entertainment value the same audiences who loved watching public executions. This crowd loved staged mayhem. The English crowd loved gore. Stage crews would do their best to show blood, illness, love scenes, etc look real. His plays appealed to everyone, even if they didn t understand many of the words. 6

Romeo and Juliet. William Shakespeare

Romeo and Juliet. William Shakespeare Romeo and Juliet William Shakespeare Author Bio Full Name: William Shakespeare Date of Birth: 1564 Place of Birth: Stratford-upon- Avon, England Date of Death: 1616 Brief Life Story Shakespeare s father