Authors: William Shakespeare
By Biography.com Editors and A+E Networks, adapted by Newsela staff on 07.18.16
Word Count 896
Level 1030L
William Shakespeare 'Chandos portrait' after a previous owner, James Brydges, 1st Duke of Chandos
Synopsis: William Shakespeare was baptized on April 26, 1564, in Stratford-upon-Avon,
England. He was an important member of the Lord Chamberlain’s Men company of theatrical
players.
Mysterious Origins
Over the course of 20 years, Shakespeare wrote plays that capture the complete range of human
feelings. Known throughout the world, the works of William Shakespeare have been performed
countless times for more than 400 years. And yet, the personal history of William Shakespeare is
somewhat of a mystery. Historians know about his life from his work and church and court
records. However, these only provide brief sketches of specific events in his life and provide little
information about the actual person.
Early Life
No birth records exist for Shakespeare. However, church records indicate that a William
Shakespeare was baptized at Holy Trinity Church in England on April 26, 1564. Based on this,
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scholars believe his birthday is April 23, 1564.
William was the third child of John Shakespeare, a leather merchant, and Mary Arden, a local
heiress. He had two older sisters and three younger brothers.
There is very little information about Shakespeare's childhood and virtually none about his
education. Scholars say he most likely attended the King's New School in his hometown of
Stratford. This school taught reading and writing, as well as Greek and Latin languages.
Married Life
William Shakespeare married Anne Hathaway on November 28, 1582. Their first child, a
daughter, was born in 1583. Two years later, they had twins.
After the birth of the twins, there are seven years of Shakespeare's life where no records exist.
Scholars call this period the "lost years." There is much speculation about what he was doing
during this time, but no one is sure.
Theatrical Beginnings
By 1592, there is evidence that Shakespeare was working as an actor and a playwright in
London. By the early 1590s, he was managing an acting company in London called the Lord
Chamberlain's Men, which later became known as the King's Men. From all accounts, the King's
Men was very popular.
Establishing Himself
By 1597, 15 of the 37 plays written by William Shakespeare were published. By 1599, Shakespeare
and his business partners built their own theater, which they called the Globe. He also purchased
real estate that earned him a lot of money. This money gave him the time to write his plays without
having to do other work.
Writing Style
Shakespeare's early plays were written in the typical style of the day. However, Shakespeare was
very innovative, adapting this style to his own purposes. He primarily used a metrical pattern
consisting of lines of unrhymed iambic pentameter. That meant that each line had five pairs of
syllables, the first one short and the second one longer.
Early Works: Histories And Comedies
With the exception of "Romeo and Juliet," William Shakespeare's first plays were mostly histories
written in the early 1590s. "Richard II," "Henry VI" and "Henry V" dramatize the destructive
results of weak rulers.
During his early period, Shakespeare also wrote several comedies that were witty, romantic and
charming. Some examples are "A Midsummer Night's Dream," "The Merchant of Venice" and
"Much Ado About Nothing."
Later Works: Tragedies And Tragicomedies
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It was in Shakespeare's later period, after 1600, that he wrote the tragedies "Hamlet," "King Lear,"
"Othello" and "Macbeth." Tragedies are plays with unhappy endings. Possibly the best known of
these is "Hamlet," which explores betrayal, punishment and moral failure.
In Shakespeare's final period, he wrote several tragicomedies. These were graver than the
comedies, but unlike tragedies they ended with reconciliation.
Tradition has it that Shakespeare died on his birthday, April 23, 1616, though many scholars
believe this is a myth. Church records show he was buried at Trinity Church on April 25, 1616.
Controversy And Literary Legacy
About 150 years after his death, questions arose about the authorship of William Shakespeare's
plays. Scholars began to claim someone else had written them. Much of this doubt stemmed from
the sketchy details of Shakespeare's life. Official records indicate the existence of a William
Shakespeare, but none of these mention him being an actor or a playwright.
Skeptics also questioned how someone could write so well with so little education.
The most serious and intense skepticism began in the 19th century when adoration for
Shakespeare was at its greatest. Some said that a man named Edward de Vere was the true author,
pointing to his extensive knowledge of aristocratic society, his education and the similarities
between his poetry and the works attributed to Shakespeare.
However, the majority of Shakespearean scholars say that William Shakespeare wrote all his own
plays. They point out that other playwrights of the time also had sketchy histories and came from
modest backgrounds. They argue that the King's New School in Stratford could have provided a
good foundation for writers.
What seems to be true is that William Shakespeare was a respected man of the dramatic arts who
wrote plays, and acted in some, in the late 16th and early 17th centuries. Yet his reputation as a
dramatic genius was not recognized until the 19th century.
Today, his plays are very popular and constantly studied and reinterpreted. The genius of
Shakespeare's characters and plots are that they present real people with a wide range of feelings
who experience conflicts that go beyond their origins in Elizabethan England.
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