WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE prepared a student in grade 11

WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE prepared a student in grade 11 -А Zankova Oleksandra

Early years William Shakespeare was an English poet, playwright and actor. He was born in 1564 in Stratford-upon-Avon. His father, John Shakespeare, was a successful artisan. William was the third child in the family. His parents had eight children in total. William Shakespeare went to Stratford grammar school. In 1582 Shakespeare married Anne Hathaway, who was the daughter of the local landowner. At that time Shakespeare was 18 years old and Anne was 8 years older than him. In 1583 Anne gave birth to their daughter Susanna. In 1585 the couple had twins – son Hamnet and daughter Judith. Unfortunately, Hamnet, the only son of William Shakespeare, died at the age of 11.

Life in London Later Shakespeare moved to London. He lived and worked in this city for many years. During that time Shakespeare wrote most of his plays and became a successful playwright. His troupe was among the leading playing companies in London. In 1599 a theatre was built on the south bank of the River Thames. It was named the Globe. This was theatre where Shakespeare’s company performed. Work at theatre made Shakespeare a wealthy person. He was not only a playwright, he also took part in theatrical performances.

Later years Several years before his death Shakespeare moved to Stratford. He died on 23 April 1616. Some research shows that at the end of his life he was in poor health.

Shakespeare’s works Among his works there are such masterpieces of the world literature as «Romeo and Juliet», «A midsummer night’s dream», «Othello», «King Lear», «Hamlet» and many others. Apart from that Shakespeare wrote 154 sonnets. William Shakespeare’sinfluenceextends from theatre and literature to present-day movies, Western philosophy, and the English language itself.

Between 1600 and 1608 Shakespeare wrote his four great tragedies, «Hamlet» «Othello» «Macbeth» and «King Lear». It is the summit of Shakespeare’s art. «Hamlet» is probably the most popular, the best-known of all Shakespeare’s plays. It is a very philosophical play. Hamlet, Prince of Denmark, is a highly intelligent person. Hamlet’s soliloquy is very famous: «To be, or not to be; that is the question. . .

Queen Elizabeth I died in 1603 and was succeeded by James VI of Scotland, son of Mary Stuart. James, who became James I of England Scotland, was a lover of theatre. Shakespeare wrote a tragedy «Macbeth» in which action passes in Scotland. In 1606 Shakespeare was a very mature and successful playwright. He had become a wealthy man.

In «King Lear» we see evil defeated. «King Lear» is the greatest of all Shakespeare’s tragedies. The story of an old king of England his three daughters was not invented by Shakespeare hardly ever invented the plot of his plays. Between 1608 and 1613, Shakespeare wrote five plays: «Pericles» «Cymbeline» «The Winter’s Tale» «The Tempest» and «Henry VIII» In «The Tempest» Shakespeare says farewell to theatre, to his friends. On June 29, 1613, the Globe theatre was destroyed in a fire. For Shakespeare and his colleagues it must have been a terrible time. The Globe was the greatest theatre in England. Shakespeare died on April 23, 1616. He wrote 38 plays and many poems.