Literature Homework

Biography of William Shakespeare

‘’Some were born great, some achieve greatness, and some have greatness thrust upon them.’’ great words by the greatest dramatist of all time the ‘swan of Avon’ William Shakespeare. During his lifespan he crafted numerous amounts of plays and poems which are studied and reinterpreted today. His witty characters and plots give an insight to life in Elizabethan times in England. He possessed a poetic power that went unnoticed until the 19^th century.

William Shakespeare was born on the 23^rd of April 1564 to parents John Shakespeare, leather merchant, and Mary Arden, a local landed heiress in Stratford-Avon, United Kingdom. He was the third child for his parents; he had two older sisters and three younger brothers. It is believed that he attended the King’s New School after gaining a scholarship. There he learned reading, writing and the classics.

Shakespeare met his wife when she was 26 and him only 18 and still under the age of consent which was 21. Anne Hathaway, his wife, came from Shottery, a small village a mile west of Stratford. Anne became pregnant before the marriage. Therefore the wedding was rushed. They got married on November 28, 1582, in Worcester. Six months later Anne gave birth to their daughter Susanna. On February 2, 1585 Anne gave birth to twins Hamnet and Judith unfortunately Hamnet died at the age of 11.

The next seven years of Shakespeare’s life is called the ‘lost years’ due to the fact that they are no records of his life during this period. They are different theories about what might have happened between this time frame. These include that he was helping his father in the family business, he took a job as a law clerk, he worked as a schoolmaster, he worked as a scrivener, he travelled to Italy or he was serving as a soldier or a sailor for his country which was being threatened by Spain.

It is speculated that Shakespeare left Stratford for London between 1585 and 1592 with a troupe of actors that regularly visited Stratford. There began his work as an actor and playwright.

‘’… There is an upstart crow, beautified with our feathers, that with his tigers heart wrapped in a players hide, supposes he is as well able to bombast out a blank verse as the best of you: and being an absolute Johannes Factotum, is in his only conceit the only Shake-scene in a country,” article by Robert Greene in The September 20, 1592 edition of the Stationer’s Registration.

Shakespeare became a managing partner of the Lord Chamberlain’s Men in the 1590s it later was renamed the King’s Men in 1603 after King James 1 came to the throne. The company became very popular. It was during this point in his career that Shakespeare might Henry Wriothesley, the Earl of Southampton, which he dedicated his two first published poems to “Venus and Adonis” and “The Rape of Lucrece.”

By 1597 Shakespeare had begun to make a name for him self. He had 15 out of his 37 plays published. He was also able to buy the second largest house in Stratford for his family which was called New House. He travelled back home once a year during 40-day Lenten period, this was when the theatres were closed, while in the city he would be writing and acting. Shakespeare and his partners were able to build their own theatre in 1599 called The Globe.

‘’Life’s but a walking shadow, a poor player, that struts and frets his hour upon the stage, and then is heard no more; it is a tale told by an idiot, full of sound and fury, signifying nothing (William Shakespeare).” It is said that Shakespeare died on his birthday, April 23, 1616. He left most of his estate to his daughter Susanna.

Popular Works

Histories

· Richard lll

· Henry lV (parts 1, 2 and 3)

· Henry V

Comedies

· A Midsummer’s Night Dream

· Merchant of Venice

· Taming of the Shrew

· Much Ado About Nothing

· As You Like It

· Twelfth Night

· The Two Gentlemen of Verona

· The Comedy of Errors

Tragedies

· Hamlet

· King Lear

· Othello

· Macbeth

Tragicomedies

· The Winter’s Tale

· The Tempest

· Cymbeline

Summary of Hamlet

This playy takes place in Elsinore, Denmark. Hamlet’s father, the former king, has recently died at the start of the play and his mother, Gertrude, His gotten married only a short while after to King Claudius, his uncle. Hamlet’s best fried Horatio informs him that they have been sightings of his father’s ghost and arranges a meeting. When he meets the ghost that claims to be his father he notifies him that his uncle was the one who murdered him. He advises Hamlet to avenge his death. Hamlet conceives a plan to act like a madman and Ophelia, Hamlet’s girlfriend, declares him to be so. The king is told of this by Polonius, Ophelia’s father, they decide to spy on them to see if Ophelia is the cause of his insanity. The king and the queen later call on Rosencrantz and Guildenstern, childhood friends of Hamlet, to spy on him to deduce the reason for his madness. They failed to accomplish this. A troupe of actors later comes to town and Hamlet hires them to perform. His plan was to have them perform a play in which a king is murdered in the same way his father was and to watch Claudius’ reaction to see if the ghost was telling the truth. When the moment of the murder approaches Claudius leaves the room. Hamlet runs after him to kill him but finds him praying but believing he will go to heaven if he is killed while praying thus he decides to wait. Claudius, fearing Hamlet, orders for him to be sent to England. While Hamlet goes to confront his mother he hears something behind the tapestry. Believing it to be the king he draws his sword and stabs the fabric. He kills Polonius and he is immediately sent to England. Ophelia being sick with grieve drowns in a river. Claudius manages to convince Laertes, Ophelia’s brother, that Hamlet is responsible for their deaths. When Hamlet returns after his ship was attacked by pirates Claudius arranges for Laertes to fence Hamlet with a poisoned blade. He also poisoned a goblet just in case Hamlet won. During the fighting Hamlet scores the first point but refused to drink from the goblet, but instead Queen Gertrude drinks the poison instead and dies. Laertes then succeeds in wounding Hamlet but Laertes is cut by his own sword. He reveals that Claudius is responsible for Gertrude’s death he later dies. Hamlet later stabs Claudius and forcefully gives him the remaining poison to drink. Claudius dies and later Hamlet.

Summary of Julius Caesar

Caesar his defeated the sons of the Pompey, a deceased Roman general and they is a victory celebration throughout the streets of Rome. Cassius and Brutus, friends of Caesar, are having a conversation about him. Cassius speaks of the popularity of Caesar and that it was Brutus which allowed for this popularity which was far passed theirs. Caesar returns to find them talking and tells Antony of his distrust for Cassius. Caesar then leaves and Casca approaches and informs Brutus and Cassius that Caesar had been offered the thorn by Antony three times and the three times he refused and how Caesar had some sort of seizure in front of the crowd. At home Brutus considers the words of Cassius and Cassius devises a plan to turn Brutus against Caesar. Cassius places forged letters in Brutus’ house reporting that Caesar had become to powerful. Brutus wanting to appease the people decides to kill Caesar along with Cassius and his supporters. Brutus however disagrees with killing Antony which Cassius is insisting for fear that he will try and stop their plans. While Caesar is preparing to go to the Senate his wife, Calpurnia, pleads with him not to because of the recent nightmares she has had about him. He then decides to stay but that was until Decius, one of the men that were against him, convinces him that his wife had misinterpitted her dreams. While walking through the city he receives a letter about the traitors but neglects to read it. At the Senate they circle Caesar and stab him one by one. They then washed their hands and swords in his blood. Antony walks in on the murderous scene and asked them why they have done this. Brutus tells him he will explain during the funeral. Cassius and Brutus go to inform the public. Brutus claims he has murdered Caesar for the love of Rome. Antony later brings Caesar’s body to the crowd and reads his will at the people’s request. The people after hearing what he left them and how generous he was set out to drive Cassius and Brutus out of the city. Octavious, Caesar’s adopted son, and Antony attack Brutus and Cassius and their men. Cassius orders Pindarua to kill him after believing Titinius his best friend was being attacked Titinius later killed himself after seeing the body of his friend. Brutus later impales himself on one of his men swords. Antony then speaks over his body calling him the noblest Roman of all and Octavious orders for him to have an honourable burial. The men then leave to celebrate their victory.

Summary of Twelfth Night

After being shipwrecked Viola, a young aristocrat, finds herself on the Illyrian shore only and assumes her twin brother Sebastian has drowned. She then takes on the identity of a man to be able to work for Lady Olivia after being informed of her courtship to Orsino. Viola (disguised as Cesario) becomes close wit Orsino and begins to fall for him. Also Olivia loves Cesario. Sebastian, who is alive, arrives with his friend Antonio. Sir Andrew sensing Olivia’s affection for Cesario challenges him to a duel. Sir Andrew and Sir Toby attacked Sebastian instead thinking it was Cesario. Olive enters amidst the confusion and asked Sebastian, who she thinks is Cesario, to marry her. Sebastian is bewildered but due to the fact that she was rich. Antonio is arrested by Orsino’s officers and pleads for Cesario, who he believes is Sebastian, to help him. She denies knowing him and he is dragged off screaming that Sebastian has betrayed him she know believes that her brother is still alive. Orsino and Cesario arrived at Olivia’s home where she greets him as her husband. Sebastian then appears and the siblings are happy to see each other. Orsino then releases that he loves Viola and asks for her hand in marriage.

Summary of A Midsummer’s Night Dream

Thesus and Hippolyta are about to get married to create an alliance between the Amazons and Athenians. Egeus, Hermia’s father, wants her to marry Demetrius but she is in love with Lysander. Egeus approaches Thesus with the problem who gaves Hermia these options: marry Demetrius or face death or nunnery. Therefore Lysander and Hermia decide to elop, they tell Helena, who is in love with Demetrius, of this plan and she later informs Demetrius. Thus they all end up in the woods. In the woods are the fairies, they are ruled by Oberon and Titania who are in constant quarrel. In the forest are also the mechanicals who are rehearsing their play for the marriage of Thesus and Hippolyta. Oberon entrust Puck to fits the lovers problems but as always he messes things up. So Demetrius and Lysander are in love with Helena and Titania is in love with Bottom, who now has an asses head,. But alas all these are restored in the morning also Helena know has Demetrius’s heart.

Summary of Romeo and Juliet

This is the tale of two star crossed lovers from feuding families the Capulets and Montagues. They first met at a ball that Romeo crashes and it was love at first sight. They later decided to get married in secrecy, but soon after Romeo kills Juliet’s cousin Tybalt and is driven out of Verona. Juliet then faked her death but Romeo didn’t know. He kills him self after killing Friar Lawrence, The man that was suppose to marry Juliet. Juliet wakes up to this sight and take her own life.