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WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE
There are very few primary sources left that tell us
about Shakespeare's life. He never gave an
interview nor did he write a biography. Therefore,
the most of what we do know comes from a few
sources and from studying his works.
WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE (CONT.)
William Shakespeare was born in Stratford-upon-Avon in England. He
was baptized on April 16, 1564. We do not know his exact birth date, but
in Shakespeare's time period, babies were typically baptized within a
few days of their birth. Therefore, we consider his birth date to be
around this date.
Shakespeare was middle-class, meaning he was not rich, but he was
not poor either. His dad was a glove maker, a leather worker, an
alderman (meaning he worked underneath the mayor), and a mayor. His
mother was the wealthy Mary Arden. The marriage was good for John
because of Mary's higher social status.
WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE (CONT.)
Because of his writing style and writing content, it is assumed that
Shakespeare was well educated although we have no records of where he
was actually educated. It is assumed he attended grammar school in
Stratford-upon-Avon. Shakespeare was taught Latin and Greek and
Roman mythology: we know this because he mentions them a lot in his
plays. There is no record of Shakespeare ever attending a university.
Shakespeare married Anne Hathaway in 1582 when he was 18. At the
time of their wedding, she was pregnant with their first child (which would
have been a scandal) and 26 years old (which was very old for a woman to
be unmarried.) They lived with his parents in the early years of marriage.
WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE (CONT.)
The couple had 3 children: Susanna, born in 1583 (William and Anne
had been married for six months), and the twins, Judith and Hamnet,
born in 1585. Hamnet died from the plague at only eleven years old.
His death understandably upset Shakespeare.
Shakespeare worked as an actor and playwright for the acting troupe
called Lord Chamberlain's Men. The troupe was later called the King's
Men after they began performing for King James: Shakespeare was a
favorite playwright of Queen Elizabeth and her successor, King James.
Shakespeare also was a businessman, becoming a part owner of the
Globe Theater, a popular theater in London.
WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE (CONT.)
In 1611, Shakespeare had enough money to buy New House in Stratford-
upon-Avon, and move back home. Although he moved back home with
monetary comfort, he continued to write plays. Henry VIII was first
performed in 1613 at the Globe Theater.
In 1616 at the age of 52, William Shakespeare died. The cause of his
death is unknown, but his body was buried in the Holy Trinity church in
Stratford-upon-Avon.
In his will, Shakespeare left Susanna the bulk of his fortune (which may
have been part of her dowry). Judith was left a small sum, and Anne, his
wife, was left his "second best bed," which probably was their wedding bed.
SONNETS
In Shakespeare's time, theaters were often being closed
as a result of the black plague, the Puritans, or the
government. Whenever theaters were closed, writers had
to make livings in other ways. Sonnets were one of those
ways. Sonnets were considered to be a high art form
through which artists showed off their talents.
Shakespeare was paid to write sonnets for patrons, who
are wealthy people who pay for artwork.
Here are some definitions you need to know about Shakespearean
sonnets:
Stanza- A grouping of lines in a poem (think like a paragraph in
prose), which has two or more lines and might have a common pattern
of meter, rhyme, number of lines, and/or meaning within the poem.
Quatrain- A stanza or poem containing four (4) lines.
Octave- A stanza or poem containing eight (8) lines.
Sestet- A stanza or poem containing six (6) lines.
Couplet- two (2) paired, consecutive lines that rhyme (Ex. g g); they
usually have the same meter and relate to the same topic.
Iambic Pentameter – five iambic FEET per line.
Foot – two or more syllables that together make up
the smallest unit of rhythm in a poem (Ex. iamb – a
foot that has two syllables, one unstressed followed
by one stressed)
Iambic foot- an unstressed syllable followed by a
stressed syllable, usually denoted as [ ^ / ] or [ - / ].
Shakespearean Sonnet- A type of sonnet made
famous by William Shakespeare, which is composed
of three quatrains and an ending couplet.
The meter of a Shakespearean sonnet is iambic
pentameter and it has a rhyme scheme: abab cdcd
efef gg. This type of sonnet may also be called an
Elizabethan sonnet or an English sonnet.
Now that you have the important definitions, let's
look at the important qualities of a Shakespearean
sonnet:
Sonnet 18
Shall I compare thee to a summer's day? A
Thou art more lovely and more temperate: B
Rough winds do shake the darling buds of May, A
And summer's lease hath all too short a date: B
Sometime too hot the eye of heaven shines, C
And often is his gold complexion dimm'd; D
And every fair from fair sometime declines, C
By chance or nature's changing course untrimm'd; D
* But thy eternal summer shall not fade E
Nor lose possession of that fair thou owest; F
Nor shall Death brag thou wander'st in his shade, E
When in eternal lines to time thou growest: F
So long as men can breathe or eyes can see, G
So long lives this and this gives life to thee. G