The life of William Shakespeare.

William Shakespeare. (1564-1616)

Introduction.

William Shakespeare was a man who absolutely changed history. He redirected the way poetry and plays were to be written for the generations to come. His outlook on the world and how to write about it were so different from that of his time, and any other time period to come. His creativity inspired love, beauty, imagination, and zaniness to flow from any paper. He wrote beautiful stage plays on which some of the most famous works in all of history come from, such as Romeo and Juliet, Hamlet, and Macbeth. The life of William Shakespeare was that like no other, and thus his name being remembered for years and years after his death.

Early Life.

Will was born in 1564, in a small England town of Stratford-upon-Avon. Many believe his actual birthdate to be the 23rd of April, due to his baptism being on the 26th of April. This is probably because babies were baptized three days after birth, as customary. If this birthdate were to be deemed fully accurate, then William Shakespeare was most likely born on the infamous English holiday of St. George's Day.

His parents, John and Mary Shakespeare, were popular people within their town, and his father had the business of being the town glover, tanner, town official, as well as a prominent businessman. Will's mother, Mary, was a stay-at-home mother whose loyalty was to the caretaking of her seven children. Even though William had six other siblings, only four of his brothers and his sister Judith, survived to adulthood.

William Shakespeare's education was that of only the eighth grade education. However, this level of education is equal to that of a Master's Degree education in college today. Of course Will learned to read and write, however when writing his sonnets and plays later on, used a majority of his invented words to describe and express his creativity through words.

In 1582, William Shakespeare married an older woman by the name of Anne Hathaway. Eighteen year old Will married a twenty-six year old Anne, who at the time was a couple months pregnant with William's child. Most of Stratford-upon-Avon's townspeople saw this as such a scandal, that many turned away from socializing with the newlywed couple. Seven short months following this marriage, a daughter, Susanna was born. Then, in winter 1592, Anne and William had twins Hamnet and Judith. Sadly, a few short years later, in 1596, Will's only son Hamnet, died. Anne, loyal to the caretaking of her two children, remained in Stratford-upon-Avon for the rest of her life. William however, traversed all around Europe while writing some of his most famous works.

Works and Words.

William Shakespeare wrote many, many differentiating poems, sonnets, and plays. Many of these plays are still in production all over the world today. His sonnets, most famously known is the "Shakespearean Sonnet", are memorized in classrooms and countries all over. These poems, although written long ago, are still applicable and understandable to modern minds today. Such sonnets include, "Shall I Compare Thee to a Summer's Day?".

Shakespeare also coined many famous phrases, terms, and words that are in frequent use today. Some of these include, "To be or not to be...that is the question", "Eaten out of house and home", "Seen better days", and "The world is my oyster". These are only some of the vast number of phrases that Shakespeare created, in which are still in use to date. Catchy phrases were not the only thing that Shakespeare created that are still in popular use, yet everyday words as well. Some of the words he coined include "fashionable", "bedazzle", "nimble-footed", "vulnerable", and "sanctimonious".

His works are some of the most well-known poems and well-loved plays that the world knows of today. William's plays include Romeo and Juliet, Macbeth, Hamlet, King Lear, and the oh so infamous A Midsummer Night's Dream. In Romeo and Juliet, the general public of today's world still connects with the idea of forbidden love being so seductively craved. People probably know this play to be the most famous of the list of plays mentioned. Also, perhaps we are to conclude that Romeo and Juliet were just a couple of teenagers who lusted after one another and found it so indulging because the families of the two lovers forbade their togetherness.

The End to "The Bard".

The death of William Shakespeare was that of a concrete one. William Shakespeare died at the age of 52 on April 23rd, 1616, the same date as that of his birthday. However, much can be said of William and his very impactful life. He left great imprints on all societies for generations to come. The way he crafted words was so imaginative and creative that it is often said that Shakespeare was the best playwright and poet to ever live. His legacy will live on in the hearts of everyone for years to come.