Shakespeare's life
Although we have many records of his life as a citizen of Stratford, including marriage and birth certificates, little is known about William Shakespeare's early life and formal education. Due to his success, many would assume that Shakespeare was born and raised in a wealthy noble family but he was actually raised in what would have been considered a middle class family in their time. He was born to middle class parents who lived in Henley Street, Stratford. His father, John, a local businessman made a living as a glove maker and owned his own leather shop. He was a well-known and much respected man that held several important local governmental positions including that of Borough ale-taster to bailiff, the highest public position of office in Stratford.William spent most of his childhood in the small English town of Stratford-upon-Avon. In the sixteenth century, the town was an important agricultural center and market place. "It is safe to assume that Shakespeare attended the local grammar school that was built and maintained expressly for the purpose of educating the sons of prominent citizens with the sons of burgesses attending free."1 "The King's New School was staffed with a faculty of teachers who held Oxford degr
In London, he formed an acting company in which he was shareholder, actor, and playwright."1 In 1594 Shakespeare became a charter member of The Lord Chamberlain's Men, a group of actors who later changed their name to The King's Men when they gained the sponsorship of King James I. Just a few years later he was considered the "principal comedian" for the troupe and then later became the "principal tragedian." Despite the fact that during this time acting and playwriting were not considered noble professions; successful and prosperous actors were relatively well respected. Shakespeare was, in fact, very successful in his career and he became quite wealthy in the process. He invested his money in Stratford real estate and was able to purchase the second largest house in Stratford, the New Place, for his parents. In 1596, Shakespeare applied for a coat of arms for his family, in effect making himself into a gentleman, and his daughters married successfully and wealthily. William Shakespeare married his wife, twenty-six year old Anne Hathaway, at the age of eighteen. Their first daughter, Susanna, was baptized only six months later, which has given rise to much speculation concerning the circumstances surrounding the marriage. In 1585, twins, Hamnet and Judith Shakespeare, were born to the couple. Hamnet died at the young age of eleven by which time Shak
Some common words found in the essay are:
King James, James Bible, Renaissance England's, Western Literature, King's School, Stratford William, Stratford Shakespeare, Street Stratford, William Shakespeare's, Henry VI, grammar school, william shakespeare, shakespeare successful, shakespeare's plays, middle class, formal education, king james, assume shakespeare, shakespeare born, english language,
Approximate Word count = 922
Approximate Pages = 4 (250 words per page double spaced)
|
