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Apr 26, 1564
Birth
While the exact date of Shakespeare's birth is unknown, it is suggested he was born on or around April 26th, as that is the date we have records of his baptism. He was born to Mary and John Shakespeare in England. -
Period: Apr 26, 1564 to
Life of Shakespeare
Purpose: History is often defined solely by war and politics. Arts are often pushed to the back burner of history, even though our history is most often told through art. For this reason I chose to focus on one of the great literary artists to have ever lived. William Shakespeare. Shakespeare and his works can give us just as much insight into the past as any textbook and his life should be remembered. -
1582
Marriage
When Shakespeare was 18 he married Anne Hathaway, the daughter a wealthy farmer. The two parented three children. The oldest being Susanna, followed by twins Judith and Hamnet. Photo Source: https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/g_Mx2F7T6dsNXjUzxkkpYMcnS3des_RKFWHpKVu-L-tGZcm_xymXZRtKWq0-Q9rDjF8v2qoE0szb6_HO3jbm-Nguja7_X38gYz7H48JxWvYbtR1pGOWCBFQUb-N4g_WMxhms1yLI -
London
Very little is known about Shakespeare between his marriage and 1590, often to refereed to as his "dark days". However, we do know in 1590 William was performing on London stages as well as testing out his earliest plays. -
Henry VI
Without lots of definitive proof, it is widely accepted that Henry VI was Shakespeare's first completed play (possible collaboration with Christopher Marlowe). It was believed to have been finished in 1591, and was the first of Shakespeare's "Histories". Those were plays based on real life events/people (Julius Caesar, Richard III, Anthony & Cleopatra). -
Plague
In 1593 Plague broke out in London, causing all major Theatre companies to shut down. This forced Shakespeare to focus on his poetry, starting his long line of Sonnets.His sonnets weren't published till 1609. Photo Source: http://shtfplan.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/10/plague-e1508254891177.jpg -
Romeo & Juliet
Often regarded as the most famous of Shakespeare's work, Romeo and Juliet follows two young teenagers in a tragic love affair. This was the 10th play the author wrote and was his most successful and well received up to that time. Photo Creds: https://cdn.thestage.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2016/05/EMBARGOED-UNTIL-21.30-BST-25-MAY-2016-KBTC_Romeo-and-Juliet_Garrick-Theatre_Lily-James-Juliet-and-Richard-Madden-Romeo_Credit-Johan-Persson_05910-700x455.jpg -
The Globe
In 1599 Shakespeare and his business associates bought the land to build their own theater, which they called The Globe. Built alongside the River Thames, it remains one of the most popular tourist attractions in Europe. The theater had no floor seats, as the lower class would just stand to watch his works. Photo Creds: http://www.shakespearesglobe.com/assets/default/img/tumblr/default.jpg -
Hamlet
Hamlet was the 1st of the 4 tragedies to be completed, estimated around 1601. It is also Shakespeare's longest play and most commonly performed to this day. Hamlet is often considered the best of Shakespeare's works, which for him is pretty impressive. It follows Prince Hamlet as he slips slowly in madness due to the death of his father at the hands of his uncle. Photo: https://pmcvariety.files.wordpress.com/2015/08/hamlet-benedict-cumberbatch.jpg?w=1000&h=563&crop=1 -
Period: to
The Dramas
Often referred as Shakespeare's "golden age", this three year period saw the production of 3 of the 4 tragedies/dramas. This included "Othello", "King Leer", and "Macbeth". Each one is often regarded as one of Shakespeare's best. This time served as the height of Shakespeare's fame and The Globe's Success. -
The Two Noble Kinsmen
This is estimated to be the final play Shakespeare wrote, premiering just months after a devastating fire that burnt down the first Globe Theater during a performance of Henry VIII. He would be dead just two years later. -
Death
Shakespeare died only one month after signing his will. Due to a lack of records it is unclear exactly how he died. Many records claim his death was abrupt and seemingly out of nowhere. He was buried in Holy Trinity Church. 7 years after his death his plays were published for everyone to view. Photo Creds: https://pmcvariety.files.wordpress.com/2015/08.jpg?w=1000&h=563&crop=1 -
Legacy
To this day the works of William Shakespeare are the most commonly performed works of drama around the country. Shakespeare's focus on the everyday people made his works adaptable to relate with themes and issues of all times and people. His plays and poems have lasted over 400 years and show no time of stopping.
