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WilliamShakespeare(1564-1616)Englishpoet,dramatist,andactor,consideredbymanytobethegreatestdramatistofalltime.SomeofShakespeare'splays,suchasHamletandRomeoandJuliet,areamongthemostfamousliteraryworksoftheworld.However,hisearlyworksdidnotmatchtheartisticqualityofMarlowe'sdramas.BenJonson(1572-1637),anothercontemporaryplaywright,wrotethatShakespeare'switwasinhisownpower;wouldtheruleofithadbeensotoo.Shakespearepossessedalargevocabularyforhisday,havingused29,066differentwordsinhisplays.TodaytheaverageEnglish-speakingpersonusessomethinglike2,000wordsineverydayspeech.ItmaybethattheessentialthingwithShakespeareishiseaseandauthorityandthayyoujusthavetoaccepthimasheisifyouaregoingtobeabletoadmirehimproperly,inthewayyouacceptnature,apieceofsceneryforexample,justasitis.(LudwigWittgensteininCultureandValue,1980)ThereisnotmuchrecordsofShakespeare′spersonallife.Rumorsarisefromtimetotimethathedidnotwritehisplays,buttherealauthorwasChristopherMarlowe,QueenElizabethorEdwardDeVere(1550-1604),whomT.J.Looneyidentifiedin1920astheauthorofShakespeare'splays.Alargebodyof'Oxfordians'havesincebuiltonthisclaimandthereluctancetobelievethatamanofhumbleoriginscouldbesuchagreatauthor.Accordingtosomenumerologists,ShakespearewroteTheKingJamesVersionoftheBibleattheageof46.Theirevidence:Shakeisthe46thwordofthe46thPsalm,Spearisthe46thwordfromtheendinthe46thPsalm.WilliamShakespearewasborninStratford-upon-Avon,asmallcountrytown.Stratfordwasfamousforitsmalting.Theblackplaguekilledin1564oneoutofsevenofthetown's1,500inhabitants.ShakespearewastheeldestsonofMaryArden,thedaughterofalocallandowner,andherhusband,JohnShakespeare(c.1530-1601),agloverandwooddealer.JohnAubrey(1626-1697)tellsinBriefLivesthatShakespeare'sfatherwasabutcherandtheyoungWilliamexercisedhisfather'strade,butwhenhekill'daCalfehewoulddoitinahighstyle,andmakeaspeech.In1568JohnShakespearewasmadeamayorofStratfordandajusticeofpeace.Hiswoolbusinessfailedinthe1570s,andin1580hewasfined￡40,withother140men,forfailingtofindsuretytokeepthepeace.Thereisnotrecordthathisfinewaspaid.Laterthechurchcommissionersreportedofhimandeightothermenthattheyhadfailedtoattendchurchforfearofprocessfordebt.Thefamily'spositionwasrestoredinthe1590sbyearningsofWilliamShakespeare,andin1596hewasawardedacoatofarms.VerylittleisknownaboutShakespeareearlylife,andhislaterworkshaveinspiredanumberofinterpretations.T.S.EliotwrotethatIwouldsuggestthatnoneoftheplaysofShakespearehasameaning,althoughitwouldbeequallyfalsetosaythataplayofShakespeareismeaningless.(fromSelectedEssays,newedition,1960).ShakespeareisassumedtohavebeeneducatedatStratfordGrammarSchool,andhemayhavespenttheyears1580-82asateacherfortheRomanCatholicHoughtonfamilyinLancashire.WhenShakespearewas15,awomanfromanearbyvillagedrownedintheAvon.Herdeathwasruledaccidentalbutitmayhavebeenasuicide.LaterinHamletShakespeareleftopenthequestionwhetherOpheliadiedaccidentallyorbyherownhand.Attheageof18,Shakespearemarriedalocalgirl,AnneHathaway(died1623),whowaseightyearsolder.Theirfirstchild,Susannah,wasbornwithinsixmonths,andtwinsHamnetandJudithwerebornin1585.Hamnet,Shakespeare'sonlyson,diedin1896,attheageof11.Ithasoftenbeensuggested,thatthelinesinKingJohn,beginningwithGrieffillstheroomofmyabsentchild,reflectsShakespeare'sgrief.Hamletwasfirstprintedin1603.ItisShakespeare'slargestdrama,basedonalostplayknownastheUr-Hamlet.PrinceHamlet,anenigmaticintellectual,mournsbothhisfather'sdeathandhismother'sremarriage.Hisfather'sghostappearstohimandtellsthatClaudius,marriedtoQueenGertrude,Hamlet'smother,poisonedhim.Hamlet,fascinatedbycruellywittygames,swearsrevenge.Thetimeisoutofjoint;Ocursedspite,ThateverIwasborntosetitright!HearrangesanoldplaywhosestoryhasaparalleltothatofClaudius.Hamlet'sbehaviorisconsideredmad.HekillstheeavesdroppingPolonius,thecourtchamberlain,bythrustinghisswordthroughacurtain.Polonius'ssonLaertesreturnstoDenmarktoavengehisfather'sdeath.Polonius'sdaughterOfelialovesHamlet,buttheprince'ssadisticallybrutalbehaviordriveshertomadness.Gettheetoanunnery:whywouldstthoubeabreederofsinners?hetellsOpheliawhodiesbydrowning.Beforetheslaughterthatendsthestory,HamletsaystohisfriendHoratio:Ishallwinattheodds.Butthouwouldstnotthinkhowillall'shereaboutmyheart.AdueltakesplaceandendswiththedeathofGertrude,Laertes,Claudius,andHamlet,whosefinalwordsaretherestissilence.Accordingtoalegend,heleftStratfordforLondontoavoidachargeofpoaching.After1582Shakespeareprobablyjoinedasanactoroneorseveralcompaniesofplayers.By1584heemergedasarisingplaywrightinLondon,andbecamesoonacentralfigureinLondon′sleadingtheatercompany,theLordChamberlain′sCompany,renamedlaterastheKing′sMen.Hewrotemanygreatplaysforthegroup.In1599anewtheater,calledTheGlobe,wasbuilt.Shakespearewasknowninhisdayasaveryrapidwriter:Hismindandhandwenttogether,hispublishersHemingesandCondellreported,andwhathethought,heutteredwiththateasinessthatwehavescarcereceivedfromhimablotinhispapers.Despiteallthepraise,somewriter'swerenotenthusiasticabouthisplays.SamuelPepys(1633-1703)calledAMidsummerNight'sDreamthemostinsipid,ridiculousplaythatIeversaw