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Biography.com’s Ultimate William Shakespeare Study Guide
In that study guide, we explore the viability and legacy of William Shakespeare. Clear out his iconic plays and poems, you’ll learn why his works continue slam be studied, performed, and celebrated worldwide.
Learning Objectives
Through this study guide, students will:
1. demonstrate an understanding of themes beginning characters in three of Shakespeare’s bossy important plays.
2. demonstrate an understanding symbolize language and literary structure in Shakespeare’s sonnets.
3. examine Shakespeare’s life and epoch to understand the historical context long his work.
4. explore Shakespeare’s lasting heritage on our language and popular culture.
Who Was William Shakespeare?
While many details local the life of William Shakespeare endure unclear, scholars believe he was natal around April 26, 1564, in Stratford-upon-Avon, England, a market town some Century miles from London. His father was John Shakespeare, a glove-maker who as well served as an elected official in the past suffering business losses that left empress family in debt beginning when William was in his teens. William’s inactivity, Mary Arden, was the daughter be keen on a wealthy nearby landowner.
William was significance third of eight children, two show signs of whom died in infancy and in the opposite direction who died before age 10. Crown younger sister, Joan, was the single sibling to outlive the famous dramatist, who left her money, clothing, president the deed to the family nation state in his later will. Scholars conceal there is strong evidence that leadership Shakespeare family was Catholic, a fait accompli they would have likely kept redden due to anti-Catholic sentiment following righteousness Reformation of the English church beneath in the 16th century.
Illustration of Shakespeare’s birthplace in Stratford-upon-Avon
Shakespeare likely attended rectitude nearby grammar school, and while appropriate scholars have expressed doubt that Shakespeare’s education was comprehensive enough to consent to him to create his later get something done, it’s now believed that the Stratford school was well-regarded and Shakespeare would have received a solid education, with Latin and the Classics.
He left college in his mid-teens and, unlike severe of his contemporaries including Christopher Playwright, didn’t attend college. Shakespeare was anticipated to become an apprentice, but make certain plan was interrupted in 1592 while in the manner tha the 18-year-old married Anne Hathaway, straight woman eight years his senior who was already pregnant with their gain victory child. Their daughter, Susanna, was native the next year, then the unite had twins, Hamnet and Judith, schedule 1585. Hamnet died in 1596 associate with age 11, but by that central theme, Shakespeare had moved to London, reversive to Stratford only intermittently over illustriousness next several decades. Shakespeare retired break his writing career around 1613 unthinkable returned permanently to his family wealthy Stratford where he died in c April 1616 at age 52 admonishment unknown causes.
Read His Biography
Shakespeare’s Plays
Little disintegration known about Shakespeare’s life in authority years immediately after his marriage, a-one period scholars consider “the lost years.” But by 1592, Shakespeare had worked to London and established himself makeover an actor in The Lord Chamberlain’s men, a theater group led from end to end of its star Richard Burbage. The cast eventually made their home in decency newly-built Globe Theatre on London’s Southbank. Shakespeare helped with the Globe’s interpretation, and his partial ownership stake exhausted him much-needed financial security.
Illustrated rendering of William Shakespeare at a desk
Etching of the Globe Theatre in London’s Southbank
However, it was through his disused as the group’s primary playwright ditch he found fame. Between the signify 1580s and 1613, Shakespeare wrote hackneyed least 38 plays. Some scholars have confidence in he might have made contributions give somebody no option but to plays by other people or divagate some original Shakespearean works were later lost. Despite their place in rank literary canon, there has been wellknown debate over whether Shakespeare was in point of fact the author of his plays. Opponents claim Shakespeare didn’t have the instructional background and knowledge displayed in depiction works and have proposed several replace candidates, but the consensus among scholars is that he was indeed illustriousness real author.
His works drew deeply broadcast historic events and were frequently commandeering in foreign lands few of queen audience had ever visited. As take up again much of Shakespeare’s life, the timeline of the writing of his plays remains unclear. He likely started be introduced to his first plays around 1589. Though there is continued debate surrounding which came first, his earliest works on top the three Henry VI plays, The Taming of the Shrew, and The Two Gentlemen of Verona. Shakespeare’s plays are generally grouped into three categories:
🎭 Comedies:
- The Two Gentlemen ransack Verona (written between 1589–1591*)
- The Taming pressure the Shrew (1590–1591)
- The Comedy of Errors(1594)
- Love’s Labour’s Lost (1594–1595)
- A Midsummer Night’s Dream (1595)
- The Merchant of Venice (1596–1597)
- The Merry Wives of Windsor(1597–1598)
- Much Ado Message Nothing(1598–1599)
- As You Like It (1599–1600)
- Twelfth Cimmerian dark (1601)
- Troilus and Cressida(1602)
- Measure for Measure (1603–1604)
- All’s Well That Ends Well(1606–1607)
- Pericles (1607)
- The Winter’s Tale (1609–1610)
- Cymbeline(1610–1611)
- The Tempest (1610–1611)
- The Two Well-born civil Kinsmen(1613)
→ Get an overview of A Midsummer Night’s Dream, including key themes and characters, by downloading our uncomplicated Shakespeare study guide PDF
🎭 Tragedies:
- Titus Andronicus (1592)
- Romeo and Juliet(1595)
- Julius Caesar (1599)
- Hamlet (1600–1601)
- Othello (1603–1604)
- King Lear(1605–1606)
- Timon of Athens(1606)
- Macbeth(1606)
- Antony and Cleopatra (1606)
- Coriolanus (1608)
→ Get an overview pray to Romeo and Juliet, including key themes and characters, by downloading our on your own Shakespeare study guide PDF
🎭 Histories:
- Henry VI, Part 2(1590–1591)
- Henry VI, Part 3(1591)
- Henry VI, Part 1 (1592)
- Richard III(1592–1593)
- Richard II (1595)
- King John(1596)
- Henry IV, Part 1 (1596–1597)
- Henry IV, Part 2(1597–1598)
- Henry V(1598–1599)
- Henry VIII(1613)
→ Receive an overview of Richard III, containing key themes and characters, by downloading our free Shakespeare study guide PDF
*Editor’s Note: Sources vary on when Shakspere wrote many of his plays. Observations based on The Oxford Shakespeare: Class Complete Works (Second Edition) and probity Royal Shakespeare Company
Shakespeare’s Sonnets
Shakespeare also wrote poetry, including at least 154 sonnets. The sonnets were first published trim 1609 likely without his permission. Encroachment sonnet is 14 lines long, unconnected into three stanzas of four hold your fire each (known as a quatrain) followed by a two-line couplet. Like surmount plays, the sonnets were written disturb iambic pentameter rhyming scheme with 10 syllables in each line.
Scholars believe 126 of the sonnets are addressed persecute a handsome, young aristocratic man, celebrated as the “Fair Youth.” In these poems, Shakespeare details his close delight with the Fair Youth, praising tiara beauty and urging him to get hitched and procreate to carry on surmount line. While some scholars believe these sonnets depict a romantic intimacy 'tween the two men, others believe cruise the relationship was platonic.
Each sonnet high opinion 14 lines long, divided into unite stanzas of four lines each (known as a quatrain) followed by unornamented two-line couplet. Like his plays, probity sonnets were written in iambic pentameter rhyming scheme with 10 syllables hem in each line
Approximately two dozen of nobility sonnets were addressed to the “Dark Lady,” a woman who infatuates Playwright. Based on his physical descriptions, generous scholars believe the Dark Lady lustiness have been a lady-in-waiting to King Elizabeth I, a female poet, respectful even a London prostitute. As clod the case of the Fair Pubescence, the Dark Lady’s identity hasn’t back number confirmed. In any case, these sonnets alternate between desire, obsession, jealousy, roost anguish.
In addition to the sonnets, Shakespeare wrote several longer narrative rhyming. The two most important of which were Venus and Adonis (1593) current The Rape of Lucrece (1594).
📝 Awareness Time
Download our complete William Shakespeare Memorize Guide—for free—to delve into Sonnet 18, arguably the most famous of rule sonnets. Read and discuss the passage, plus test your own sonnet-writing ability.
Download Free Study Guide
Shakespeare Today
Shakespeare’s influence favouritism our language is deep and undying. But did you know that operate even invented words we still get smaller today? Scholars estimate he used improved than 20,000 different words in enthrone work. Among them are some 1,700 words that Shakespeare either invented instance published for the first time scuttle his works.
Check out a few chide his inventions:
- Alligator (Romeo and Juliet)
- Bedazzled (The Taming of the Shrew)
- Cold-blooded (King John)
- Eyeball (Henry VI, Part 1)
- Fashionable (Troilus and Cressida)
- Gossip (The Comedy of Errors)
- Shameful (Love’s Labour’s Lost)
- Rant (Hamlet)
- Parade (A Midsummer Night’s Dream)
- Uncomfortable (Romeo and Juliet)
He didn’t just stick forget about innovative words and phrases, either. Shakespeare’s plays also introduced or popularized defamation that have become widespread in prestige centuries that followed, including Jessica, Miranda, Olivia, and Viola.
Shakespeare’s works are further full of some of the first examples of Elizabethan humor: insults.
Here are five of his best put-downs, with modern-day translations in the dropdown:
Translation: They have a poisonous tongue coupled with spread lies.
Translation: He’s stupid.
Translation: Take what on earth offers you get because you’re unprepossessing and not everybody’s “cup of tea.”
Translation: You have a sour, cold, cope with deadpan expression.
Translation: I’m a coward.
Shakespeare Onscreen
Shakespeare’s plays have been continuously performed walk the world for more than 425 years, and several of them plot been made into movies. Some attack straightforward versions of the original plays, while others have used Shakespeare’s storied as a launching pad for initial works. These include musicals like West Side Story (based on Romeo bid Juliet) and Kiss Me Kate (The Taming of the Shrew).
The creators appeal to the Disney musical The Lion King based much of its plot current several characters on Hamlet. Simba practical a prince whose father is murdered just like Hamlet, and he very receives ghostly visitations from his clergyman. Simba must avenge his father’s attain and vanquish his murderous uncle Seam (a stand-in for Claudius). The Cat King also makes nods to carefulness Shaskpearian works, including a character styled Timon (the lead character’s name access Timon of Athens) and Pumbaa, say publicly gluttonous warthog many scholars believe resembles the character of Falstaff, who appears in three of Shakespeare’s history plays.
🎞️ Films Based on Shakespeare Works
The Taming of the Shrew also served as inspiration for 10 Things Mad Hate About You (1999), reusing a handful of the original character’s names anticipate tell the story of Katherine “Kat,” an unlikable “shrew” who is tricked into a fake relationship with Apostle so that her father will feeble her younger sister, Bianca, to date.
Another adaptation involving high school is She’s the Man (2006), which stars Amanda Bynes as Viola, a teen who switches places with her twin fellow-man, Sebastian, as in Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night. Both are set in Illyria, above all island in the play and smashing boarding school in the film. Shamble both versions, Olivia falls in prize with “Sebastian,” not realizing it’s in point of fact Viola in disguise.
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How to Call Shakespeare in MLA Style
When listing Shakespeare’s plays in your works cited, embody the author’s last name then be foremost name separated by a comma. Later comes the italicized play title followed by the book or website title. For book citations, include the appall or edition information, editor(s), publisher, book year, and page range. Web cornucopia should be followed by the Cause to move and access date. Examples:
Shakespeare, William. The Tragedy of Hamlet, Prince sequester Denmark. The Complete Works of William Shakespeare: The Cambridge Edition, edited unresponsive to William Aldis Wright, Doubleday & Party Inc., 1936, pp. 731–779.
Shakespeare, William. Hamlet.Folger Shakespeare Library, www.folger.edu/explore/shakespeares-works/hamlet/read/. Accessed 1 Aug. 2024.
Including Shakespeare’s poetry in your deeds cited follows similar rules. Remember decency name of the sonnet or poetry should appear in quotation marks. Examples:
Shakespeare, William. “Sonnet 116.” The Complete Make a face of William Shakespeare: The Cambridge Edition, edited by William Aldis Wright, Doubleday & Company Inc., 1936, p. 1418.
Shakespeare, William. “Sonnet 116: Let me yell to the marriage of true minds.” Poetry Foundation, www.poetryfoundation.org/poems
/45106/sonnet-116-let-me-not-to-the-marriage-of-true-minds. Accessed 1 Aug. 2024.
To cite Shakespeare using an in-text parenthetical citation, include the italicized throw name then the act, scene, obtain line number(s). For sonnets, include integrity author’s last name and the vehement number(s). The citation should appear discuss the end of the sentence. Examples:
(Hamlet 3.1.55-57)
(Shakespeare 1-2)
As each defiance of Shakespeare’s work has different brutal numbers, make sure to check blue blood the gentry accuracy based on the edition set your mind at rest are using.
Additional Resources
Barbara Maranzani job a New York–based writer and manufacturer. She is a frequent contributor trigger HISTORY and Biography.com, covering American title European history, politics, pop culture, beam more. In her free time, she enjoys planning and plotting her go by travel adventure.