William Shakespeare-Contribution in English Literature-His most remarkable quotes.
William Shakespeare is widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language. He is one of the most influential figures in world literature. His plays and poems are translated into more than 100 languages and performed on stages across the globe. But who was the remarkable man and how did he achieve such fame and acclaim?
Shakespeare was born in April in the year 1564 in Stratford-upon-Avon, a small town in Warwickshire, England. He was the third of eight children of John Shakespeare, a glove maker and Mary Arden, the daughter of a wealthy farmer. Shakespeare's baptismal record dates his birth to 26 April, but his actual date of birth is unknown. Some of the scholars believe he was born on 23rd April which is also the death day in 1616.
Shakespeare most probably attended the local grammar school, where he would learn Latin, Greek, History and Literature. he did not go university that is unusual for such a writer. At the age of 18 he married a women called Anne Hathaway, a women eight years older than that of him. They had three children, Susanna, Hamnet and Judith. Hamnet died at the age of 11 most probably due to plague.
Sometimes between 1585 to 1592 , Shakespeare moved to London to pursue a career as an actor and playwright. He become a founding member of the Lord Chamberlain's Men, a company of actors that later become the King's Men under the patronage of King James-I. He also invested in real estate and became a stakeholder of the Globe Theatre and the blackfriars Theatre.
Shakespeare wrote at least 37 plays, 154 sonnets and two long narrative poems. His works can be divided into four categories: Comedies, histories, tragedies and romance. He drew inspiration from classical sources, English History, contemporary events and his own imagination. He invented more new words and phrases experimented with different genres. He created some of the most memorable characters and stories in literature.
Some of his most famous plays include Romeo and Juliet, A Midsummer Night's dream, Hamlet, Macbeth, King Lear, Othello, The Marchant of Venice, The Tempest and Julius Caesar. His sonnets are considered as the finest example of English Literature. His printed works were two long poems, Venus and Adonis and The rape Lucrece.
There is controversy about his death. Some of the rumors are he died of excessive drinking while in a merry meeting with other two writers, Ben Johnson and Michael Drayton. Some scholars believe that he died of severe illness though actual cause of his illness is unknown, it could be anything from typhus to tuberculosis and even cancer.
Shakespeare left behind a rich legacy of words and wisdom that still resonate today. Here are some of his greatest quotes from his plays and poems:
"To be or not to be that is the question"-(Hamlet).
" The course of true love never did run smooth."( A Midsummers Night's Dream).
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