William Shakespeare: Poet, Dramatist, and Man - Research Paper Example

William Shakespeare: Poet, Dramatist, and Man William Shakespeare is given credit for writing plays that have seen the most consistent production and praised commentary since they were written. The life of William Shakespeare is an intriguing story in itself that gives some evidence to the inspiration behind the work. Although there is some controversy over whether the works are all indeed written by the playwright, the circumstances of his life do seem to be reflected in many of the plays and sonnets. Plays of his period were not seen for the works of great literature that they are seen today. The way in which the English public viewed actors and acting made the plays seem trivial, similar to current day situation comedies. However, the accredited work to William Shakespeare is considered to have coveted roles for actors, provide inspiration to directors, and still thrill audiences in contemporary society. Shakespeare was born in Stratford on Avon in Warwickshire, England. The common date for William Shakespeare’s birth is April 23, 1564, although Ackroyd suggests that this is not accurate and that it may have been a day or two earlier. The actual date of his christening, however, is recorded on April 26, 1564 in the Church of the Holy Trinity in Stratford (3). His parents were John and Mary Arden Shakespeare and it is likely that John Arden was a glover in Stratford (William Shakespeare). When he turned eighteen years old he married Anne Hathaway in Stratford on Avon, but left three years later to go to London in order to pursue his interest in Client Last Name 2 the theater. The reason that he left may have been that he was caught poaching a deer on Sir Richard Lucy’s property and had greatly offended a powerful man in their community (Anne Hathaway Biography). It is believed that his wife Anne, was eight years older than William and that his life with her is greatly reflected in his work. Anne Hathaway died in 1623 at the age of 67 which is the only historical record of her age. This means that she was born in 1556, which is eight years before William was born. Anne and William’s first child, Susanna, was born six months after their wedding (Anne Hathaway Biography). It is speculated that the wedding was forced due to the pregnancy as there were legal bonds put out to ensure he would arrive and complete the marriage ceremony (Mabie 814). Their twins were born two years later and named Hamnet and Judith. Anne spent her entire life in Stratford raising their three children and living in the home of her in-laws. William would come home periodically to visit (Anne Hathaway Biography). However, aspects of their life and of his feelings toward her seem to appear in many of his works. One of the many sonnets of Shakespeare is thought to be directly associated with Anne. Sonnet 130 speaks of how love transcends the aspects of beauty and attraction that most think of when considering love. The sonnet describes a woman who has lost her initial beauty, but now has grown less delicate. However, the speaker in the poem delivers the result that he still loves her more, despite that fact that she has grown and is no longer a beautiful girl, but has flaws that make her no less dear to him. My mistress' eyes are nothing like the sun; Coral is far more red than her lips' red; If snow be white, why then her breasts are dun; Client Last Name 3 If hairs be wires, black wires grow on her head. I have seen roses damasked, red and white, But no such roses see I in her cheeks; And in some perfumes is there more delight Than in the breath that from my mistress reeks. I love to hear her speak, yet well I know That music hath a far more pleasing sound; I grant I never saw a goddess go; My mistress when she walks treads on the ground. And yet, by heaven, I think my love as rare As any she belied with false compare (Shakespeare). One of the reasons that his sonnet may have been composed to Anne is that a high born woman would not have received such a reviling tribute (Traill 392). It would have been rejected in order to save dignity. It is speculated that Shakespeare may have had an actual mistress of high birth, but it is unlikely he would have wrote a sonnet to her that spoke of anything other than the delicate beauty that a high born woman is expected to reflect (London Society 162). However, there is some speculation that the sonnet and many other references to a ‘dark lady’ are not about his wife, but about Emilia Lanier. Emilia Lanier was a young woman who did well for herself by becoming the mistress of Henry Carey, First Lord Hunsdon who was also the Lord Chamberlain. He was a patron for Shakespeare’s theater company, Lord Chamberlain’s Men. Emilia became pregnant and married one of the performers for the company, but the incident was quite scandalous. Whether Shakespeare had in interest in Lanier, or whether he found her promiscuous nature to be inspiring, there are many references to the dark lady through out his work (Muir, Edwards, Ewbank, and Hunter 233) The Forest of Arden, which lays in the north of Stratford, was mostly likely influential in the writing of “As You Like It”, “A Midsummer Night’s Dream”, and “Titus Andronicus” Client Last Name 4 (Ackroyd 7). According to Ackroyd, the forest had always resisted the attempts to tame it through lumbering and deforestation, remaining wild with a magical feel for many of the area residents (7). The way in which the forest is recreated in the plays gives a sometimes magical approach to the location. The specific location of the forest no longer holds any real geographical place, but becomes an unknown setting in which things of a supernatural or dramatic nature can take place without a real feeling of location (White 128). The public opinion of actors in Shakespeare’s England was not particularly high. Female actresses did not exist with only men and boys playing the male and female roles in the plays (Osnes and Gill 99). The point of view of the profession of acting was that the actors were merely bits of entertainment, not to be considered of high standing. The plays were created and run in short runs, with the audiences attending them as casual entertainment. There were several traditions that created a very different perspective to the viewing of a play in Shakespeare’s time than in our own. As an example the plays often ended with what is known as a jig, sometimes intended to represent the consummation of a wedding. The jig was a dance of sort that was commonly considered to be quite raunchy, bordering on obscene. Audience members would “mew” at the players when they were not pleased with the play, and the throwing of rotten vegetables and fruit would also show their displeasure (Ackroyd 366). There is a great deal of speculation on whether or not William Shakespeare wrote all of or any of his plays and work. In a book by Samuel Blumenfeld, an examination of a conspiracy theory is developed and attempted to be proven. In 1781 Rev. James Wilmot decided that there was no way in which Shakespeare could have written the works because he did not have the education nor the experience that he would have needed to write them (Blumenfeld 5). Client Last Name 5 Blumenfeld claims that the education that is attributed to William Shakespeare is decided through the examination of the work, rather than a true history. As an example, if a play required Latin, it was assumed he spoke Latin, and because of the many locales in Italy that were used within the plays, there is an assumption that he traveled to Italy. However, there is no proof that William Shakespeare ever traveled to Italy (5). There is much speculation that Christopher Marlowe is the true author of some, if not all of the plays attributed to William Shakespeare. Christopher Marlowe was a playwright from the same era that had an equal public admiration during that time period. According to Blumenfeld, Marlowe faked his death in 1593 in order to avoid an examination by the Archbishop Whitgift’s inquisition (1). However, other authors suggest that Marlowe’s death was the inspiration that took Shakespeare into a new era of brilliance (Bate 106). According to Logan, there has been a great number of historians and literary experts that have spent a great deal of time and research creating the connection between Christopher Marlowe and William Shakespeare, but as in evidence from the variety of opinions from authors here, there is no definitive answer to this historical question. The plays of William Shakespeare have given actors throughout the history since his time some of the best roles available. While the language of his work was common at the time of his work, the emotional quality of the work is one of the aspects that has created a continuation of popularity. When modern audiences watch “A Midsummer Night’s Dream”, they are still enchanted by the fairies, the antics of Puck, and the human quality of the entangled love stories that make up the theme of the play. When a production of Hamlet is produced, the lead role is coveted by actors. According to Patsy Rodenberg, the speech of Leontes in “The Winter’s Tale” Client Last Name 6 is full of violent and sexual rhythms that emphasize the emotions of the moment (79). Whether William Shakespeare or another of his time created the body of work that is considered Shakespearian is not relevant to the impact that the name of Shakespeare has had on the world of literature. In Elizabethan England, the writing of a play was not considered great literature and was lumped into a category that included pamphlets and balletes (Erne 32). However, according to Erne, the works of playwrights began to emerge as more important starting in the 1590’s. When Shakespeare began his work, a playwright did not have a great deal of respect. However, by the end of his life he had begun to see his work gain in importance and be respected as something more than an Elizabethan sit com (33). The work of William Shakespeare provided a standard against which playwrights are often held in their quality of work. The life of William Shakespeare is a bit of a mystery, but the work that lives on in his name shows the influences of the time period as well as the timelessness of human emotions. History shows where he was born, who he married, and gives us the names of his children. There are records of his life in London, his work as an actor, as a playwright, and as an owner of a theater and a theater company (Ackroyd 10). However, with the many gaps that exist between what is known and what is assumed based on the work attributed to him give historians a great deal of information from which to create his life. As well, conspiracy theorists can also draw conclusions about the origins of the work. However, the quality of the writing is never in dispute. The work of Shakespeare will continue to influence the literary world throughout time, allowing for the study of literature to include work that has been viewed by generations of audiences and inspired actors, playwrights, and directors, and been studied by millions of students. Client Last Name 7 Works Cited Ackroyd, Peter. Shakespeare: The Biography. New York: Anchor Books, 2005. “Anne Hathaway Biography”. WilliamShakespeare.info. William Shakespeare.info, 2005. Web. 13 April 2010. Bate, Jonathan. The Genius of Shakespeare. New York: Oxford University Press, 1998. Blumenfeld, Samuel L. The Marlowe-Shakespeare Connection: A New Study of the Authorship Question. Jefferson, N.C.: McFarland, 2008. Logan, Robert A. Shakespeare's Marlowe. Aldershot, Hants, England: Ashgate, 2006. Mabie, William W. William Shakespeare: Poet, Dramatist, and Man. New York: Macmillon, 1900. Muir, Kennith, Edwards, Phillip, Ewbank, Iwa S., and Hunter, G. K. Shakespeare’s Styles: Essays in Honor of Kennith Muir. New York: Cambridge University Press, 2004. Osnes, Beth, and Gill, S. Acting: An Encyclopedia. Santa Barbara, Calif: ABC-CLIO, 2001. Shakespeare, William. “My Mistress’ Eyes are Nothing Like the Sun (Sonnet 130). Poets.org, Academy of American Poets, 2010. Web 13 April 2010. Traill, H. D. Literature. London: The Times, 1897. Tyler, Thomas. “Shakespeare’s Two Loves” London Society No. 45. 1884. 159-163. Print White, Richard G. Studies in Shakespeare. Whitefish, MT, 2003. “William Shakespeare”. TheatreHistory.com. TheatreHistory.com, 2002. Web. 13 April 2010. * the new MLA standard is that URL’s are not to be included on a works cited page. However, if your teacher wants the URL for the website listed it is http://www.theatrehistory.com/british/shakespeare032.html * for the other website: http://www.poets.org/viewmedia.php/prmMID/15557 Read More