Page 6 - macbeth demo

I, used the name as a cover. Whether or not a man named William Shakespeare ever
actually existed is ultimately secondary to the recognition that the group of plays
bound together by that name does exist and continues to educate, enlighten, and
entertain us.

William Shakespeare, 1564-1616

When Shakespeare was born in 1564, Elizabeth I was the reigning monarch of
England. He was raised in the little town of Stratford-upon-Avon and attended the
grammar school there. His father was a trader who produced and sold gloves there.
Shakespeare did not attend college after he graduated from high school; instead, he
may have worked for his father’s company. He married Anne Hathaway when he
was eighteen, and she became the mother of his twins in 1585 as well as his daughter
Susanna in 1583.
There is nothing noteworthy or even unique about this tale. No documentation exist
that can shed any light on Shakespeare. Yet, we now know that he was well-known in
London in 1592 and that he was a playwright as well as an actor.
In his comedies, young people fall in love with one another and eventually get
married and live happily ever after. He also created romantic love stories.
Shakespeare composed some sad, sour, and tragic plays at the end of the sixteenth
century. There may have been some sadness in the writer’s life that led to this shift
(his only son died in 1596). Yet, Shakespeare was not the only author at this time
whose works were extremely serious. England as a whole was in trouble. Elizabeth I
was advancing in years. The thought that she will soon pass away broke the hearts of
those who cherished her; they were also afraid, because the queen had never married,
and so there was no child to succeed her.
Shakespeare continued to write serious theatre, including the major tragedies and
plays based on Roman history (like Julius Caesar), even after James I, Elizabeth’s
Scottish cousin, ascended to the throne in 1603. Finally, he composed another batch
of comedies before quitting the stage. All of these share a common theme: they
describe happiness that is lost and then found.

Shakespeare visited his hometown of Stratford after seeing London. He possessed one
of the largest homes in the neighbourhood and was wealthy and accomplished. 1616
saw his passing. Shakespeare also produced a collection of sonnets and two lengthy

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Macbeth - William Shakespeare