william shakespeare essay 500 words

English Compositions

Short Essay on William Shakespeare [100, 200, 400 Words] With PDF

William Shakespeare was one of the most eminent and probably the most famous poet of English Literature. His works have made him immortal. In this lesson today, you will learn how to write an essay on the greatest poet: William Shakespeare.

Short Essay on William Shakespeare in 100 Words

William Shakespeare is by far the best-known literary figure in the history of English literature. He is principally known for his dramas and sonnets that have enriched British literature by folds. As the contemporary of Kyd and Marlow, Shakespeare has innovated the classical theatrical stances and defined them according to his contemporary audience.

He has written several comedies, tragedies, and tragicomedies in his literary career. Some of his famous plays include Twelfth Night, Hamlet, Othello, Macbeth, Romeo and Juliet, and others. His sonnets are quite famous and are dedicated to two personalities- the Earl of Southampton and the dark lady. It is said that the great poet died on 23 April 1616.

Short Essay on William Shakespeare in 200 Words

‘’Bard of Avon’’ William Shakespeare is the master playwright and poet of Renaissance England. The perfect blending of a playwright and the poet makes his genius so captivating. His career spans over twenty-four years where he has gifted his audience and readers a bounty of productions. Shakespeare has re-defined the theatre and its heroes and heroines. His career has four distinct sections that mark out his prolific capacity.

In the beginning, he has composed history plays like Henry VI plays, Richard III and Richard II, Comedy of Errors, and Love’s Labour Lost. The second phase contains all his comedies like The Taming of the Shrew, The Merry Wives of Windsor, As You Like It, Twelfth Night. The third phase is that of tragedies that sees Macbeth, Hamlet, King Lear, Othello, and Julius Ceaser. The final stage is of lesser-known plays like Winter’s Tale and The Tempest.

The sonnets of Shakespeare are lyrical poems that evoke sense and sensibilities in the readers. His sonnets are divided into a binary section- the first 126 sonnets are addressed to Earl of Southampton, while the rest 127-152 are for the dark lady. Both the identities of these two figures are mysteries, yet the most beautiful poems of Shakespeare are composed over them. He even dedicates his last two sonnets to Cupid.

Short Essay on William Shakespeare in 400 Words

Little is known about William Shakespeare, one of the greatest names in the British canon of dramas and poems. His biography does not much reveal about his childhood or early occupation. Yet among his contemporaries, Shakespeare is by far the best literary personality of all times and centuries. He was said to be born in 1564 at the Stratford-upon-Avon of United Kingdom. Within this span of twenty-four years of a literary career, he has gifted the British and European canon with his enormous creative prospects that from time immemorial has been the object of criticisms and researches.

The literary career of Shakespeare is roughly divided into four segments. 

FIRST PHASE- It includes the history plays of Shakespeare, where he experiments with several aspects of tragedy, comedy, and history. To this period belong his Henry VI plays, Comedy of Errors, Love’ Labour Lost, Midsummer Night’s Dream, Two Gentlemen of Verona, and the only tragedy, Titus Andronicus.

SECOND PHASE- This includes his comedies and is one of the best moments of the playwright. To this belongs his greatest comedies and historical plays- The Taming of the Shrew, The Merry Wives of Windsor, Twelfth Night, Merchant of Venice, As you Like It, and King John as the first historical play. 

THIRD PHASE- This stage is called the stage of tragedies, where Shakespeare has given world-class tragedies including Othello, Hamlet, Macbeth, King Lear, Julius Ceaser, and others. 

FOURTH PHASE- The last phase of the playwright’s career has some lesser-known plays like The Winter’s Tale and The Tempest. It is also in this stage that his sonnets are published in 1609. 

Shakespeare’s sonnets are a significant aspect of his career as within the 14lines structure, he asserts a completely different style of address. Here it is not a beautiful lady, but a man and a woman of much darker complexion. The man is considered as Earl of Southampton (1-126) and the woman as Dark lady (127-152), although their identities are still a mystery. An unconventional method of sonnet writing is apparent here. He even dedicates two of the sonnets to Cupid. His poetic style is simple, sensuous, and passionate and is perfectly carried out in his poems. Shakespeare’s literary talent is profound and incomprehensible, yet a specimen of imperishable beauty. 

Though we don’t have much information about his life, many researchers say that the greatest poet of all time William Shakespeare died on the 23rd of April, 1616 in the same city he was born.

In this lesson above, I have tried to picture the life of William Shakespeare within very limited words. Hopefully, after going through this session, you have understood how you can actually concise the story of such a vast life within your recommended words. If you still have any doubts, please let me know through some quick comments. If you want to read more such essays and other kinds of English compositions, keep browsing our website. 

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William Shakespeare Essay

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Historical background

Cultural influences, outside critique and critical responses, scholarly interpretation, understanding the work of shakespeare, works cited.

William Shakespeare is perhaps one of the well-known poets and playwrights. Although it seems not well known when he began his writing career, Greenblatt reports the staging of his plays in 1592 in London (12). He was born of a staunch Roman Catholic family with his parents living in the times of conflicting stands between Catholics and Protestants. His cultural background and experiences appears to spring all through his 38 plays, two long poems amongst others in one way or another.

His father, John Shakespeare, “dealt in trading in wool, malt and corn” (Grady 10) at Stratford with his father, Richard Shakespeare producing the noble objects of the trade on his farm. John then bought a house in Henley Street, Stratford to place himself conveniently near the market place.

He then “started in the dubious business of money lending” (Grady 10): reminiscent of the Merchant ; Jewish moneylender and Shylock in The Merchant of Venice. In 1557, John married Mary Arden. Several cultural and religious conflicts determined the choice of Mary Arden as the probable wife to John.

On one hand, he had to choose a fellow catholic, due to the wave that stood between the catholic and the Protestants, making the Catholics face a treatment characterized by suspicion and hatred. On the other hand, John had to live up to his prominence ambitions, though illiterate. By marrying a young wealthy woman at the age of 17 while in 26s, he stood assured of good start in marriage life and in line with his ambitions.

Later in 1558, they gave birth to their first child, Joan. Unfortunately, Joan succumbed to Black Death (the plaque). Their second daughter, born in 1562, lived for one year. In 1564 (though not supported by official document due to inexistency of registration then in English history), came William Shakespeare. William was the eldest son of a family of eight siblings.

Probably William was educated in king’s new school based in Stratford. However, “during the Elizabethan era, the curriculum remained dictated by the law throughout England, and the school would have provided an intensive education in Latin grammar and the classics” (Burns 5). At 18, he married Anne Hathaway, the then 26-year old.

They gave birth to their first child Susanne baptized on 26 may 1583 and later to twins: Hamnet and Judith, in 1585. In all biographies of William Shakespeare, missing marks of his history between 1585 and 1592 exist. Many scholars for instance Rowe upholds the opinion that William fled from Stratford to London “to escape prosecution for deer poaching in the estate of local squire Thomas Lucy” (7).

John Aubrey (Gray 79) on his part speculated that, William was a country schoolmaster during the Shakespeare ‘lost years’. Furthermore, “Some 20th-century scholars have suggested that Shakespeare may have been employed as a schoolmaster by Alexander Houghton of Lancashire: a Catholic landowner who named a certain ‘William Shakeshafte’” (Gager 45). Wherever Shakespeare was during this time remains a miserly

His plays initially were predominantly comedies and histories before winding up with genres portraying sophistication of artistry in the near end of 16 th century. Around 1608, he focused on tragedies such as King Lear, Othello, Macbeth and Hamlet . Finally, the last phase entangled romances.

The romances include A Midsummer Night’s Dream, which characterized mixes of comic scenes, romance and fairy magic. Somewhat interesting Shakespeare’s romantic play was Merchant of Venice that preceded Much Ado about Nothing. Merchant of Venice play stands out a reflection of Elizabethan views but more of derogatory from modern reader’s perspective point of view.

Merchant of Venice stands out as one of the many plays of the Shakespeare, which clearly reflects cultural influences that rendered Shakespeare do the play through its characters qualities and themes. Shakespeare’s rooted challenges of disputed cultural inclination on religion dominantly appear not only in the Merchant of Venice but also in the rest of his writings.

In A Midsummer Night’s Dream , ( Shakespeare 40) “Oberon and Titania are estranged because Titania refuses to give her Indian chaqeling to Oberon for use as his ‘knight’ or ‘henchman’ since the child’s mother was one of Titania’s worshipers…Oberon seeks to punish Tatinia’s disobedience” (Matus para.15).

This reflects a religious stalemate. On the other hand, in the Merchant of Venice , “Even when Bassanio offers much more than the amount in repayment, Shylock, now infuriated by the loss of his daughter, is intent on seeking revenge on the Christians” (Gager 92). The two examples depict the stalemate that existed during the time of his father between the Christians who were divided on the lines of either being protestants or Catholics.

In fact, Catholics were treated with dismay and the denomination at some time was illegal. Shylock having been dealing in a business that involves lending money with anticipation of outstandingly enormous interest, was tantamount to his father’s dubious money lending business that initially saw him flourish at Stanford. Isolation reminiscent to that that existed during the reign of queen Elizabeth appears in the Merchant of Venice , the characters clash on various situations as they originate from different backgrounds.

A similar scenario was encountered by his father who despite being wealthy; he had attempted to make an application for court of arms without success due to different inclination on religious beliefs between him and the then in power family which was mainly Protestants(analogous to Jews in ‘ Merchant of Venice’ ).

“The money-grubbing Shylock, on the other hand, is accused of caring more for his ducats than human relationships” (Cook 412-420). People who considered it better fining one for the failure to take state duties rather than losing on making extra pennies on that day characterized the roots of Shakespeare.

Cultural influence that recognizes ‘lack’ as noble and significant in the society is also evident in Shakespeare work. “They state that whoever seeks to marry Portia must solve the riddle of the three caskets—one gold, one silver, one lead, each with an inscription—or, failing in the attempt, agree to remain a bachelor for the rest of his days” (Matus para.2).

Various suitors attempted to unveil the riddle but miserably failed until when Bassanio arrived, who Portia favored arrived and choose the casket that housed hers portrait. It reveals that marriage was not all that significantly grounded on love reflecting on the manner in which his father selected his marriage partner based on intents to achieve his ambitions of remaining prominent.

Though many refer Shakespeare’s work as outstanding, it fails to receive pure screening from skeptics. A group of people referring themselves as Oxfordians, wonder whether “contemporaneous record of the man and playwright is suspect; whether the ‘Soul of the Age’ was the very heart of it as well; and, finally, whether Shakespeare was indeed a man of the theater” (Matus para.4).

Ideally, Shakespeare’s contemporary reference materials depicting Shakespeare as both a playwright and a player outnumber any other ‘renaissance theatre’ of the English. Several other references substantially portray the staging of Shakespearean plays in courts, private theatres, and public theaters. Charlton Ogburn notes that “…you can’t get anywhere with Oxford unless you dispose of the Stratford man” (Matus para.7). He attributes the documents that place Shakespeare at the centre of theatre stage as faulty or better put, ambiguous.

This critique results to disagreement since “Relatively few though, these documents may seem by modern standards, they pose a considerable problem for Oxfordians” (Maclay para.8). Oxfordians critic the capability of Shakespeare to do such incredible work that would see his stars shines even a couple of centuries after his death. They challenge whether Shakespeare had such adequate education to see him dominate the playwright arena or even whether he had any education at all.

Arguably, if records were a thing to go by as way of supplying adequate evidence and proof, the ideas of Ogburn that “the school records “would have disappeared because they showed he did not attend it”(Maclay para.10) deem to have substance. Furthermore, a trace of many wits of drama that lived during the times of Shakespeare such as Ben Jonson, have records indicating that they had gone to the university.

Nevertheless, it would substantially lend well for any scholar to anticipate Jonson to be a celebrated playwright in Britain in seventeenth century as well. Cook argues that, “In the top rank of classical scholars, he would be granted honorary master’s degrees by both Oxford and Cambridge…Evidently there may be more to both scholarship and literary genius than a formal education” (412-420).

Does it therefore make the absence of Shakespeare educational records make his works in poetry and plays originality suspicious? Ogburn offers a response. He says that other playwrights who were prominent found places in the diaries accompanied by their famous actors but not Shakespeare (Grady 50).

In fact, the arguments raised above by various skeptics of Shakespeare works, have their unique weaknesses. Te question on absence of Shakespeare names in the diaries is debatable since in biographies, no playwright name appeared on any diary until after 1596. “By then Shakespeare was a member of the Lord Chamberlain’s company, which had no association with Henslowe or his playhouse” (Maclay para.17).

Henslowe was responsible for the entry of the prominent playwright alongside with their actors in diaries. Further more in 1604, evidence prevails that some chamberlain’s men, earlier for ten months, went for a monarch service. Nine of the mentioned actors in the license given by the king encompassed Shakespeare and accounts of them being recipients of “four and a half yards of red clothe are made” (Grady 106).

Millar, another critique of Shakespeare, agrees the cloth to have gone out but to chamberlain’s men rather than to ‘actors’. In an attempt to show the style of mentioning the name of Shakespeare with regard to chamberlain’s men, the Oxfordians rush to point out his going there not as playwright but as a troupe patron. Where then was Lord Hudson, the one traditionally allocated the role of troupe patron?

The work of Shakespeare attracts different interpretations from different scholars. On her part Janet Adelman, California university professor, “compels us to look into the psychic recesses of Shakespeare’s characters, of Shakespeare himself as far as his personality can be recovered through his works, and of ourselves” (Cook 412-420). Shakespeare portrayed uneasiness in regarding women’s masculine identity as ‘of born’.

He went on to associate male fantasies towards women to suffocating female parents who must have suffocated themselves. Adelman interrelated Jews and Christians in the Merchant of Venice to blood relations in the society. Shylock says “yes smell pork, to eat of the habitation which your prophet, the Nazarene, conjured the devil into” (Shakespeare 45) this makes Adelman say that these relations are “an unsettling, psycho-theological reading of the play” (Maclay para.6).

Nancy Chodorow literate the Shakespeare’s wealth of literature, which makes it significant even to those who do not do it professionally (Maclay para.6). It helps shape every one and incorporate it into ones part of personality, making somebody human, “rather than replicating what you do.

Green feels that “Fantasies of Maternal Origins in Shakespeare’s Plays, ‘Hamlet’, a book in which an in-depth analysis of the mother figures in Shakespeare’s works – the female characters in the plays and those whose absences raise questions” (Maclay Para. 10). Shakespeare’s plays brings out the manner in which tone and sound effects are carefully combined alongside with communication to bring clearly out meaning to facilitate in understanding how various issues afflict the society at large both economically and socially.

To understand Shakespeare’s work amicably, one should attempt to explore the cultural, political and religious conflicts that existed during the times when he did his poems and playwrights. Participating in performance in monologue credibly helps to interpret his work and therefore understanding humanity.

A student noted “ I discovered that when I performed the monologue of lady Macbeth, act 1, scene 5, that more or less, it was very easy to become part” (NCTE 35). Another paramount way is through seeking interpretation of the old English into the modern language.

This way, one can appreciate the romantic artistry in language use. NCTE notes that, “…we were watching the Suit Life of Zack and Cody …They explained a phrase in English we use today… I could give Shakespeare the credit he deserve” (NCTE 36). Poetry, play or any other genre of literature reflect the indulgencies of the society. It tends to mirror the issues afflicting the society: particularly the ones that hinder development or foster understanding posing a threat to the harmonious coexistence.

The interpretation of the behaviors of Shakespeare’s characters, and themes borrow largely from the systems of monarchy as means of administering governance. The perceptions of how and what marriage ought to be in his plays translates into how such decisions were made in the society that he was part of. Unless the reader has a clear picture on the sixteenth century and early seventieth century society, understanding and consequently interpreting Shakespeare work would definitely seem to be too hard.

Burns, Edward. Introduction, in Shakespeare, William; Burns, Edward (ed.), King Henry VI, Part 1. London: Arden Shakespeare, Thomson, 2000.

Cook, Hardy. Shakespeare Roundtable on Intentions: The Origins of the Collaboration with Style. The Shakespearean Journal 44.3 (2010): 412-420.

Gager, Valerie. Shakespeare and Dickens: The Dynamics of Influence . Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1996.

Grady, Hugh. Shakespeare Criticism 1600–1900 in deGrazia, Margareta Wells Stanley, The Cambridge Companion to Shakespeare . Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2001.

Gray, Arthur. A Chapter in the Early Life of Shakespeare . Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1926.

Greenblatt, Stephen. Will in the World: How Shakespeare Became Shakespeare . London: Pimlico, 2005.

Maclay, Kathleen. Janet Adelman’s psychoanalytic and feminist critics , 2010. Web.

Matus, Irvin. The case for Shakespeare , 1991. Web.

NCTE . How has Performing Shakespeare helped you Appreciate his Work? English Journal 99.1(2007): 35-36.

Rowe, John. Introduction, in Shakespeare, William; Rowe, John (ed.), The Poems: Venus and Adonis, The Rape of Lucrece, The Phoenix and the Turtle, The Passionate Pilgrim, A Lover’s Complaint, by William Shakespeare . Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2006.

Shakespeare, William. A Midsummer Night’s Dream. New York City: Signet Classics, 1998.

Shakespeare, William. Merchant of Venice . New York: W. Norton & Company, 2005.

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Essay on William Shakespeare | William Shakespeare Essay for Students and Children in English

February 12, 2024 by Prasanna

Essay on William Shakespeare:  The Bard of Avon who produced some of the most impressive works of English literature is the genius, William Shakespeare. The complete works of Shakespeare being so voluminous and extraordinary has also raised several speculations regarding the true origin of these works many years ago.

It is quite hard to swallow the idea of one individual producing about 38 plays, 154 sonnets, two narrative poems and a few other verses which are all almost universally recognized as some of the greatest works in the history of literature. Some of the famous plays under Shakespeare’s authorship are Romeo and Juliet, Macbeth, Hamlet, Othello, King Lear, Julius Caesar, The Comedy of Errors, etc.

You can also find more  Essay Writing  articles on events, persons, sports, technology and many more.

Long and Short Essays on William Shakespeare for Students and Kids in English

We are providing students with a sample of long essay on 500 words and a short essay of 150 words on the topic William Shakespeare in English for reference.

Long Essay on William Shakespeare 500 Words in English

Long Essay on William Shakespeare is usually given to classes 7, 8, 9, and 10.

Shakespeare is the world’s pre-eminent dramatists and is till date regarded as the greatest writer in the English language. It is because of the brilliance of Shakespeare’s writing skill that he was often called England’s National Poet and was also nicknamed as the Bard of Avon.

He was born in Stratford-upon-Avon to a successful businessman on 23rd April in the year 1564. Shakespeare’s mother was also from a well-to-do family for she was a landowner’s daughter. About the age of seven, William Shakespeare, along with other boys of his social class, started attending the Stratford Grammar School.

The teachers at Stratford were strict disciplinarians, and the school was conducted round the year for nine hours a day. William Shakespeare’s evident love for nature in his writings could be said to have been influenced by the fields and woods surrounding the Stratford Grammar School throughout his childhood.

Warwickshire was an exciting place to live in as the writer then also engaged in hunting and trap small game activities. It was because of the river Avon that ran down through the town was what endowed Shakespeare with the title ‘Bard of Avon’. It was at the age of eighteen when Shakespeare married Anne Hathaway, who was eight years older than him. They had three children named Susanna, and the twins Judith and Hamnet.

William Shakespeare’s career likely took off with his theatrical life in London, and by the year 1592, he is believed to have become very well known. By this time, Shakespeare had joined one of the famous theatre companies in the city. The theatre companies then used to consist of a permanent cast of actors who week after week presented plays. The acting companies in London that William Shakespeare belonged to was called ‘the Lord Chamberlain’s Men’ which scholars say to be one of the most popular acting companies of that time. These companies were commercial organizations which depended upon the admission from the audience who came to watch the play.

From the year 1594, Shakespeare was the leading member of the acting group for almost the entire rest of his career. By the year 1594, William Shakespeare had already produced at least six plays. In Shakespeare’s lifetime, two monarchs had ruled over England. The first monarch being Henry VIII and then later succeeding him Queen Elizabeth began her rule. Shakespeare’s work had caught both the monarchs’ attention, and this is what made him a well-known playwright.

It is evident that Shakespeare was a member of a well-known travelling theatre group and did plays in many places and the presence of many dignitaries. Shakespeare became one of the owners of the popular and prosperous Globe Theatre in the year 1599. By the year 1609, he also became the part-owner of the Black Friars Theatre.

Shakespeare, throughout his life, created brilliant pieces of English literate containing timeless characters with universal human qualities and struggles that readers find relatable to date. It was around 1613 when Shakespeare retired from this acting profession and settled in Stratford where he went on writing many excellent plays.

Short Essay on William Shakespeare 150 Words in English

Short Essay on William Shakespeare is usually given to classes 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, and 6.

Arguably one of the most famous writers of all time is the English playwright, poet and actor named William Shakespeare. In his lifetime Shakespeare had written about a hundred and fifty-four sonnets, a few verses, two long narrative poems, and thirty-eight plays.

It is observed that Shakespeare produced most of his work between the years 1589 to 1613. Some of his best literary works are considered to be the early plays of the comedies and histories genre. Until about the year 1608, Shakespeare mainly wrote tragedies like Othello, Macbeth, and King Lear, which are considered to be some of his finest works.

In the last few years of his life, Shakespeare mainly wrote tragicomedies and also collaborated with other English playwrights. Shakespeare’s works of literature have been translated into almost every major languages of the world, his work has also been adapted into movies, and his plays are performed more often than any other playwright’s.

10 Lines on William Shakespeare in English

• A legendary name in English literature is William Shakespeare.
• He was born to Mary Shakespeare and John Shakespeare on the 23rd of April in the year 1564.
• Since there is documentary proof of Shakespeare being baptized on 26th April of 1564, therefore scholars estimate him to be born three days prior as per the traditions of baptism at that time.
• If the date of birth of Shakespeare under the Julian calendar is compared to today’s Gregorian calendar them, it will fall on 3rd May.
• Three plays of comedy genre written by Shakespeare are The Two Gentlemen of Verona, The Comedy of Errors, and The Taming of the Shrew.
• Three plays written by William Shakespeare in the tragedy category are Julius Caesar, Titus Andronicus, Romeo and Juliet.
• Three plays by Shakespeare under the history genre are Richard II, Richard III, and Henry V.
• William Shakespeare was a multi-talented individual who accomplished writing several kinds of plays, sonnets, short stories, verses, and he even was a well-known stage actor.
• William Shakespeare died on the 23rd day of April, in the year 1616.
• He died at the age of fifty-two in his hometown Stratford-upon-Avon, Warwickshire, England.

FAQ’s on William Shakespeare Essay

Question 1. Was Shakespeare born to a poor family?

Answer:  No, on the contrary, he was born in a very well-to-do family.

Question 2.  Which genre of plays did Shakespeare write in his last few years?

Answer: Tragicomedies.

Question 3.  Where did William Shakespeare die?

Answer: Stratford.

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Home — Essay Samples — Literature — Writers — William Shakespeare

Essays on William Shakespeare

What makes a good william shakespeare essay topic.

When it comes to crafting an exceptional essay on the works of William Shakespeare, the choice of topic is paramount. The right topic can breathe life into your essay, making it captivating, unique, and unforgettable. Here are some innovative tips to help you brainstorm and select an essay topic that will mesmerize your readers:

- Research and Immerse Yourself: Begin by immersing yourself in the vast repertoire of William Shakespeare's works. Dive into his plays, poems, and sonnets. This deep exploration will provide you with invaluable insights into his themes, characters, and writing style.

- Personal Passion: Opt for a topic that ignites a genuine spark of interest within you. When you are truly passionate about the subject matter, it will shine through in your writing, captivating your readers and making your essay more compelling.

- Unveiling the Unexplored: Seek out uncharted territory and lesser-known aspects of Shakespeare's works. Instead of treading the well-worn path of common themes or characters, venture into the hidden gems that lie within his literature.

- Contemporary Connections: Explore the relevance of Shakespeare's works in today's society and connect them to modern-day issues. Examining the timeless themes and their impact on the present can render your essay thought-provoking and engaging.

- Characters and Relationships Under the Microscope: Shakespeare's characters are multifaceted and intricate. Choose a topic that allows you to analyze their motivations, relationships, or character development within his plays.

- Comparative Analysis: Engage in a comparative exploration of Shakespeare's works alongside other literary pieces, historical events, or even contemporary movies or plays. This fresh perspective will make your essay stand out from the crowd.

- Social and Cultural Context: Delve into the social and cultural milieu that shaped Shakespeare's plays. Discuss how his works were influenced by the Elizabethan era and how they mirror the society of that time.

- Unveiling Symbolism and Imagery: Shakespeare's works are a treasure trove of symbolism and vivid imagery. Select a topic that allows you to analyze and interpret these literary devices, offering profound insights into the text.

- Controversial Contemplations: Shakespeare fearlessly explored contentious themes such as power, love, and morality. Choose a topic that tackles these provocative issues, sparking a lively debate among your readers.

- Unconventional Interpretations: Present a fresh and unconventional interpretation of a particular play, scene, or character. Challenge conventional ideas and encourage critical thinking with your unique perspective.

Remember, a remarkable Shakespeare essay topic should be captivating, original, and thought-provoking. By considering these recommendations, you will be able to select a topic that will enrapture your readers and showcase your exceptional analytical skills.

Essay Topic Ideas for William Shakespeare

Prepare to be dazzled by these outstanding essay topics on William Shakespeare:

• The Empowerment of Women in Shakespeare's Tragedies
• Fate and Its Grip on Romeo and Juliet
• The Fine Line Between Madness and Sanity in Hamlet
• Love's Intricacies and Deception in Much Ado About Nothing
• Unraveling the Allure of Power and Ambition in Macbeth
• Exploring the Dark Depths of Evil in Othello
• Shakespeare's Brave Confrontation of Racism in The Merchant of Venice
• The Mighty Influence of Language and Wordplay in A Midsummer Night's Dream
• Revenge and Justice Collide in Titus Andronicus
• The Greek Mythology Odyssey within Shakespeare's Plays
• The Symbolic Tapestry of Nature in King Lear
• Gender Roles and Identity in Twelfth Night
• Time's Elusive Spell in The Tempest
• The Supernatural's Sinister Dance in Macbeth
• The Illusion of Appearance versus the Reality of Truth in Measure for Measure
• The Complexities of Love's Dominion in Antony and Cleopatra
• The Intricate Weaving of Politics in Julius Caesar
• Jealousy's Venomous Touch in Othello
• The Struggle between Duty and Desire in Hamlet
• A Profound Exploration of Human Nature in Troilus and Cressida

Provocative Questions for Your William Shakespeare Essay

Prepare to embark on an intellectual journey with these thought-provoking essay questions on William Shakespeare:

• How does Shakespeare challenge traditional gender roles in his plays?
• What is the significance of the supernatural elements in Macbeth?
• How does Shakespeare explore the theme of power and its corrupting influence in his tragedies?
• Analyze the portrayal of love and relationships in Shakespeare's comedies.
• To what extent does fate play a role in Romeo and Juliet, and are the characters responsible for their own destinies?
• Discuss the concept of madness and its impact on the characters in Hamlet.
• How does Shakespeare employ symbolism and imagery to convey his themes in The Tempest?
• Analyze the role of loyalty and betrayal in Julius Caesar.
• How does Othello's race affect the outcome of the play?
• Discuss the portrayal of revenge in Shakespeare's plays.

Creative William Shakespeare Essay Prompts

Ignite your creativity with these captivating essay prompts on William Shakespeare:

• Imagine you are a director staging a modern adaptation of one of Shakespeare's plays. How would you interpret the setting, costumes, and overall production to make it relevant to a contemporary audience?
• Write a heartfelt letter from one of Shakespeare's characters to another, expressing their deepest desires, fears, or regrets.
• Create a powerful monologue from the perspective of a minor character in any of Shakespeare's plays, unveiling their untold story or hidden emotions.
• Write a riveting dialogue between Shakespeare and a modern-day playwright, discussing the enduring appeal and relevance of his works.
• Imagine you are a literary critic tasked with analyzing a previously undiscovered Shakespearean sonnet. Interpret its meaning and discuss its significance within the context of his other works.

William Shakespeare Essay FAQ

Q: How should I begin my essay on William Shakespeare?

A: Commence with a captivating introduction that sets the stage for your essay and introduces your thesis statement. You can start with a compelling quote, an intriguing fact, or a thought-provoking question.

Q: Can I choose a lesser-known play by Shakespeare as my essay topic?

A: Absolutely! Exploring lesser-known plays can provide a fresh perspective, allowing you to delve into unexplored themes and characters. Just ensure that you provide enough context and background information for your readers.

Q: Should I include direct quotes from Shakespeare's works in my essay?

A: Including quotes can enhance your analysis and provide evidence to support your arguments. However, make sure to seamlessly integrate and analyze the quotes, rather than using them as mere filler.

Q: Can I incorporate modern examples or references in my essay on Shakespeare?

A: Yes, incorporating modern examples or references can help readers connect with the themes and relevance of Shakespeare's works. Just ensure that the examples are relevant and enhance your analysis, rather than overshadowing it.

Q: How can I make my Shakespeare essay stand out from others?

A: To make your essay shine, choose a unique and thought-provoking topic, offer fresh interpretations, and employ engaging language and writing style. Support your arguments with evidence and provide a well-structured analysis.

Remember, writing a Shakespeare essay is an opportunity to showcase your critical thinking and analytical skills. Embark on a thrilling journey through the world of Shakespeare and let your creativity illuminate your writing!

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April 1564, Stratford-upon-Avon, United Kingdom - April 23, 1616, Stratford-upon-Avon, United Kingdom

Playwright, Poet, Actor

English Renaissance

Romeo and Juliet, Hamlet, Macbeth, Othello, A Midsummer Night's Dream, Julius Caesar, The Tempest, Much Ado About Nothing,Twelfth Night, Macbeth, etc.

William Shakespeare, widely regarded as one of the greatest playwrights in history, possessed a unique and influential style of writing. His works demonstrate a mastery of language, poetic devices, and dramatic techniques that continue to captivate audiences centuries later. Shakespeare's writing style can be characterized by several distinctive features. Firstly, his use of language is rich and vibrant. He employed a vast vocabulary and crafted elaborate sentences, often employing complex wordplay and puns to create layers of meaning. Shakespeare's writing is renowned for its poetic beauty, rhythmic verse, and memorable lines that have become ingrained in the English language. Secondly, Shakespeare excelled in character development. His characters are multidimensional, with complex emotions and motivations. Through their soliloquies and dialogues, he explores the depths of human nature, delving into themes of love, jealousy, ambition, and morality. Each character's speech and mannerisms reflect their unique personality, contributing to the depth and realism of his plays. Lastly, Shakespeare's dramatic structure and storytelling techniques are unparalleled. He skillfully weaves together intricate plots, incorporating elements of comedy, tragedy, romance, and history. His plays feature dramatic tension, unexpected twists, and powerful climaxes that keep audiences engaged and emotionally invested.

One of Shakespeare's major contributions was his ability to delve into the depths of human emotions and the complexities of the human condition. Through his plays, he explored themes such as love, jealousy, ambition, revenge, and moral dilemmas, offering profound insights into the human psyche. His characters, like Hamlet, Macbeth, Juliet, and Othello, are iconic and have become archetypes in literature. Shakespeare's language and wordplay revolutionized English literature. He introduced new words, phrases, and expressions that have become an integral part of the English lexicon. His plays are a testament to his mastery of language, employing poetic techniques such as metaphors, similes, alliteration, and iambic pentameter to create rhythm, beauty, and depth in his writing. Moreover, Shakespeare's plays transcended the boundaries of time and place, showcasing universal themes and resonating with audiences across cultures and generations. His works continue to be performed and adapted in various forms, including stage productions, films, and literary adaptations, further solidifying his contribution to the world of literature.

Film Adaptations: Many of Shakespeare's plays have been adapted into films, bringing his stories to life on the silver screen. Notable examples include Franco Zeffirelli's "Romeo and Juliet" (1968), Kenneth Branagh's "Henry V" (1989), and Baz Luhrmann's modernized version of "Romeo + Juliet" (1996). TV Series and Episodes: Shakespeare's works have been featured in TV series and episodes, either through direct adaptations or by incorporating his themes and characters. For instance, the popular TV show "The Simpsons" has parodied Shakespeare in episodes like "A Midsummer's Nice Dream" and "Tales from the Public Domain." Shakespearean-Inspired Films: Some films draw inspiration from Shakespeare's works without being direct adaptations. Examples include "Shakespeare in Love" (1998), which explores the fictionalized romance between Shakespeare and a noblewoman, and "10 Things I Hate About You" (1999), a modern-day adaptation of "The Taming of the Shrew." Literary References: Shakespeare is often referenced in literature, showcasing his enduring influence. For instance, Aldous Huxley's dystopian novel "Brave New World" features characters who quote Shakespeare, and Margaret Atwood's "The Handmaid's Tale" includes a clandestine resistance group called "Mayday," derived from "May Day" in Shakespeare's "The Tempest."

1. Shakespeare is known for writing 39 plays, including tragedies like "Hamlet," comedies like "A Midsummer Night's Dream," and histories like "Henry V." 2. Shakespeare is credited with introducing over 1,700 words to the English language, including popular terms such as "eyeball," "fashionable," and "lonely." 3. Shakespeare's works have been translated into more than 80 languages, making him one of the most widely translated playwrights in history. 4. Shakespeare's plays continue to be performed and studied worldwide, with an estimated 17,000 performances of his works every year. 5. Despite his literary fame, little is known about Shakespeare's personal life. There are gaps and uncertainties surrounding his birthdate, education, and even the authorship of his works. 6. The Globe Theatre: Shakespeare's plays were performed at the famous Globe Theatre in London, which he co-owned. The reconstructed Globe Theatre stands in London today and offers modern audiences a glimpse into the world of Elizabethan theatre. 7. In addition to his plays, Shakespeare wrote 154 sonnets, which are celebrated for their lyrical beauty and exploration of themes such as love, time, and mortality.

William Shakespeare is an essential topic for essay writing due to his immense significance in the world of literature and his enduring influence on various aspects of human culture. Exploring Shakespeare's works provides a rich opportunity to delve into themes of love, tragedy, power, and human nature. His plays and sonnets continue to captivate readers and audiences with their universal themes and timeless relevance. Studying Shakespeare allows us to gain a deeper understanding of the English language itself, as he contributed numerous words and phrases that are still in use today. Additionally, his innovative use of language, poetic techniques, and complex characterizations showcase his unparalleled mastery as a playwright. Furthermore, Shakespeare's impact extends beyond literature. His works have been adapted into numerous films, theater productions, and other art forms, making him a cultural icon. His plays also provide a valuable lens through which to analyze historical and social contexts, as they reflect the values, beliefs, and conflicts of the Elizabethan era.

"All that glitters is not gold." "By the pricking of my thumbs, Something wicked this way comes. Open, locks, Whoever knocks!" In William Shakespeare's Hamlet, "to be, or not to be, that is the question." In the 21st century, "to code, or not to code, that is the challenge.

1. Shakespeare, W., Shakespeare, W., & Kaplan, M. L. (2002). The merchant of Venice (pp. 25-120). Palgrave Macmillan US. (https://link.springer.com/chapter/10.1007/978-1-137-07784-4_2) 2. Shakespeare, W. (2019). The tempest. In One-Hour Shakespeare (pp. 137-194). Routledge. (https://www.taylorfrancis.com/chapters/edit/10.4324/9780429262647-9/tempest-william-shakespeare) 3. Johnson, S. (2020). The Preface to The Plays of William Shakespeare (1765). In Samuel Johnson (pp. 423-462). Yale University Press. (https://www.degruyter.com/document/doi/10.12987/9780300258004-040/html?lang=de) 4. Denvir, J. (1986). William Shakespeare and the Jurisprudence of Comedy. Stan. L. Rev., 39, 825. (https://heinonline.org/HOL/LandingPage?handle=hein.journals/stflr39&div=38&id=&page=) 5. Demmen, J. (2020). Issues and challenges in compiling a corpus of early modern English plays for comparison with those of William Shakespeare. ICAME Journal, 44(1), 37-68. (https://sciendo.com/article/10.2478/icame-2020-0002) 6. Liu, X., Xu, A., Liu, Z., Guo, Y., & Akkiraju, R. (2019, May). Cognitive learning: How to become william shakespeare. In Extended Abstracts of the 2019 CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems (pp. 1-6). (https://dl.acm.org/doi/abs/10.1145/3290607.3312844) 7. Xu, W., Ritter, A., Dolan, W. B., Grishman, R., & Cherry, C. (2012, December). Paraphrasing for style. In Proceedings of COLING 2012 (pp. 2899-2914). (https://aclanthology.org/C12-1177.pdf) 8. Craig, H. (2012). George Chapman, John Davies of Hereford, William Shakespeare, and" A Lover's Complaint". Shakespeare Quarterly, 63(2), 147-174. (https://www.jstor.org/stable/41679745) 9. Zhao, Y., & Zobel, J. (2007, January). Searching with style: Authorship attribution in classic literature. In Proceedings of the thirtieth Australasian conference on Computer science-Volume 62 (pp. 59-68). (https://citeseerx.ist.psu.edu/document?repid=rep1&type=pdf&doi=3973ff27eb173412ce532c8684b950f4cd9b0dc8)

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A Guide To Writing Shakespeare Essays, Including Pitfalls & Tips

William Shakespeare is undoubtedly one of the most significant personalities of the world and culture in particular. This dramatist is considered to be an inventor of literary English language, an inventor of modern theater, and the greatest poet in the history of England. Starting in the 15th century, Shakespeare’s poems and plays have been published in a lot of countries and translated into almost all languages of the world. It is no wonder that students have to write a Shakespeare essay despite their disciplines and specialization. The assignments vary. You might get a task to analyze the sonnets or a play of a famous playwright and writer, write a book report, or say some words about his life in a Shakespeare biography essay. No matter what is your writing about, experts from  ProHighGrades  collected some ideas and essential tips that will help.

How to Write a Shakespeare Biography Essay

If you are to write essays about the background of a great author, you need to know his biography, and the peculiarities of the time he lived in. Here are some ideas:

• Describe the town he was born and lived. Stratford-upon-Avon was a small English town, and his family was among the noble ones. You can analyze the primal education and the reasons to move to London.
• Literature resources give a little knowledge of young Shakespeare. No one knows the real day of birth. The authors know he was baptized in April. History did not save much about his school or university education. The period which starts in the year 1585 and finishes in 1593 is called “the lost years of Shakespeare.” An excellent attempt to analyze and make suggestions concerning his real life and a search for additional facts will amaze the professors.
• You can analyze the relationship between Shakespeare and other people. Some works and pages contain suggestions about his love, friends, etc. A good Shakespeare biography essay will try to study the stories related to the company surrounding him. Study the writers he mailed.
• Finally, his last years and death are covered in mystery as well. You can try to find a reason why Shakespeare left a big part of his property to his daughter Susanna. Write about a real reason to move back to Stratford.

A good story about a simple man, people to follow him, the political and historical circumstances and terms, the rights of a human of Shakespeare’s society, popular suggestions, and references to his biography from other sources deserve to appear in an excellent Shakespeare essay.

How to Write an Essay About Shakespeare’s Works

Everybody read the author. Students compose tons of writings, where they give information about his collection of works. In order to claim some originality and score free points on exclusiveness, you need to consider many things:

• All the essays about Shakespeare’s literature are written. People wrote about the classic plays after his sonnet or plots. Scholars read, search, and research the significance of his works in almost every paper. You need something contemporary. New plays and interpretations of the texts appear today (for example, a fresh Hamlet play with Benedict Cumberbatch). New movies come from Hollywood and other countries. Take them into account. Many original Shakespeare essay topics are reserved for you
• If you are in despair, choose a way that worked for centuries. Analyze the title of a particular poem or play. A Midsummer Night’s Dream , the plays entitled by names ( Romeo and Juliet , Macbeth , Much Ado About Nothing and others are a reason to write a good, short essay about William Shakespeare.
• A good idea is to analyze the characters of Shakespeare. His plays are not all full of action, but characters are deep. Conflicts, emotions, experience, and background stand behind every one. To make a Shakespeare paper better, reading work is not enough. Try to watch the performance of actors from plays and movies. Usually, they do not make an exact copy of the text but bring the new interpretation.
• Good Shakespeare essay examples choose famous critics for referencing. A catchy quote or a properly referenced idea will make your essay worth money and effort. Remember that the question you ask in the Shakespeare paper must find its answer despite the length of a paper, and a number of essay pages needed.
• Adjust your essay to a discipline. In every Shakespeare text, you can find something for a history, sociology, culture, linguistics, psychology, arts, mythology, and literature essay.

Shakespeare was not a simple person and now has a truly global identity. His impact on his and further times are great. Many people study him, and increasingly significant numbers will no doubt do so in the future. You can also count on the guys from EditProofRead to check out your paper to make sure it’s good.

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Essay on William Shakespeare

William Shakespeare, often referred to simply as “The Bard,” is a name that has resonated through the ages. Born in 1564 in Stratford-upon-Avon, England, Shakespeare is widely regarded as one of the greatest playwrights and poets in the history of literature. In this essay, we will explore the enduring significance of William Shakespeare, showcasing how his timeless works have left an indelible mark on the world of literature, theater, and even our everyday language.

A Literary Pioneer

William Shakespeare’s impact on literature is immeasurable. He penned numerous plays and sonnets that have continued to captivate readers and audiences for over four centuries. His literary creations are a testament to his remarkable storytelling skills. One of his most famous plays, “Romeo and Juliet,” is a tale of tragic love that has been adapted into countless movies, books, and plays. His ability to craft compelling characters and stories is unparalleled.

A Master of Words

Shakespeare’s mastery of language is legendary. He introduced thousands of words and phrases to the English language, many of which are still in use today. Expressions like “break the ice,” “all’s well that ends well,” and “star-crossed lovers” all originated from Shakespeare’s writings. His eloquent use of words and poetic verses continues to inspire poets and writers around the world.

Universal Themes

Shakespeare’s works are known for exploring universal themes that resonate with people of all ages and backgrounds. Whether it’s themes of love, jealousy, ambition, or the human condition, Shakespeare’s plays and sonnets continue to provide valuable insights into the complexities of life. For example, in “Hamlet,” he delves into the theme of revenge and the moral dilemmas it poses. Such themes remain relevant and thought-provoking to this day.

A Window into History

Shakespeare’s plays also serve as a window into the past, offering a glimpse into the culture, society, and politics of his time. For instance, in “Macbeth,” he explores the consequences of unchecked ambition, reflecting the political intrigue and power struggles of the Renaissance era. Studying his works allows us to better understand the historical context of the Elizabethan period.

Global Influence

The influence of William Shakespeare extends far beyond the borders of England. His works have been translated into virtually every language, making him a truly global figure in literature. Shakespearean plays are performed in theaters worldwide, from the iconic Globe Theatre in London to stages in Tokyo, New York, and Johannesburg. His ability to connect with people from diverse cultures underscores the universality of his themes and characters.

Conclusion of Essay on William Shakespeare

In conclusion, William Shakespeare’s legacy is firmly entrenched in the annals of literature and culture. Furthermore, his contributions to the world of words, his exploration of timeless themes, and his enduring global appeal make him an icon of unparalleled significance. Additionally, his works continue to enrich our lives, challenge our intellects, and ignite our imaginations. Moreover, as we reflect on the enduring genius of William Shakespeare, we are reminded that his words, like his legacy, are everlasting.

In a world where change is constant, William Shakespeare’s literary and linguistic contributions remain a constant source of inspiration. Consequently, his timeless works serve as a reminder that great literature knows no bounds and can transcend generations, leaving an indelible mark on the world. In essence, William Shakespeare, the Bard of Avon, continues to shine brightly as a beacon of creativity, imagination, and the enduring power of words.

Also Check: Simple Guide on How To Write An Essay

Essay on Shakespeare

Students are often asked to write an essay on Shakespeare in their schools and colleges. And if you’re also looking for the same, we have created 100-word, 250-word, and 500-word essays on the topic.

Let’s take a look…

100 Words Essay on Shakespeare

Who was shakespeare.

William Shakespeare was an English playwright, poet, and actor. Born in 1564 in Stratford-upon-Avon, England, he is often regarded as the greatest writer in the English language.

Shakespeare’s Works

Shakespeare wrote 39 plays, 154 sonnets, and two long narrative poems. His works include tragedies like “Romeo and Juliet”, comedies like “A Midsummer Night’s Dream”, and histories like “Henry V”.

Shakespeare’s Influence

Shakespeare’s works have had a profound impact on literature worldwide. His plays are performed more often than those of any other playwright, showing his enduring popularity and influence.

250 Words Essay on Shakespeare

Introduction.

William Shakespeare, often referred to as the ‘Bard of Avon’, is a colossal figure in the realm of literature. His profound influence extends beyond the boundaries of English literature, permeating various cultures and languages worldwide.

Language and Style

Shakespeare’s language, characterized by its richness and inventiveness, is one of the most distinctive aspects of his work. He had an uncanny ability to coin new words and phrases, many of which are still in use today. His use of iambic pentameter and blank verse added a rhythmic quality to his plays, enhancing their dramatic effect.

Influence and Legacy

Shakespeare’s influence is evident in various spheres of human endeavor. His works have inspired countless adaptations in literature, film, and theater. The psychological depth of his characters and the universality of his themes make his works timeless, resonating with audiences even today.

In conclusion, Shakespeare’s enduring legacy lies in his ability to capture the essence of the human condition in all its complexity and diversity. His works continue to be a source of inspiration, offering a mirror to our own lives and times.

500 Words Essay on Shakespeare

William Shakespeare, often referred to as the ‘Bard of Avon,’ is undoubtedly one of the most influential figures in English literature. His timeless works have transcended cultural and linguistic barriers, becoming an integral part of global literary heritage.

Shakespeare’s Life and Times

Born in 1564 in Stratford-upon-Avon, England, Shakespeare’s life was one of humble beginnings that would later become steeped in literary greatness. His early education, though not well-documented, is believed to have provided him with a grounding in Latin and the classics, which would later influence his works. He married Anne Hathaway at the age of 18, with whom he had three children.

Shakespeare’s use of language is one of his most distinguishing features. He had a remarkable ability to blend the poetic with the prosaic, the sublime with the ordinary. His works are filled with innovative metaphors, puns, and coinages. He is credited with introducing about 1,700 words to the English language, many of which are still in use today.

Themes in Shakespeare’s Works

Shakespeare’s works are characterized by universal themes that continue to resonate with audiences today. Love, jealousy, power, ambition, betrayal, and the human condition are recurring motifs in his plays. His deep understanding of human psychology, coupled with his ability to weave complex narratives, has made his works timeless.

In conclusion, William Shakespeare’s impact on literature and culture is undeniable. His works, filled with rich language, complex characters, and universal themes, continue to captivate and inspire. His legacy is a testament to the enduring power of literature and its ability to transcend time and space. Shakespeare, indeed, is not of an age but for all time.

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Biography Online

Short Biography William Shakespeare

Short bio of William Shakespeare

William Shakespeare was born in Stratford-upon-Avon on 23rd April 1564.

His father William was a successful local businessman, and his mother Mary was the daughter of a landowner. Relatively prosperous, it is likely the family paid for Williams education, although there is no evidence he attended university.

In 1582 William, aged only 18, married an older woman named Anne Hathaway. They had three children, Susanna, Hamnet and Juliet. Their only son Hamnet died aged just 11.

Due to some well-timed investments, Shakespeare was able to secure a firm financial background, leaving time for writing and acting. The best of these investments was buying some real estate near Stratford in 1605, which soon doubled in value.

It seemed Shakespeare didn’t mind being absent from his family – he only returned home during Lent when all the theatres were closed. It is thought that during the 1590s he wrote the majority of his sonnets. This was a time of prolific writing and his plays developed a good deal of interest and controversy. His early plays were mainly comedies (e.g. Much Ado about Nothing , A Midsummer’s Night Dream ) and histories (e.g. Henry V )

By the early Seventeenth Century, Shakespeare had begun to write plays in the genre of tragedy. These plays, such as Hamlet , Othello and King Lear , often hinge on some fatal error or flaw in the lead character and provide fascinating insights into the darker aspects of human nature. These later plays are considered Shakespeare’s finest achievements.

When writing an introduction to Shakespeare’s First Folio of published plays in 1623, Johnson wrote of Shakespeare:

“not of an age, but for all time”

Shakespeare the Poet

William Shakespeare wrote 154 sonnets mostly in the 1590s. These short poems, deal with issues such as lost love. His sonnets have an enduring appeal due to his formidable skill with language and words.

“Let me not to the marriage of true minds Admit impediments. Love is not love Which alters when it alteration finds, Or bends with the remover to remove:”

– Sonnet CXVI

The Plays of Shakespeare

The plays of Shakespeare have been studied more than any other writing in the English language and have been translated into numerous languages. He was rare as a play-write for excelling in tragedies, comedies and histories. He deftly combined popular entertainment with an extraordinary poetic capacity for expression which is almost mantric in quality.

 “This above all: to thine ownself be true, And it must follow, as the night the day, Thou canst not then be false to any man. Farewell: my blessing season this in thee!”

– Lord Polonius, Hamlet Act I, Scene 3

During his lifetime, Shakespeare was not without controversy, but he also received lavish praise for his plays which were very popular and commercially successful.

His plays have retained an enduring appeal throughout history and the world. Some of his most popular plays include:

• Twelfth Night
• Romeo and Juliet

“All the world’s a stage, and all the men and women merely players: they have their exits and their entrances; and one man in his time plays many parts…”

Death of Shakespeare

Shakespeare died in 1616; it is not clear how he died, and numerous suggestions have been put forward. John Ward, the local vicar of Holy Trinity Church in Stratford (where Shakespeare is buried), writes in a diary account that:

“Shakespeare, Drayton, and Ben Jonson had a merry meeting and it seems drank too hard, for Shakespeare died of a fever there contracted.”

In 1616, there was an outbreak of typhus (“The new fever”) which may have been the cause. The average life expectancy of someone born in London, England in the Sixteenth Century was about 35 years old, Shakespeare died age 52.

Was Shakespeare really Shakespeare?

Some academics, known as the “Oxfords,” claim that Shakespeare never actually wrote any plays. They contend Shakespeare was actually just a successful businessman, and for authorship suggest names such as Edward de Vere, the 17th Earl of Oxford .  Arguments have also been made for Francis Bacon . The argument that Shakespeare was actually the Earl of Oxford relies on circumstantial evidence and similarities in his writing style and relationships between his life and the play of Shakespeare. 

However, there is no hard evidence tying the Earl of Oxford to the theatre or writing the scripts.  By contrast, there is evidence of William Shakespeare working in theatres and he received a variety of criticism from people such as Ben Johnson and Robert Greene. Also, the Earl of Oxford died in 1604, and it is generally agreed there were 12 plays published after this date. (Oxfords contend these plays were finished by other writers.)

It is also hard to believe the vain Earl of Oxford (who killed one of his own servants) would write such amazing scripts and then be happy with anonymity. Also, to maintain anonymity, it would also require the co-operation of numerous family members and other figures in the theatre world. The theory of other writers to Shakespeare only emerged centuries after the publishing of the First Folio.

Shakespeare’s Epitaph

Good friend for Jesus sake forbeare To digg the dust encloased heare Blessed by y man y spares hes stones And curst be he y moves my bones

– More interesting facts on Shakespeare

Quotes on Shakespeare

“Shakespeare, no mere child of nature; no automaton of genius; no passive vehicle of inspiration possessed by the spirit, not possessing it; first studied patiently, meditated deeply, understood minutely, till knowledge became habitual and intuitive, wedded itself to his habitual feelings, and at length gave birth to that stupendous power by which he stands alone, with no equal or second in his own class; to that power which seated him on one of the two glorysmitten summits of the poetic mountain, with Milton’s his compeer, not rival.”

– Samuel Taylor Coleridge , Biographia Literaria (1817)

Citation: Pettinger, Tejvan . “Biography of William Shakespeare”, Oxford, www.biographyonline.net , 18th May 2006. Last updated 1 March 2019.

Popular quotes of Shakespeare

“This above all: to thine own self be true, And it must follow, as the night the day, Thou canst not then be false to any man.”

– Polonius, giving Laertes a pep talk. ( Hamlet )

“To be, or not to be: that is the question Whether ’tis nobler in the mind to suffer The slings and arrows of outrageous fortune, Or to take arms against a sea of troubles, And by opposing end them. To die: to sleep;”

– Hamlet

“There are more things in heaven and earth, Horatio, Than are dreamt of in our philosophy.”

– Hamlet (to Horatio on seeing a ghost)

“We are such stuff As dreams are made on, and our little life Is rounded with a sleep.”

– The Tempest (Prospero)

The fault, dear Brutus, is not in our stars, But in ourselves, that we are underlings.”

Julius Caesar (Cassius to Brutus)

“Life’s but a walking shadow, a poor player That struts and frets his hour upon the stage, And then is heard no more. It is a tale Told by an idiot, full of sound and fury, Signifying nothing.”

– Macbeth (on learning of the death of Queen)

“There is nothing either good or bad, but thinking makes it so.”

— Hamlet in Hamlet

“Self-love, my liege, is not so vile a sin, as self-neglecting.”

—Dauphin in Henry V

“Our doubts are traitors, And make us lose the good we oft might win, By fearing to attempt.”

—Lucio in Measure for Measure

The Oxford Shakespeare: The Complete Works 2nd Edition

The Oxford Shakespeare: The Complete Works 2nd Edition at Amazon

Shakespeare: The Biography

Shakespeare: The Biography at Amazon

Related pages

Other Biographies and Resources on Shakespeare

• Jokes about Shakespeare
• Facts about Shakespeare
• Popular poems of William Shakespeare
• Shakespeare at BBC

Essay Curve

Essay on William Shakespeare – 10 Lines, 100 to 1500 Words

Essay on William Shakespeare: William Shakespeare is widely regarded as one of the greatest playwrights in history, with his works still being performed and studied over 400 years after his death. In this essay, we will explore the life, works, and impact of this literary genius. From his iconic plays like Romeo and Juliet and Hamlet to his sonnets that continue to captivate readers, Shakespeare’s influence on literature and culture is undeniable. Join us as we delve into the world of William Shakespeare and uncover the enduring legacy of his work.

Table of Contents

William Shakespeare Essay Writing Tips

1. Start by introducing William Shakespeare and his significance in the world of literature. Mention his reputation as one of the greatest playwrights in history and his enduring influence on the English language.

2. Provide a brief overview of Shakespeare’s life, including his early years in Stratford-upon-Avon, his marriage to Anne Hathaway, and his career as a playwright in London.

3. Discuss Shakespeare’s writing style, including his use of poetic language, complex characters, and intricate plots. Mention some of his most famous works, such as “Romeo and Juliet,” “Hamlet,” and “Macbeth.”

4. Analyze Shakespeare’s themes and motifs, such as love, jealousy, power, and fate. Discuss how these themes are still relevant today and have been explored in countless adaptations and interpretations of his plays.

5. Explore the historical context in which Shakespeare wrote, including the political and social issues of his time. Discuss how his plays reflect the concerns and values of Elizabethan England.

6. Examine Shakespeare’s impact on the English language, including his creation of new words and phrases that are still in use today. Discuss how his plays have shaped the way we speak and write.

7. Consider the controversy surrounding Shakespeare’s authorship, including theories that suggest he may not have written all of the plays attributed to him. Discuss the evidence for and against these theories and how they have influenced our understanding of Shakespeare’s work.

8. Reflect on Shakespeare’s legacy and why his plays continue to be performed and studied around the world. Discuss how his works have been adapted into films, television shows, and other forms of media.

9. Conclude by summarizing the key points of your essay and reiterating the importance of William Shakespeare’s writing in the world of literature. Encourage readers to explore his works and discover the timeless beauty and complexity of his plays.

Essay on William Shakespeare in 10 Lines – Examples

1. William Shakespeare was an English playwright, poet, and actor who is widely regarded as one of the greatest writers in the English language. 2. He was born in Stratford-upon-Avon in 1564 and died in 1616. 3. Shakespeare wrote a total of 39 plays, 154 sonnets, and two long narrative poems. 4. Some of his most famous plays include “Romeo and Juliet,” “Hamlet,” “Macbeth,” and “Othello.” 5. Shakespeare’s works are known for their complex characters, intricate plots, and rich language. 6. He is often referred to as the “Bard of Avon” and the “national poet of England.” 7. Shakespeare’s plays have been translated into every major language and are performed more often than those of any other playwright. 8. His influence on literature, theater, and the English language is immeasurable. 9. Shakespeare’s writing style is characterized by his use of poetic language, wordplay, and soliloquies. 10. His works continue to be studied, performed, and celebrated around the world, making him a timeless and enduring figure in literary history.

Sample Essay on William Shakespeare in 100-180 Words

William Shakespeare was a renowned English playwright, poet, and actor who is often regarded as one of the greatest writers in the English language. Born in Stratford-upon-Avon in 1564, Shakespeare’s works have had a lasting impact on literature and theater.

His plays, including tragedies like “Hamlet” and “Macbeth,” comedies like “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” and “Twelfth Night,” and histories like “Henry V” and “Richard III,” are still performed and studied around the world. Shakespeare’s use of language, complex characters, and exploration of universal themes such as love, jealousy, power, and betrayal continue to resonate with audiences today.

In addition to his plays, Shakespeare also wrote numerous sonnets that are celebrated for their beauty and emotional depth. His legacy as a writer and cultural icon endures, making him a timeless figure in the world of literature.

Short Essay on William Shakespeare in 200-500 Words

William Shakespeare is widely regarded as one of the greatest playwrights and poets in the English language. Born in Stratford-upon-Avon in 1564, Shakespeare’s works have had a profound impact on literature and culture for over four centuries. His plays, sonnets, and poems continue to be studied, performed, and enjoyed by audiences around the world.

Shakespeare’s plays are known for their complex characters, intricate plots, and timeless themes. His works span a wide range of genres, from tragedies like “Hamlet” and “Macbeth” to comedies like “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” and “Twelfth Night.” Shakespeare’s ability to capture the human experience in all its complexity has made his works enduringly popular.

In addition to his plays, Shakespeare is also known for his sonnets, a collection of 154 poems that explore themes of love, beauty, and mortality. Written in iambic pentameter, Shakespeare’s sonnets are celebrated for their lyrical beauty and emotional depth. They have inspired countless poets and writers over the centuries.

Shakespeare’s influence extends beyond the realm of literature. His works have been adapted into countless films, television shows, and stage productions. His characters, such as Romeo and Juliet, Othello, and King Lear, have become iconic figures in popular culture. Shakespeare’s language, too, has left an indelible mark on the English language, with phrases like “all that glitters is not gold” and “to be or not to be” still in common usage today.

Despite his enduring popularity, much about Shakespeare’s life remains shrouded in mystery. Scholars have debated the authorship of his works, with some even questioning whether Shakespeare himself wrote the plays attributed to him. However, the overwhelming consensus among historians and literary experts is that William Shakespeare was indeed the author of the works that bear his name.

In conclusion, William Shakespeare’s legacy as a playwright and poet is unparalleled. His works continue to captivate audiences with their timeless themes, complex characters, and lyrical beauty. Shakespeare’s influence can be seen in every corner of the literary world, from the stage to the screen to the page. As long as there are audiences eager to explore the depths of the human experience, Shakespeare’s works will continue to be cherished and celebrated for generations to come.

Essay on William Shakespeare in 1000-1500 Words

William Shakespeare is widely regarded as one of the greatest playwrights in history. His works have had a profound impact on literature, theater, and the English language as a whole. Born in 1564 in Stratford-upon-Avon, England, Shakespeare’s life and career have been the subject of much speculation and debate. Despite the lack of concrete evidence about many aspects of his life, his works have stood the test of time and continue to be studied and performed around the world.

Shakespeare’s early life is shrouded in mystery, with few details known about his upbringing and education. He likely attended the local grammar school in Stratford-upon-Avon, where he would have received a classical education in Latin and Greek. By the age of 18, he had married Anne Hathaway and had three children. Little is known about his activities during this time, but by the early 1590s, he had established himself as a playwright and actor in London.

Shakespeare’s career as a playwright began in the late 1580s and early 1590s, when he started writing for the Lord Chamberlain’s Men, a popular theater company in London. His early works, such as “Henry VI” and “Richard III,” were historical dramas that explored themes of power, politics, and betrayal. These plays were well-received by audiences and helped establish Shakespeare as a talented and versatile writer.

In the early 1590s, Shakespeare began writing comedies, such as “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” and “The Taming of the Shrew.” These plays were lighter in tone and focused on themes of love, marriage, and mistaken identity. They were popular with audiences and helped solidify Shakespeare’s reputation as a master of the comedic genre.

Shakespeare’s most famous works, however, are his tragedies. Plays such as “Hamlet,” “Othello,” “King Lear,” and “Macbeth” are considered some of the greatest works of literature ever written. These plays explore themes of ambition, jealousy, revenge, and the human condition. They are known for their complex characters, intricate plots, and powerful language.

One of the reasons Shakespeare’s works have endured for so long is his ability to tap into universal themes and emotions that resonate with audiences of all ages and backgrounds. His plays explore the depths of human experience, from the heights of love and joy to the depths of despair and tragedy. Shakespeare’s characters are complex and multi-dimensional, reflecting the complexities of the human psyche.

In addition to his plays, Shakespeare also wrote a number of sonnets, which are considered some of the greatest love poems in the English language. His sonnets explore themes of love, beauty, and mortality, and are known for their lyrical language and emotional depth. Shakespeare’s sonnets have been studied and analyzed for centuries, and continue to be admired for their beauty and complexity.

Shakespeare’s influence on the English language cannot be overstated. He is credited with coining hundreds of words and phrases that are still in use today, such as “eyeball,” “bedroom,” and “all’s well that ends well.” His plays and poems have also had a lasting impact on the development of English literature, influencing generations of writers and poets.

Despite his enduring popularity, there is still much that remains unknown about Shakespeare’s life and career. There is ongoing debate among scholars about the authorship of his works, with some theories suggesting that he may have been a front for another writer or group of writers. However, the majority of scholars agree that Shakespeare was the sole author of his plays and poems, based on the evidence of his writing style, themes, and language.

In conclusion, William Shakespeare is a towering figure in the world of literature and theater. His works have had a profound impact on the English language and continue to be studied and performed around the world. Despite the mysteries surrounding his life and career, his legacy as one of the greatest playwrights in history is secure. Shakespeare’s plays and poems continue to captivate audiences with their timeless themes, complex characters, and powerful language.

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Romeo And Juliet Essay for Students and Children

500+ words essay on romeo and juliet.

Romeo and Juliet is the most famous love tragedy written by William Shakespeare. This is a story of love and fate. Furthermore, the basis of this tragic love story is the Old Italian tale translated into English in the sixteenth century. The story is about two young star-crossed lovers whose death results in reconcile between their feuding families. Moreover, Romeo and Juliet is among the most frequently performed plays by Shakespeare .

Lessons of Love from Romeo and Juliet

First of all, Romeo and Juliet teach us that love is blind. Romeo and Juliet belonged to two influential families. Furthermore, these two families were engaged in a big feud among themselves. However, against all odds, Romeo and Juliet find each other and fall in love. Most noteworthy, they are blind to the fact that they are from rival families. They strive to be together in spite of the threat of hate between their families.

Another important lesson is that love brings out the best in us. Most noteworthy, Romeo and Juliet were very different characters by the end of the story than in the beginning. Romeo was suffering from depression before he met Juliet. Furthermore, Juliet was an innocent timid girl. Juliet was forced into marriage against her will by her parents. After falling in love, the personalities of these characters changed in positive ways. Romeo becomes a deeply passionate lover and Juliet becomes a confident woman.

Life without love is certainly not worth living. Later in the story, Romeo learns that his beloved Juliet is dead. At this moment Romeo felt a heart-shattering moment. Romeo then gets extremely sad and drinks poison. However, Juliet was alive and wakes up to see Romeo dead. Juliet then immediately decides to kill herself due to this massive heartbreak. Hence, both lovers believed that life without love is not worth living.

Get the huge list of more than 500 Essay Topics and Ideas

Legacy of Romeo and Juliet

Romeo and Juliet is one of Shakespeare’s most popular plays. Furthermore, the play was very popular even in Shakespeare’s lifetime. Scholar Gary Taylor believes it as the sixth most popular of Shakespeare’s plays. Moreover, Sir William Davenant of the Duke’s Company staged Romeo and Juliet in 1662. The earliest production of Romeo and Juliet was in North America on 23 March 1730.

There were professional performances of Romeo and Juliet in the mid-19th century. In 19th century America, probably the most elaborate productions of Romeo and Juliet took place. The first professional performance of the play in Japan seems to be George Crichton Miln’s company’s production in 1890. In the 20th century, Romeo and Juliet became the second most popular play behind Hamlet.

There have been at least 24 operas based on Romeo and Juliet. The best-known ballet version of this play is Prokofiev’s Romeo and Juliet. Most noteworthy, Romeo and Juliet have a huge impact on literature. Romeo and Juliet made romance as a worthy topic for tragedy. Before Romeo and Juliet, romantic tragedy was certainly unthinkable.

Romeo and Juliet are probably the most popular romantic fictional characters. They have been an inspiration for lovers around the world for centuries. Most noteworthy, the story depicts the struggle of the couple against a patriarchal society. People will always consider Romeo and Juliet as archetypal young lovers.

Q1 State any one lesson of love from Romeo and Juliet?

A1 One lesson of love from Romeo and Juliet is that love brings out the best in us.

Q2 What makes Romeo and Juliet unique in literature?

A2 Romeo and Juliet made romance as a worthy topic for tragedy. This is what makes it unique.

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William Shakespeare’s Important Works

Romeo and juliet (c. 1594–96).

Much Ado About Nothing (c. 1598–99)

Julius Caesar (c. 1599–1600)

Hamlet (c. 1599–1601)

King Lear (1605–06)

Macbeth (c. 1606–07)

Sonnets (1609)

The tempest (1611).

Shakespeare and the Essay

Essays: we’ve all written them, whether as school projects or as university assignments. (For those going through esay trauma, we’ve even compiled a list of some of our favourite tips for writing a good English Literature essay .) But where did the essay form come from? It was effectively invented by one man, the French writer Michel de Montaigne (usually known just by his surname): in 1580 he published a volume of 107 pieces on various subjects, and he labelled these pieces Essais (from the French meaning ‘trial’ or ‘test’). The word ‘essay’ is linked to the word ‘assay’, which refers to the weighing or testing of gold for quality.

The Oxford English Dictionary defines the essay as a ‘composition of moderate length on any particular subject, or branch of a subject; originally implying want of finish, “an irregular undigested piece” ([Doctor] Johnson), but now said of a composition more or less elaborate in style, though limited in range.’ In the wake of Montaigne, these short prose pieces took off: Francis Bacon became the first person to publish essays in English (1597), while Shakespeare’s contemporary, Ben Jonson, gave us the first recorded use of the word ‘essayist’ (1609).

Clearly, the late sixteenth and early seventeenth centuries witnessed the birth and growth of the essay form, although it didn’t really catch on in any meaningful sense until the likes of Dr Johnson took it up again in the eighteenth century. But the  arrival of the essay form was also the time of William Shakespeare , and numerous critics and literary historians have drawn a link between Shakespeare and the essay. Although the Bard never wrote essays, his work is suffused with the influence of this new form.

As James Shapiro points out in his acclaimed 2005 book 1599: A Year in the Life of William Shakespeare , something happens to Shakespeare’s soliloquies (that is, the monologues spoken by characters when left alone on the stage; usually a voicing of their innermost thoughts) around the turn of the sixteenth into the seventeenth century. This is also the time when Shakespeare most probably first encountered Montaigne’s essays. We see this in Hamlet , written around 1600-1. As Shapiro writes, ‘The breakthrough is one that Shakespeare might have arrived at sooner or later, but it was given tremendous impetus at the time that he was writing Hamlet by his interest in a new literary form: the essay.’ Shapiro goes on, ‘Shakespeare cared less about appropriating Montaigne’s language or philosophy than about exploring how essays – with their assertions, contradictions, reversals and abrupt shifts in subject matter and even confidence – captured a mind at work’. Indeed, Montaigne’s new form had such an impact in England that Ben Jonson even has a character in his play Volpone quip that English writers were stealing from poets ‘Almost as much as from Montaigne’.

We can see what we might call the ‘spirit of the essay’ in Shakespeare’s most famous soliloquy – Hamlet’s ‘To be, or not to be’ speech – in the way that Hamlet is chewing over the issue by considering the two opposing sides of the argument (should I die, or carry on?). The internal wrestling, turnabouts, contradictions, and disagreements which follow – ‘Ay, there’s the rub’ and so forth – exhibit all the classic hallmarks of the essay form as originated by Montaigne. So, next time you go to write an essay, mark one, or read one, remember that we may never have had half of Shakespeare’s greatest lines if the form had never been invented.

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William Shakespeare Biography

Who was william shakespeare.

• In this section

An Introduction

William Shakespeare was a renowned English poet, playwright, and actor born in 1564 in Stratford-upon-Avon . His birthday is most commonly celebrated on 23 April (see  When was Shakespeare born ), which is also believed to be the date he died in 1616.

Shakespeare was a prolific writer during the Elizabethan and Jacobean ages of British theatre (sometimes called the English Renaissance or the Early Modern Period). Shakespeare’s plays are perhaps his most enduring legacy, but they are not all he wrote. Shakespeare’s poems  also remain popular to this day. 

Shakespeare's Family Life

Records survive relating to  William Shakespeare’s family  that offer an understanding of the context of Shakespeare's early life and the lives of his family members. John Shakespeare married Mary Arden , and together they had eight children. John and Mary lost two daughters as infants, so William became their eldest child. John Shakespeare worked as a glove-maker, but he also became an important figure in the town of Stratford by fulfilling civic positions. His elevated status meant that he was even more likely to have sent his children, including William, to the local grammar school . 

William Shakespeare would have lived with his family in their house on Henley Street until he turned eighteen. When he was eighteen,  Shakespeare married Anne Hathaway , who was twenty-six. It was a rushed marriage because Anne was already pregnant at the time of the ceremony. Together they had three children. Their first daughter, Susanna , was born six months after the wedding and was later followed by twins  Hamnet and Judith . Hamnet died when he was just 11 years old.

• For an overview of William Shakespeare's life, see Shakespeare's Life: A Timeline

Shakespeare in London

Shakespeare's career jump-started in London, but when did he go there? We know Shakespeare's twins were baptised in 1585, and that by 1592 his reputation was established in London, but the intervening years are considered a mystery. Scholars generally refer to these years as ‘ The Lost Years ’.

During his time in London, Shakespeare’s first printed works were published. They were two long poems, 'Venus and Adonis' (1593) and 'The Rape of Lucrece' (1594). He also became a founding member of The Lord Chamberlain’s Men, a company of actors. Shakespeare was the company's regular dramatist, producing on average two plays a year, for almost twenty years. 

He remained with the company for the rest of his career, during which time it evolved into The King’s Men under the patronage of King James I (from 1603). During his time in the company Shakespeare wrote many of his most famous tragedies, such as King Lear and Macbeth , as well as great romances, like The Winter’s Tale and The Tempest . 

• For more about Shakespeare's patrons and his work in London see; Shakespeare's Career

Shakespeare's Works

Altogether  Shakespeare's works include 38 plays, 2 narrative poems, 154 sonnets, and a variety of other poems. No original manuscripts of Shakespeare's plays are known to exist today. It is actually thanks to a group of actors from Shakespeare's company that we have about half of the plays at all. They collected them for publication after Shakespeare died, preserving the plays. These writings were brought together in what is known as the First Folio ('Folio' refers to the size of the paper used). It contained 36 of his plays, but none of his poetry. 

Shakespeare’s legacy is as rich and diverse as his work; his plays have spawned countless adaptations across multiple genres and cultures. His plays have had an enduring presence on stage and film. His writings have been compiled in various iterations of The Complete Works of William Shakespeare, which include all of his plays, sonnets, and other poems. William Shakespeare continues to be one of the most important literary figures of the English language.

New Place; a home in Stratford-upon-Avon

Shakespeare’s success in the London theatres made him considerably wealthy, and by 1597 he was able to purchase  New Place ,   the largest house in the borough of  Stratford-upon-Avon . Although his professional career was spent in London, he maintained close links with his native town. 

Recent archaeological evidence discovered on the site of Shakespeare’s New Place shows that Shakespeare was only ever an intermittent lodger in London. This suggests he divided his time between Stratford and London (a two or three-day commute). In his later years, he may have spent more time in Stratford-upon-Avon than scholars previously thought.

• Watch our video for more about Shakespeare as a literary commuter:

On his father's death in 1601, William Shakespeare inherited the old family home in Henley Street part of which was then leased to tenants. Further property investments in Stratford followed, including the purchase of 107 acres of land in 1602.

Shakespeare died  in Stratford-upon-Avon on 23 April 1616 at the age of 52. He is buried in the sanctuary of the parish church, Holy Trinity.

All the world's a stage /And all the men and women merely players. / They have their exits and their entrances, / And one man in his time plays many parts. — As You Like It, Act 2 Scene 7

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William Shakespeare : The world’s pre-eminent dramatists.

Shakespeare is the world’s pre-eminent dramatists and is till date regarded as the greatest writer in the English language. It is because of the brilliance of Shakespeare’s writing skill that he was often called England’s National Poet and was also nicknamed as the Bard of Avon.

He was born in Stratford-upon-Avon to a successful businessman on 23rd April in the year 1564. Shakespeare’s mother was also from a well-to-do family for she was a landowner’s daughter. About the age of seven, William Shakespeare, along with other boys of his social class, started attending the Stratford Grammar School.

The teachers at Stratford were strict disciplinarians, and the school was conducted round the year for nine hours a day. William Shakespeare’s evident love for nature in his writings could be said to have been influenced by the fields and woods surrounding the Stratford Grammar School throughout his childhood.

Warwickshire was an exciting place to live in as the writer then also engaged in hunting and trap small game activities. It was because of the river Avon that ran down through the town was what endowed Shakespeare with the title ‘Bard of Avon’. It was at the age of eighteen when Shakespeare married Anne Hathaway, who was eight years older than him. They had three children named Susanna, and the twins Judith and Hamnet.

William Shakespeare’s career likely took off with his theatrical life in London, and by the year 1592, he is believed to have become very well known. By this time, Shakespeare had joined one of the famous theatre companies in the city. The theatre companies then used to consist of a permanent cast of actors who week after week presented plays. The acting companies in London that William Shakespeare belonged to was called ‘the Lord Chamberlain’s Men’ which scholars say to be one of the most popular acting companies of that time. These companies were commercial organizations which depended upon the admission from the audience who came to watch the play.

From the year 1594, Shakespeare was the leading member of the acting group for almost the entire rest of his career. By the year 1594, William Shakespeare had already produced at least six plays. In Shakespeare’s lifetime, two monarchs had ruled over England. The first monarch being Henry VIII and then later succeeding him Queen Elizabeth began her rule. Shakespeare’s work had caught both the monarchs’ attention, and this is what made him a well-known playwright.

It is evident that Shakespeare was a member of a well-known travelling theatre group and did plays in many places and the presence of many dignitaries. Shakespeare became one of the owners of the popular and prosperous Globe Theatre in the year 1599. By the year 1609, he also became the part-owner of the Black Friars Theatre.

Shakespeare, throughout his life, created brilliant pieces of English literate containing timeless characters with universal human qualities and struggles that readers find relatable to date. It was around 1613 when Shakespeare retired from this acting profession and settled in Stratford where he went on writing many excellent plays.

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