BIOGRAPHY:

William Shakespeare (English William Shakespeare; April 23, 1564, Stratford-upon-Avon, England – April 23, 1616, ibid.) – English playwright and poet.

Born into the family of a merchant and respectable townsman John Shakespeare. Shakespeare’s ancestors spent several centuries farming in the vicinity of Stratford. 1568-69 – the years of greatest prosperity for the family, followed by slow ruin. Around 1580, William had to leave school, which was excellent in Stratford, and start working. It is believed that, after leaving school, Shakespeare helped his father for some time as an apprentice. In November 1582 he married Anne Hathaway. Perhaps the marriage was forced: their first child, daughter Susan, was born in May of the following year. In February 1585, twins were born – a son, Hamnet, and a daughter, Judith. In the second half of the 1580s. Shakespeare leaves Stratford. The so-called “lost” or “dark years” are coming, about which nothing is known.

At the turn of the 1590s. Shakespeare comes to London. During these years, his first play was created – the chronicle “Henry VI”. Having become a fairly prominent figure, Shakespeare immediately received a jealous attack from one of the playwrights of the “university minds” group that reigned on the stage at that time, Robert Greene, who called him a “stage shaker” (a pun on Shakespeare’s surname: Shake-speare, that is, “spear shaker” “) and the crow that “dresses itself in our feathers” (an altered quote from “Henry VI”). This was the first surviving review.

The emergence of a new playwright:

In 1592-94 London theaters were closed due to the plague epidemic. During an involuntary pause, Shakespeare created several plays: the chronicle “Richard III”, “The Comedy of Errors” and “The Taming of the Shrew”, his first tragedy (still in the prevailing style of “bloody tragedy”) “Titus Andronicus”, and also published for the first time under his own name the poems “Venus and Adonis” and “Lucretia”. In 1594, after the opening of the theaters, Shakespeare joined the new cast of the Lord Chamberlain’s troupe, so named after the position of its patron Hunsdon. The “university minds” left the stage (died or stopped writing for the theater). The era of Shakespeare begins. Here is what one of his contemporaries F. Merez wrote in 1597: “Just as Plautus and Seneca were considered the best by the Romans in terms of comedy and tragedy, so Shakespeare among the English is the most excellent in both types of plays intended for the stage.” Creative takeoff. “Globe”

In the 1590s. (the period that is considered to be the first in Shakespeare’s work) Shakespeare creates all of his main chronicles as well as most of the comedies. In 1595-96, the tragedy “Romeo and Juliet” was written, followed by “The Merchant of Venice” – the first comedy that would later be called “serious”.

In the fall of 1599, the Globus Theater opened. Above the entrance are the winged words: “The whole world is a theater” (“Totus mundis agit histrionem”). Shakespeare is one of its co-owners, an actor of the troupe and the main playwright. In the year the Globe opened, he wrote the Roman tragedy “Julius Caesar” and the comedy “As You Like It,” which, with the development of melancholic characters, paved the way for “Hamlet,” created a year later. With his appearance, the period of “great tragedies” begins (1601-1606). These include Othello (1604), King Lear (1605), Macbeth (1606). The tone of the comedies now became more serious, and sometimes became even darker in such works as Troilus and Cressida (1601-1602), All’s Well That Ends Well (1603-1603), and Measure for Measure (1604).

Unexpected departure to Stratford:

On March 28, 1603, Queen Elizabeth dies. The English throne passes to James I, the son of the executed Mary Stuart, who inherits the crown of Scotland. The new king signs a patent, according to which he accepts the troupe of actors of the Lord Chamberlain under his highest patronage. From now on they will be called “the servants of His Majesty the King.” After 1606, the last period of Shakespeare’s creativity began, ending in 1613 with his departure to his native Stratford. At this time, tragedies based on ancient subjects were created (“Antony and Cleopatra”, “Coriolanus”, “Timon of Athens”, 1607-08). These were followed by later “romantic” plays, including The Winter’s Tale and The Tempest (1610-12).

The reason for the unexpected termination of such a successful career as a playwright and departure from the capital was, apparently, illness. In March 1616, Shakespeare draws up and signs a will, which will subsequently cause so much confusion about his identity, authorship and will become the reason for what will be called the “Shakespearean question.” It is generally accepted that Shakespeare died on the same day that he was born – April 23. Two days later, burial followed in the altar of the Church of the Holy Trinity on the outskirts of Stratford, in the registry of which this was recorded.

During Shakespeare’s lifetime, his works were not collected. Poems and a collection of sonnets were published separately. The plays initially appeared in so-called “pirate editions” with corrupted text, which were usually followed in the form of a refutation by an edition prepared by the author. The format of these publications is called quarto. After Shakespeare’s death, through the efforts of his actor friends Heming and Condell, the first complete edition of his works, including 36 plays, the so-called First Folio, was prepared. Eighteen of them had never been published before.

“Shakespearean Question”

Shakespeare’s will was a source of grief and doubt for his biographers. It talks about houses and property, about rings as keepsakes for friends, but not a word about books or manuscripts. It was as if it was not a great writer who had died, but an ordinary man in the street. The will became the first reason to ask the so-called “Shakespearean question”: was William Shakespeare from Stratford the author of all those works that we know under his name?

For a hundred years now, there have been many supporters of the negative answer: there was no, there could not be, because he was uneducated, did not travel, did not study at the university. Many ingenious arguments have been made by Stratfordians (supporters of the traditional version) and anti-Stratfordians. More than two dozen candidates for “Shakespeare” were proposed. Among the most popular candidates are the philosopher Francis Bacon and Shakespeare’s predecessor in transforming dramatic art, the greatest of the “university minds” Christopher Marlowe. However, they were mainly looking for titled persons: the Earls of Derby, Oxford, Rutland were called – the rights of the latter were supported in Russia. It was believed that only their inherent education, position in society and at court, and the opportunity to travel, opened up a broad overview of life, which is in the plays. They could have had reasons to hide their real name, which, according to the ideas of that time, would have been a stain of shame on the craft of a playwright. However, the main argument testifies in Shakespeare’s favor: during his lifetime, his name appeared on dozens of editions of individual plays, poems, and a collection of sonnets. Shakespeare was spoken of as the author of these works. Immediately after Shakespeare’s death, two of his actor friends published his works, and four poets, including Shakespeare’s greatest of his contemporaries, his friend Ben Jonson, eulogized him. And not once have there been any refutations or revelations. None of his contemporaries and descendants, until the end of the 18th century. did not doubt Shakespeare’s authorship. Is it possible to assume that a secret into which dozens of people had to be privy was kept so jealously?

How can we explain that the playwright of the next generation, William Davenant, well versed in theatrical affairs and gossip, came up with a legend according to which it turned out that his mother was the “Dark Lady” of the sonnets, and he himself was Shakespeare’s own son from Stratford-on-Avon? What was there to be proud of?

The Shakespearean mystery certainly exists, but it is not a biographical mystery, but the mystery of a genius accompanied by what the Romantic poet John Keats would call Shakespeare’s “negative faculty”, his poetic vision – to see everything and not reveal his presence in anything. A unique Shakespearean secret that belongs to the individual and the time, when the personal first cuts through the impersonality of existence, and the great playwright, who created a portrait gallery of a new era for centuries to come, hides only one face – his own.

Biography Note:

Science fiction in the author’s work (section prepared by VuDu)
Shakespeare in his work periodically turned to fairy-tale, legendary plots, making them the basis for the whole work or interspersed with it.

“A Midsummer Night’s Dream” is the most famous fairy-tale play, one of the reasons for writing which is Queen Elizabeth’s celebration of St. John the Baptist (the celebration of the birth of John the Baptist is associated with many beliefs and legends). The action takes place on the eve of the wedding of the Duke of Athens, Theseus, and the Queen of the Amazons, Hippolyta. On the pages of the play, the reader will see the legendary elf Peck, a famous joker and prankster, and will meet the ruler of a magical land, the king of fairies and elves, Oberon.

The author not only imbues his other play, “The Winter’s Tale,” with fairy-tale elements, he also “transforms” the geographical and historical reality itself: he gives Bohemia (now the Czech Republic) access to the sea, makes Hermione, the wife of the king of Sicily, the daughter of the Russian emperor, the Delphic Oracle from the mainland (where Delphi is located) “moves” to the island.

Speaking of fairy-tale plays, of course, it is worth paying attention to the comedy “The Tempest” (the play is only nominally a comedy, in fact it is a tragicomedy), which tells about the fate of the wizard Prospero and his servant, the spirit of the air Ariel.

The play “Twelfth Night”, which takes place in the fictional (fairy-tale) country of Illyria, is often classified as fairy-tale works. At the same time, it is worth noting that at that time such a “geographical” technique was widespread: the name of a far, distant country is taken (which by the time of writing may no longer exist) and used in the plot without any reference to real geography and history.

There are also elements of fantasy in Macbeth and Hamlet, which are among Shakespeare’s most famous works. In “Hamlet” it is the spirit of Hamlet’s father, but in “Macbeth” we meet witches and the spirits they summon, the evil goddess Hecate, the spirit of the commander Banquo.

The date of birth, namely the day and month, are indicated according to the date of Shakespeare’s baptism. For those interested in the biography of Shakespeare, we recommend paying attention to the biographical book of Peter Ackroyd, two publications from the ZhZL series: “Shakespeare” by A. Anikst and the 2nd edition of “Shakespeare” » M. Morozov, we also note the work of Leonid Pinsky. From biographies in English. language Let’s highlight “William Shakespeare: A Compact Documentary Life” by S. Schoenbaum (1987), “Shakespeare: A Life in Drama” by S. Wells (1997), “The Age of Shakespeare” by F. Kermode (2004) and “Will in the World” : How Shakespeare Became Shakespeare” S. Greenblatt (2005).
Recommended studies on the works of Shakespeare: A. Asimov’s two-volume “Guide to Shakespeare” (“English plays”, “Greek, Roman and Italian plays”), “Shakespeare: The Invention of the Human” H. Bloom (1999), “Dictionary of Shakespeare” by C. Boyce (1990, this edition contains useful information from the life of the playwright) and the work of the same author “Critical Companion to William Shakespeare: A Literary Reference to His Life and Work” (2005, this revised edition of “This is a revised edition of Shakespeare A to Z” from 1990; it was this work that became the basis for most of the notes in our bibliography and allowed us to accurately select publication dates from the many editions in which certain works of Shakespeare were published).

Shakespeare completes the process of creating a national culture and the English language; his work sums up the tragic outcome of the entire era of the European Renaissance. In the perception of subsequent generations, an image of Shakespeare emerges as a comprehensive genius, who, at the beginnings of the New Age, created a gallery of his human types and life situations. Shakespeare’s plays still form the basis of the world’s theatrical repertoire. Most of them have been filmed many times for film and television.

Shakespeare scholars have more than once expressed the opinion that Shakespeare’s last two plays – “The Winter’s Tale” and “The Tempest” – are marked by a touch of disappointment, a rejection of life and a retreat into fantasy. However, such a characteristic in any case does not concern the internal essence of these works. True, they contain more abstract allegorism than the previous ones. They also have more ceremonial festivity. Behind this magnificent appearance, however, lies the same passionate dream of the great humanist.

The plot of “A Winter’s Tale” is borrowed from the novel by Robert Greene. The action takes place in a fantasy country. In exactly the same way, “The Tempest” is played out on some wild island in the middle of the sea: in the “romantic Nowhere,” as one commentator correctly defined it.

The title “The Winter’s Tale” is reminiscent of those conversations by the blazing fireplace with which Shakespeare’s England loved to while away the long winter evenings. “A sad fairy tale suits winter,” says Mamilius. Hermione is a victim of reckless jealousy. But then the allegorical figure of Time appears on the stage. As commentators point out, the exit of Time divides the play into two parts: the first is full of tragic events, the second – music and lyricism. The hour will come – this is the leitmotif of “The Winter’s Tale” – and the dream will turn into reality. The revival of the statue of Hermione is the pinnacle of this joyful tragedy, a stage moment that has repeatedly made a stunning impression on the audience.

Leontes, this willful, spoiled aristocrat, begins to be jealous for no reason: there is neither Iago nor even Yahimo next to him. The reason for his jealousy is the despotism that the flattery of those around him fostered in him. Leontes’s further path is liberation from selfish passions. At the end of the tragedy, he bows to Hermione, the bearer of Shakespeare’s humanistic ideals. Along with the theme of Hermione and Leontes, the theme of Florizel and Perdita constitutes the main content of the play. This is the theme of the triumph of the younger generation, which boldly moves towards happiness; he is not threatened by the internal conflicts that darkened the lives of the older generation. At the same time, the love of the shepherdess Perdita and Prince Florizel speaks of the equality of people legitimized by nature itself. “The same sun that illuminates the palace does not hide its face from our hut,” says Perdita.

The prophecy of man’s victory over nature forms the main theme of The Tempest, Shakespeare’s utopia. “The Tempest” in an abstract allegorical form, externally reminiscent of an elegant “mask”, seems to sum up the main humanistic theme of Shakespeare’s work and in this regard is one of the most remarkable works of the great playwright. Prospero (to prosper – to prosper, to prosper) personifies prosperous humanity, thanks to whose wisdom the path to happiness is open to the younger generation, Miranda and Ferdinand, while Romeo and Juliet paid with their lives for one attempt to enter it. In the image of the four-legged Caliban, Prospero defeats the dark, chaotic forces of nature, and in the person of the spirit of the elements Ariel, with the power of his knowledge he forces to serve himself those forces of nature that are useful to man. To defeat nature means to know fate. And Prospero reads freely in the book of the future.

“Storm” is a hymn to humanity and the happiness that awaits it. “How wonderful is humanity!” exclaims Miranda. “Oh, a magnificent new world in which such people live!” Ceres sings about the abundant fruits of the earth, about barns full of harvest, about rich vineyards, about the disappearance of lack and need.

If the sunny colors of comedies are especially typical for the early period of Shakespeare’s work; If then the great playwright experiences formidable conflicts of tragedy, then “The Tempest” takes us to a brighter shore. What, however, is this enlightenment? Is it in “reconciliation” with life, in “accepting evil as a fact,” as Shakespeare scholars often interpreted? But Prospero does not reconcile with Caliban: he defeats him and forces him to serve himself. The bright principle in man overcomes the animal principle. Is it about leaving life? But Prospero does not remain on the island, he returns to the people. However, this is no longer the same Prospero. This is a person who has gone through the “storm” and is wise from experience. In “The Tempest,” Shakespeare does not return to the “original harmony,” but overcomes the tragic sense of life’s contradictions with the power of faith in the future fate of humanity and the triumph of the younger generation.

Shakespeare’s last play ends with Prospero’s prediction of calm seas and favorable winds. Thus, Shakespeare’s work ends with a joyful prediction about the future destinies of humanity.