William Shakespeare, the greatest playwright of the Renaissance, had a complicated family life that may have influenced his writing. He was born in 1564 to Mary Arden and John Shakespeare, who worked as a glover and farmer. His family was not wealthy, and his father had legal troubles. Shakespeare married Anne Hathaway in 1582, and […]
Shakespeare wrote historical plays, particularly about the Plantagenet and Tudor dynasties. King John, Richard II, Henry IV, Parts I and II, Henry V, Henry VI, Parts I, II and III, Richard III and Henry VIII are some of his famous works. Shakespeare’s plays were not entirely historically accurate but gave English citizens access to an […]
Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night draws on traditional Tudor celebrations of the same name, which involved dressing up and inverting social order. The play also takes elements from the story of Apollonius and Sulla, which itself draws on a long tradition of mistaken identity stories. Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night, or What You Will, is one of the playwright’s […]
Shakespeare’s grave in Holy Trinity Church, Stratford-upon-Avon, has an inscription warning against grave robbers. A ground-penetrating radar scan in 2016 found no evidence of metal in the grave and suggested Shakespeare’s skull may be missing, possibly taken by trophy hunters in 1794. The church has never allowed excavation of the grave and the mystery remains […]
Shakespeare wrote 36 plays, but at least two are lost. Love’s Labor’s Won and The Story of Cardenio are the most famous. The Two Noble Kinsman was not published until 20 years after Shakespeare’s death. The Shakespeare Apocrypha is a set of 11 works believed to be written by Shakespeare. The lost plays are a […]
“The Two Gentlemen of Verona” was Shakespeare’s first play, drawing inspiration from various sources including “Diana Enamorada” by Jorge de Montemayor and stories of Titus and Gisippus. The play features confused lovers and a woman dressed as a man, with similarities to “Diana Enamorada”. Shakespeare also borrowed characters and scenes from other works, including Arthur […]
Shakespeare’s “Titus Andronicus” satisfied the Elizabethan craving for macabre entertainment with its gruesome scenes of revenge. Influenced by Greek and Roman writers, the play depicts a Roman general’s descent into psychotic rage after the brutal rape of his daughter. Allusions to Seneca, Ovid, and Livy are present, and Shakespeare’s sources also include Plutarch, Horace, Virgil, […]
All’s Well That Ends Well is a problematic play written by Shakespeare in the early 1600s, inspired by a folktale. The play’s morally ambiguous territory led to it being called a “problematic play.” The play’s heroine, Helen, marries Bertram through twisted circumstances, which is not a typical rom-com approach. The play’s complexity increased the literary […]
Henry IV is a play by Shakespeare based on historical events during the War of the Roses. It is part of a tetralogy and follows the story of King Henry IV and his son, Prince Harry, as they face off against rebels. The play features fictional and real characters, with dramatic license taken in their […]
Shakespeare’s Cymbeline is a complex tale of betrayal and mistaken identity, inspired by historical texts and the Decameron. The character of Cymbeline is based on the historic British king Cunobelinus and the work of Geoffrey of Monmouth. The play centers on the relationship between Imogen and Posthumus Leonatus, opposed by the queen, Cloten, and Iachimo. […]
Shakespeare’s play ‘Richard II’ was written in 1592 and is based on the life of the English monarch who ruled from 1377 to 1399. The play is part of a tetralogy of historical works and focuses on Richard’s controversial reign, including his banishment of Henry of Bolingbroke and the eventual overthrow of Richard by Bolingbroke. […]
The origins of Much Ado About Nothing’s plot are uncertain, but possible sources include The Faerie Queene, an Italian novel by Matteo Bandello, and Orlando Furioso. The romance between Hero and Claudius may have been written earlier, while the witty banter between Beatrice and Benedict is believed to be Shakespeare’s invention. Much Ado About Nothing […]
Shakespeare’s “Timon of Athens” may have been inspired by ancient Greek works and the character of Timon appeared in non-surviving Greek tragedies. The play is considered a problem comedy and may have been co-authored with Thomas Middleton. Timon is a wealthy Athenian who becomes a misanthrope after losing his wealth and being denied by those […]
The authorship of Shakespeare’s Edward III is uncertain, as it was published anonymously and not included in earlier collections of his work. Scholars believe he collaborated with another writer and later distanced himself from the play due to its portrayal of Scots. The play was based on the same literary source as most of his […]
Shakespeare’s Henry V is based on Holinshed’s Chronicles and other sources, depicting the King of England’s victory over the French at Agincourt. The play portrays Henry as a heroic ruler and may have been intended to bolster James I’s position as Elizabeth I’s heir. Shakespeare’s Henry V is one of his best known historical plays […]
Shakespeare’s later works are tragi-comedies, combining elements of comedy and tragedy. Four plays, Pericles, Cymbeline, The Winter’s Tale, and The Tempest, are classified as romances. These plays feature supernatural occurrences and happy endings, with conflicts resolved and flawed characters redeemed. Scholars speculate that Shakespeare may have been following a trend or planning for retirement. Towards […]
Shakespeare’s comedies revolve around marriage and family, evolving from bawdy humor to dark humor. The Comedy of Errors and Twelfth Night feature mistaken identity, Two Gentlemen of Verona introduces women dressing as men, and The Taming of the Shrew portrays a strong woman. Love’s Labor’s Lost and The Merry Wives of Windsor are bawdy, while […]
Shakespeare was not the only celebrated writer of his time, with many poets and playwrights thriving under Queen Elizabeth I’s patronage. Theaters competed for audiences, resulting in extensive patronage for talented writers. Shakespeare’s contemporaries included the University Wits, Christopher Marlowe, Ben Jonson, Thomas Kyd, and Philip Massinger. Other popular poets were George Chapman, William Davenant, […]
The legend of Romeo and Juliet predates Shakespeare’s version by almost a century. The first known written version was by Masuccio Salernitano in 1476, followed by Luigi da Porto and Mateo Bandello. Shakespeare likely used these works to create his famous play. While Shakespeare’s tale of Romeo and Juliet is the best known version of […]
