William Shakespeare

The Man Behind the Quill

Themes of ambition, jealousy, madness, and the corrupting nature of power.

William Shakespeare, born 1564 in Stratford-upon-Avon, wasn’t just another writer. His plays and poems have stood the test of time, for over four centuries. But who was the man behind these timeless works?

Shakespeare’s early life was ordinary. He was born to John Shakespeare, a glove-maker and local politician, and Mary Arden, the daughter of a wealthy farmer. As the third of eight children, young Will had a bustling household. He attended the local grammar school, where he studied Latin and classical literature, knowledge that later shone through.

At 18, Shakespeare made a decision that raised eyebrows. He married Anne Hathaway, 26 and already pregnant. Their first child, Susanna, was born six months after the wedding. Twins Hamnet and Judith followed two years later.

The next few years of Shakespeare’s life are a mystery. Scholars call this period the “lost years” because there’s little information about what he was up to. He might have been a schoolteacher. He could have been working in his father’s business. Whatever he was doing, it wasn’t writing plays.

By the early 1590s, Shakespeare made his way to London. The city was a hotbed of theatrical activity. Will jumped right in. He started as an actor, but his true talent lay in writing. His early plays, histories and comedies, caught the attention of theater-goers.

Shakespeare’s career took off. He became a shareholder in the Lord Chamberlain’s Men, a popular acting company in London. This gave him a steady income and a platform for his work. The company became the King’s Men under the patronage of King James I.

Life wasn’t all applause and accolades for Shakespeare. In 1596, his only son Hamnet died at age 11. It was a blow, and scholars see echoes of this loss in plays like “Hamlet” and “King Lear,” dealing with themes of grief and father-child relationships.

Despite personal tragedy, Shakespeare’s professional life flourished. He churned out hit after hit. “Romeo and Juliet.” “A Midsummer Night’s Dream.” “The Merchant of Venice.” His plays were performed at the Globe Theatre, which he partly owned. It wasn’t just a job for Shakespeare. It was a business, and he was good at it.

Going into the 17th century, Shakespeare entered his golden period, when he wrote his great tragedies. “Hamlet.” “Othello.” “King Lear.” “Macbeth.” These plays showcased Shakespeare’s ability to peer into the human psyche, exploring themes of ambition, jealousy, madness, and the corrupting nature of power.

Shakespeare wasn’t all doom and gloom. He wrote some of his most beloved comedies during this time, “Twelfth Night” and “As You Like It.” These plays are full of wordplay and romantic entanglements, proof that Will could tickle funny bones as easily as tug at heartstrings.

A less-known part of Shakespeare’s career was his talent for collaboration. He worked with other playwrights on several plays, including “Henry VIII” and “The Two Noble Kinsmen.”

Shakespeare’s final plays, the romances, include “The Tempest” and “The Winter’s Tale.”

These works blend elements of tragedy and comedy, featuring themes of redemption.

In 1613, Shakespeare retired to Stratford, where he’d maintained a family all along. He died there in 1616, at the age of 52, a decent run in Elizabethan England.

Shakespeare’s influence extends beyond the stage. His works shaped the English language and continue to impact our culture.

Shakespeare was a master wordsmith. He coined hundreds of phrases. Ever been “in a pickle” or gone on a “wild goose chase”? You’re quoting Shakespeare. His language added color to English, giving us words like “eyeball,” “swagger,” and “uncomfortable.”

Shakespeare’s impact on language goes beyond inventing words. He had an ability to capture the human experience. “To be, or not to be,” from Hamlet, has become shorthand for grappling with life’s big questions. “All the world’s a stage,” from As You Like It, offers a poetic take on how we all play different roles in our lives.

Shakespeare’s plays have been adapted screen and other media. West Side Story reimagined Romeo and Juliet in 1950s New York. The Lion King drew inspiration from Hamlet for its tale of royal intrigue.

In education, Shakespeare’s works are required reading in schools, introducing generations to classic literature. Students might grumble about deciphering Elizabethan English, but studying Shakespeare offers valuable lessons in human nature.

Shakespeare’s influence extends to psychology. His characters are so well-drawn that they’re used to illustrate psychological concepts. Hamlet’s indecisiveness, Lady Macbeth’s guilt, Othello’s jealousy offer rich material for exploring the human psyche.

In the business world, Shakespeare’s works are sometimes used in leadership training. His tragedies offer lessons in power, ambition, and the consequences of poor decision-making. Julius Caesar is cited in discussions about organizational politics and leadership.

Shakespeare’s plays have been translated into over 100 languages. They can take on new meanings in different cultural contexts. A production of Macbeth in South Africa might play out differently than one in London.

The Bard’s influences tourism. Stratford-upon-Avon, Shakespeare’s birthplace, draws visitors from around the world. The reconstructed Globe Theatre in London offers a glimpse into how his plays were originally performed. These sites celebrate Shakespeare’s legacy and contribute to local economies.

In popular culture, Shakespeare references abound. From Star Trek to The Simpsons, his plots and quotes pop up in unexpected places. This presence in pop culture ensures that even those who’ve never read a Shakespeare play are familiar with some area of his work.

Shakespeare’s sonnets are celebrated as some of the most beautiful love poetry ever written. They’ve inspired imitations and homages over the centuries. The sonnet form, while not invented by Shakespeare, was popularized by his use of it.

In the world of music, Shakespeare’s work has been a source of inspiration. From classical compositions to rock songs, his words have been set to music. Composers like Verdi and Tchaikovsky created operas based on his plays, while modern musicians find inspiration in his words.

Shakespeare’s plays offer historical insights. They provide a window into Elizabethan England. They reflect the social norms, political concerns, and everyday life of Shakespeare’s time.

There is debate over Shakespeare’s true identity, known as the “authorship question.” Most scholars accept that William Shakespeare of Stratford wrote the works attributed to him. Some argue that other writers were responsible.

Shakespeare’s death didn’t end his influence. In 1623, two of his fellow actors published the First Folio, a collection of 36 of his plays. Without this, we might have lost half of Shakespeare’s works.

Shakespeare influences our language, literature, and culture. His ability to capture the essence of human experience ensures that his works remain relevant four centuries after his death.