WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE
William Shakespeare was born at start ford on Avon on April 1564 far more is known about his life than is generally realised but most of our information comes from parish records and various legal documents which throw more light on his family affairs and business dealings than on the circumstances which led him to writes his great works. He was the son of a leading tradesman pf star ford prominent in civic affairs and it is very likely though not certain that he received his education at the town grammar school there are parish records of his marriage to Anne Hathaway and the baptisms of his children but none which explain why he left start ford for London or how he came to enter the theatre from his period of obscurity in the records he emerges in the early 1590's as an important young playwright and poet and a member of the leading company of actors in 1598 Francis Meres a lawyer wrote of him as Britain's greatest dramatist excelling in every type of drama and poetry. Fortunately meres gave a list of twelve plays that he had written up to date a list of great help to scholars. It is difficult to date Shakeseare's plays because his company was reluctant to have his plays printed lest they should then be performed by rival companies. Only seventeen of his plays were published in his lifetime the reminder appearing in 1623 in a complete edition of his plays commonly known as the first folio. His company was called the lord chamberlain's company from about 1594 and the kings men from the accession of king james i in 1603. With burbage the greatest actor of the time and Shakespeare among the principal shareholders it is no wonder that the company prospered.
William Shakespeare was born at start ford on Avon on April 1564 far more is known about his life than is generally realised but most of our information comes from parish records and various legal documents which throw more light on his family affairs and business dealings than on the circumstances which led him to writes his great works. He was the son of a leading tradesman pf star ford prominent in civic affairs and it is very likely though not certain that he received his education at the town grammar school there are parish records of his marriage to Anne Hathaway and the baptisms of his children but none which explain why he left start ford for London or how he came to enter the theatre from his period of obscurity in the records he emerges in the early 1590's as an important young playwright and poet and a member of the leading company of actors in 1598 Francis Meres a lawyer wrote of him as Britain's greatest dramatist excelling in every type of drama and poetry. Fortunately meres gave a list of twelve plays that he had written up to date a list of great help to scholars. It is difficult to date Shakeseare's plays because his company was reluctant to have his plays printed lest they should then be performed by rival companies. Only seventeen of his plays were published in his lifetime the reminder appearing in 1623 in a complete edition of his plays commonly known as the first folio. His company was called the lord chamberlain's company from about 1594 and the kings men from the accession of king james i in 1603. With burbage the greatest actor of the time and Shakespeare among the principal shareholders it is no wonder that the company prospered.
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