WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE
William Shakespeare was born in Stratford-upon-Avon in April 1564, possibly on 23 April, St George's day.
His father was a yeoman. He married Anne Hathaway when he was 18 and she was 26. They had three
children: Susanna, and the twins Judith and Hamnet. In 1584 he left Stratford, went to London. He was
received into one of the acting companies, but his wit soon distinguished him, if not as a great actor, as an
excellent playwriter. In 1593 He received this support from a young nobleman, the Earl of Southampton,
Shakespeare became a shareholder and the main playwright of the most successful company of actors in
London, the Lord Chamberlan’s man. He died in 1616.
William Shakespeare works are divided into 4 periods:
1st Period -Henry VI
PLAYS OF -Richard III
EXPERIMENTATION -The comedy of errors
-The taming of the Shrew
-The two gentleman of
Verona
-Love’s Labours lost
2nd Period -Romeo and Juliet
HISTORICAL PLAYS -A midsummer night’s
dream
AND GREAT - The merchant of Venice
COMMEDIES - Much ado about nothing
- Julius Cesar
- As you like it
