William Shakespeare said, “There is nothing good or bad, but thinking makes it so.” William Shakespeare used this quote throughout his life. Shakespeare did go through obstacles, but he marched through them. He became very successful through well thought out poems and very entertaining plays. This poet/playwright changed the lives of many people; Shakespeare will always be remembered and his work will affect the futures poetry, writing, and plays.
In 1564, in the town of Stratford-upon-Avon, William Shakespeare came into the world. His parents, John Shakespeare and Mary Arden, had eight children including William Shakespeare. Shakespeare was the third child of the eight. William Shakespeare was baptized in the Holy Trinity Church, which is in Stratford-upon-Avon (“Shakespeare Facts”). He was predicted to have gone to King Edward VI Grammar School. After Shakespeare finished school, he became an actor and playwright. Not many people know that he was actually a very good actor. Shakespeare’s writing as a playwright and poet was a conventional style. His style of writing is unmatched to any poet (“William Shakespeare bio”).
At the age of eighteen, Shakespeare married his wife, Anne Hathaway. Hathaway was 26 when she married Shakespeare. She actually became pregnant before the wedding, therefore, they had to get married. Susanna, who was born in 1583, was their first daughter. Later, they had twins were born, Judith and Hamnet, who was born in 1585. After the birth of the twins, there were seven years that no one had records of William Shakespeare. They called the seven years the “lost years.” However, they do know four years after the lost years, Hamnet Shakespeare, who was eleven at the time, died on August 9th, 1596. It is unknown how he died (“William Shakespeare bio”). Shakespeare had one granddaughter, who was Susanna’s child. Sadly, his granddaughter died in 1670 at the age of 62, not having any children. In 1623, (after the death of William Shakespeare) Anne Hathaway died at the age of 77. Judith died at the same age (77) in 1662. Before the death of Judith was Susanna at age 66, in the year of 1649 (“Shakespeare FAQ”).
On April 5th, 1616, the most famous poet/playwright died at the age of 52. After his death, a man who once knew Shakespeare wrote that Shakespeare was Catholic (“The Life”). At the time, the religion of Catholicism was not allowed in Stratford-upon-Avon. William Shakespeare wrote on his epitaph saying, “Good friend for Jesus’ sake forbear./ To dig dust enclosed here:/Blest be the man that spares the stones/And curst be he that moves my bones” (“William Shakespeare Facts”).
William Shakespeare was known for many things. He introduced about 3,000 new english words. Shakespeare became the second most quoted poetry after the Bible. Anyone would see he is a very successful poet. With all the money he had from writing plays, he bought the second largest home in the world called “The New House,” which was located in London (“William Shakespeare Facts”). All of his sonnets were published in 1623, making his very well known around the world. Also, with his plays being published, he became the greatest playwright in the English language. Shakespeare wrote 157 poems, 34 plays, and two narrative poems. By 1597, 15 of is 37 plays were published. One of his plays, “Romeo and Juliet,” is still very famous today. Shakespeare’s plays like, “Romeo and Juliet,” are used in schools. How can he still be famous today? Well, William Shakespeare became successful because of his choice in material. He knew the likes and dislikes of the audience, making his pays more appealing.
William Shakespeare wrote many poems that instantly became famous after being published. Some the poems include: The Procreation Sonnets (1-17), Sonnet 29, 55, 71, 116, 130. Also, All The World’s a Stage, Bridal Song, O never say I was false of heart, and many more (“Best”). Many of these poems are based on Shakespeare’s feelings at the time. However, not only was his poems famous but many of his plays are still used often. Some plays such as “Romeo and Juliet,” which is the most famous play, has been made into movies, used for school plays, and much more. Other famous plays include: Hamlet, Macbeth, As You Like It, 12th Night, The Winter’s Tale and many more plays. Some of his plays like Hamlet is four hours long. Other plays are short like the Comedy of Errors is 1,770 lines long. At the age of 49, Shakespeare wrote his last play, Two Noble Kinsmen, two years before his death (“William Shakespeare Facts”).
The life of William Shakespeare will always be remembered through his work. Shakespeare may have lost his son, and went through other hard obstacles in his life, he still got through it. With his successful, inspiring life, he has changed the history of writing. His poems became very famous and are used around the world. Not only his poems but also his plays. For that, many people look up to him, wanting to be like the most famous poet in history, William Shakespeare.
Works Cited
“Best Famous William Shakespeare Poems.” Poetry Soup. N.p., n.d. Web. 31 Mar. 2015. <http://www.poetrysoup.com/famous/poems/best/william_shakespeare>.
“The Life of William Shakespeare (1564–1616).” National Endowment for the Arts presents Shakespeare in American Communities. N.p., n.d. Web. 1 Apr. 2015. <http://www.shakespeareinamericancommunities.org/education/life-william-shakespeare>.
“Shakespeare Facts: Read Facts about William Shakespeare.” No Sweat Shakespeare. N.p., n.d. Web. 2 Apr. 2015. <http://www.nosweatshakespeare.com/resources/shakespeare-facts/>
“Shakespeare FAQ.” Absolute Shakespeare. N.p., n.d. Web. 31 Mar. 2015. <http://absoluteshakespeare.com/trivia/faq/faq.htm>.
“Why Is Shakespeare Such a Famous Writer?” enote.com. N.p., n.d. Web. 2 Apr. 2015. <http://www.enotes.com/homework-help/why-shakespeare-such-famous-writer-392872>.
“William Shakespeare.” All Poetry. N.p., n.d. Web. 1 Apr. 2015. <http://allpoetry.com/William-Shakespeare>.
“William Shakespeare.” bio. N.p., n.d. Web. 1 Apr. 2015. <http://www.biography.com/people/william-shakespeare-9480323>.
“William Shakespeare.” poets.org. N.p., n.d. Web. 31 Mar. 2015. <http://www.poets.org/poetsorg/poet/william-shakespeare>.