Shakespeare Term Paper :: essays research papers fc

  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  William Shakespeare was an Englishman who wrote poems and plays. According to many he was labeled as one of the greatest dramatists the world has ever known and the finest poets who wrote in the English language. No other writer’s plays have been produced so many times or read so widely in so many countries (Wadsworth 342).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  On April 26, 1564, John Shakespeare and Mary Arden’s son, William, was baptized at the Stratford Parish Church. No one knows for certain when his birthday was. However, since most baptisms take place three days after birth, Shakespeare’s alleged birthday is April 23. He was the third of eight children (Biography.com). It was thought that young Shakespeare began attending a local grammar school at the age 7, in Stratford. He attended the school with other boys of his social class. Students spent nine hours a day in school and attended classes year round, except for brief holiday periods. In spite of his long hours spent in school, Shakespeare’s childhood was not likely boring. Stratford was a lively town, and for you William is could have been an exciting place to live (www.gale.com/freresrc/poets_cn/shakebio.htm).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  William Shakespeare married Anne Hathaway at the age of 18. Anne was at least 8 years her husband’s senior. The marriage record dates November 27, 1582 in an Episcopal register found in Worchester (Brown 45). The custom in Stratford after the eldest son married, was for the new couple to live in the house of the groom’s father. In all likelihood, Shakespeare obeyed the customary procedure (Wright 24). Arden gave birth only 6 months after they were legally wed to Shakespeare’s first child, Susanna. Early in 1585, Anne gave birth to twins- a boy, Hamnet and a girl, Judith. Hamnet was only 11 years old when he died (Wadsworth 345).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Shakespeare lived in the Elizabethan Period in England, the time of Elizabeth I’s reign. This time saw England emerge as the leading naval and commercial power of the Western World. England consolidated its position with the defeat of the Spanish Armada in 1588 and established the Church of England (www.gale.com/freresrc/poets_cn/shakebio.htm). England was characterized as a hierarchy and everyone lived under a strong feudal system (Singman 10). The quote by Thomas Nashe, 1593, sums up the system of rank: â€Å"Unfortunate is the man who does not have someone to look down upon.†(Davis 20). Queen Elizabeth was a fan of literature and theatre.