Concetti Chiave
- William Shakespeare was born in 1564 in Stratford-upon-Avon and likely attended the local grammar school, studying Latin and Greek.
- The period between 1585 and 1592, known as "the lost years," lacks records of Shakespeare's activities until he emerged as an actor and playwright in London.
- Shakespeare's career was temporarily halted due to the plague, during which he focused on writing sonnets, highlighting his prowess as a poet.
- He became a member of "The Lord Chamberlain's Men," later "The King's Men," performing at the Globe theater and accumulating enough wealth to retire in Stratford.
- The First Folio, published in 1623 by two of his actor friends, compiled thirty-six of Shakespeare's plays into comedies, histories, and tragedies.
The Origins of Shakespeare
We don't know much about William Shakespeare's life. He was born in Stratford-upon-Avon in 1564, probably on April 23rd. His father was a glover and his mother came from an important local family. William Shakespeare probably attended Stratford's grammar school, where he studied Latin and Greek. When I was eighteen he married Anne Hathaway, a girl eight years older than him, and in a few years they had three children.
The Lost Years and Success in London
There is no record of his activities between 1585 and 1592 so , this period, has been called "the lost years". Shakespeare left Stratford-upon-Avon and by 1592 he was already active in London as actor and playwright. Shakespeare's career was interrupted in 1593 when because of the plague the theaters in London were closed until Spring 1594. In this period Shakespeare wrote many sonnet, so he is also one of England's greatest poets. When the theaters were opened, became a member of one of the best companies of players, "The Lord Chamberlain's Men", after called "The King's Men". They performed at the outdoor Globe theater, of which he was co-owner, in summer and indoor in another theater in winter. Thanks to his success, Shakespeare earned enough to be able to retire to Stratford in his later years, where he died in 1616 on the same day that he was born, 23rd April.
The Theatrical Production and the First Folio
Shakespeare wrote thirty-seven plays in a period of about twenty years, from 1591 to 1611. He used many sources for his plays including the classical Latin and Greek writings of Plutarch and Plautus. Shakespeare didn't publish his plays. The first collected of his plays came out in 1623, seven years after Shakespeare's death. It was edit by two actors and friends of Shakespeare and was traditionally called the "First Folio". The First Folio included thirty-six plays, divided into comedies, historical plays and tragedies and not in chronological order so is difficult to date Shakespeare's works.
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