23rd April, William SHAKESPEARE

Hi, Guys!,

Today is an important day in history because we remember and reread one of the greatest playwright and poet, William Shakespeare. This English writer was born in Stratford-on-Avon on 23 April 1564. He also died on 23 April 1616. He was 52 years old.

Let me point out some significants moments of his life...
In 1592, it is believed that Shakespeare had written the three parts of ‘Henry VI’. In 1593, ‘Venus and Adonis’ was Shakespeare's first published poem, and he dedicated it to the young Henry Wriothesley, the 3rd earl of Southampton.

In 1594, Shakespeare composed, among other plays, ‘Richard III’, ‘The Comedy of Errors’, and ‘The Taming of the Shrew’, he also became an actor and playwright for the Lord Chamberlain's Men, which became the King's Men after James I's ascension in 1603. At this time, the female roles were performed by young boys. Besides, the noble people gave some dresses and gowns to these theatre companies. There were also some well-known actors such as Richard Burgage who performed some plays written by Shakespeare. By 1596, the company Lord Chamberlain's Men had performed the classic Shakespeare plays ‘Romeo and Juliet’, ‘Richard II’, and ‘A Midsummer Night's Dream’. In 1599, he became a partner in the ownership of the Globe Theatre.

At the beginning of the 17th century, one of the first of his great tragedies, ‘Hamlet’ was performed. The next play, ‘The Merry Wives of Windsor’, was written at the request of Queen Elizabeth I, who wanted to see another play that included the popular character Falstaff.

Later on, Shakespeare produced these masterpieces as ‘Othello’, ‘King Lear’, ‘Macbeth’, and ‘The Tempest’. In 1609, his sonnets, probably written during the 1590s, were published. The 154 sonnets are marked by the recurring themes of the mutability of beauty and the transcendent power of love and art.

You can find more interesting information in this webpage:
http://www.shakespeare-online.com/