Summary Of In Search Of Shakespeare English Literature Essay
Please note that all information within this sum-up is taken from In Search of Shakespeare. I take no recognition for any facts reported here.
This papers ‘s first episode Begins while looking at the London Gate Bridge and London as a whole. The storyteller begins by depicting William Shakespeare as the greatest writer of all clip and how we know so small of his life.
Michael Wood ( the storyteller ) begins by walking up an ancient route towards where Shakespeare grew up. He heads into an archive of English history to larn more of Shakespeare from the policed province of England that he grew up in. He describes what he intends to depict, for case where Shakespeare ‘s company did its original dramas and his biddings for grudge and bodily injury.
Shakespeare ‘s life began in Stratford England, and the narrative begins with William Shakespeare ‘s ( boy of John and Mary Shakespeare ) baptism record in the parish registry at Stratford-on-Avon. He had two asleep siblings, and was his parent ‘s first kid to turn to adolescence. He was born in the mid sixteenth century during spiritual struggle, when the faith of the state had changed legion times by the Tudors whom ruled England. It changed by Henry to Protestant from Catholic, back to Catholic with his girl Mary and so back to Protestant by his following girl Elizabeth, all in the affair of twelve old ages. Shakespeare was born at the beginning of Elizabeth ‘s reign.
The Shakespeare ‘s were originally state husbandmans, some of the slang that Shakespeare used in his dramas originated from these beginnings. He was non a provincial, his female parent had a long standing household history, and in fact his maternal gramps was a rich husbandman whom had passed off before Elizabeth came to the throne. His household had ab initio been loyal to the old religion ( Catholicism ) . However, his male parent was ambitious and therefore moved from the state. John Shakespeare was a baseball mitt shaper with a modern in-between category place with the latest in designs. William Shakespeare was raised in a reasonably good to make place. John Shakespeare was elected a town counsellor when William was one. John Shakespeare was required to keep Elizabeth ‘s will and was forced to disfigure with whitewash the medieval Catholic pictures in their local perish. John was so elected city manager when William was four.
William started school at the age of seven, when over one hundred and sixty new schools were opened. William was taught six yearss a hebdomad, by instructors chosen by the town council in the local school, chiefly faith and Latin. He fell in love with the theater here, and may hold partaken in the drama Ralph Roister Doister.
John Shakespeare had clients all around England and made a batch of money, non all was legal. John was an illegal wool trader ( brogger ) ; wool was monopolized by the authorities. He had besides done illegal activities in the signifier of imparting money for net income.
William subsequently fell in love with the enigma plays that told old narratives from the bible. William used them as inspiration in his ain dramas.
William went onto a farther school at age nine where he was introduced to poetry.
However, at the age of 12 William ‘s parents began losing their money and John ‘s concern was wavering. First, the authorities was checking down on illegal wool traders and 2nd, John stops traveling to council meetings perchance due to his spiritual grounds and withdraws William from school. William was forced to work for his male parent ‘s leather concern.
Around this clip Catholics and Protestants are virtually forced into a nonliteral conflict for the psyche of England. Many people were hauled in by Elizabeth, including William ‘s male parent John, for natural security. He is finally released.
At this clip, William was 18 ( in 1582 ) and he fell in love with an older adult female named Ann Hathaway who was the girl of his male parent ‘s concern spouse. He was married to Ann Wately under the name of William Shaxspeare on November thirtieth 1582 because Ann was pregnant. Peoples frequently speculate that Ann Hathaway and Ann Wately were different people ; nevertheless it is believed that it is really a clerical mistake. He gained his matrimony licence on November 27th, 1582. William composed a sonnet for his nuptials, a verse form addressed to his new married woman Ann Hathaway. Ann gave birth five months subsequently to a girl, Susanna and lived with William ‘s parents and younger siblings.
Under fable, William seemingly subsequently poached a beloved that belonged to a local Godhead. Apparently William was beaten and banned from town. The storyteller so gives us another theory as to why William was banished from the town when he was 19. On the 26th of October that twelvemonth, Shakespeare ‘s cousin Summerville announced that Queen Elizabeth was a heretic and that he planned on slaying her. Elizabeth turned to the local Godhead whom had William ‘s female parent ‘s household arrested. William ‘s cousin, his household, and his comparative Edward Ardin ( the caput of William ‘s female parent ‘s household ) and his household were sentenced to decease.
Episode two Begins by analysing Shakespeare ‘s lost ten old ages in which small information is known. The current theory is that William changed his name to William Shakeshaft and found a occupation in Lancasier. It is theorized based on the word of one of the histrions of Shakespeare ‘s wendy house whom said that Shakespeare one time worked as a instructor in the state that William may hold taught in Lancasier.
It is known that William was in Stratford-upon-Avon on February 2nd, 1585 when his twins were baptized, Hamlet and Judith which were named after their Catholic God parents. He was the chief beginning of income for the household and he lived in a little house with his married woman, kids, siblings and parents. On September 6th 1586, John Shakespeare is removed as an alderman of the town for no longer go toing the Sessionss.
In the summer of 1587, good intelligence came to William. The queen ‘s royal company came to Stratford-upon-Avon for political and propaganda intents. Two of the histrions, William Nell and John Town, got into an statement in which William Nell attempted to kill John Town. Alternatively Town stabbed him in apparent ego defence and Nell passed off. So the company was one adult male short and losing a immature male histrion. It is believed that William Shakespeare joined the Queen ‘s work forces ( company ) at this point and left his household.
After the war with the Spanish armada, William comes to London with the Queen ‘s work forces. At this point, he breaks off to go a author. He lived in a in-between category subdivision of town. His company foremost performed at the first amphitheater of all time built. At this point, a theatre revolution was underway, lead by the University educated Christopher Marlowe who is believed to hold been “ cheery, hip, iconoclastic ” .
William ‘s first drama was the calamity Titus Andronicus.
Meanwhile, Marlowe had been hired as a undercover agent. He was non close. Marlowe spoke of fall ining the Catholic side and counterfeited money.
On March 3rd, 1592 Harry the sixth was Shakespeare ‘s first “ boxoffice ” figure one. This is when he becomes bigger than Marlowe. Shakespeare nevertheless received a bad reappraisal for being an uneducated drama write, instead than a “ university humor ” .
However, in early 1593 many drama writes and pressmans were executed or tortured for lese majesty or unorthodoxy. Marlow himself was murdered, it was claimed to hold been in ego defence harmonizing to three informants. Shakespeare nevertheless did non believe it. It was shortly after this that Shakespeare added to his trilogy in the signifier of Richard III.
The following episode entitled The Duty of Poets Begins by claiming that the phase was dominated for the following 20 old ages by Shakespeare. The inquiry for the storyteller was what made him the most popular drama write of the clip, instead than the other immature drama writes of the clip?
In 1593 pestilence strikes the streets of London and the drama houses are closed. At this clip, Shakespeare ‘s distant cousin whom was loyal to Catholicism writes the new pronunciamento of English poesy which was a challenge to Shakespeare. This challenge states that poesy is non for the intent of love or amusement, but instead to laud God. Shakespeare had no involvement in this, nevertheless when the pestilence struck he was forced to seek other signifiers of income. He seeks employment as a published writer of a poem Venos and Adonis which became a best marketer. This verse form did non concentrate on God, but instead on love. This verse form was dedicated to Henry Earl of Southampton in order to derive money and prestigiousness.
In 1594, Shakespeare began a new moving company. His cousin whom had written for him the challenge of composing for God was killed shortly after for being a protagonist of Catholicism. It is said that his friends visited Queen Elizabeth after his decease and gave her a book as a gift, inside of it contained his missive to Shakespeare. It seemingly moved the queen and struck her to grief.
Shortly after this incident, Shakespeare wrote his first great Tragedy, Romeo and Juliet.
Shortly thenceforth, Hamlet, Shakespeare ‘s lone boy, died at the age of 11. Shakespeare underwent a period of heartache, but bought the 2nd largest house in Stratford-upon-Avon, but it was in confusion. He besides applied for a coat of weaponries for his male parent, in order to do his male parent a gentleman. It is believed these Acts of the Apostless were a signifier of apology for non being at that place when his household needed him the most. His male parent ‘s coat of weaponries was approved and William became a gentleman. William is besides known to hold written legion sonnets for a male child, it is widely debated but it is believed that they are autobiographical and about his ain boy. Sonnet 33 clearly emphasizes this.
In 1597 the theatres, under the way of the authorities for sedition, were closed. William was besides under punishment of the authorities because of revenue enhancement equivocation. Later in that twelvemonth he is in problem for endangering mutilation and slaying because he got into the center of conflicts between landlords.
In this clip of darkness for William, he fell in love with a dark skinned musical married adult female while he was still married to Ann. She became his kept woman and she wrote of her in sonnets, such as sonnet 128. She is believed to hold been a dark skinned Venetian Jew by the name of Amelia. He writes in his sonnets that he was struck with heartache and desire ; nevertheless despite this painful clip in his life he wrote three new dramas and legion verse forms.
In 1598, Shakespeare moved his theater and company to the Southbank. It was called The Globe and opened in 1599. In 1600, the Earl of Essex was cognizant of the power of the theater. He wished to catch the queen, and requested Shakespeare to execute Richard II with a really unsafe scene on the overthrowing of the King. Unfortunately for Essex he spent excessively much clip picking a clean shirt and therefore was late for his ain event. His rebellion failed, and he and his work forces were arrested. Shakespeare ‘s company was interrogated at this clip. None were punished ; nevertheless they were commanded to execute Richard II earlier her as they had on their ain phase.
To add to all of this, the war of the poets was to get down. Shakespeare was now at war with a new manner of theater, a theater performed purely by male childs. Shakespeare ‘s response to these dramas was Twelfth Night. In Hamlet, Shakespeare makes a supercilious remark about the male child ‘s theater. Hamlet became the following large thing, and won the War of the Poets.
To add to the contention, Shakespeare wrote Othello, which is believed to been approximately race. Shakespeare was good cognizant that both black and white people intermarrying, and wrote of one of these relationships in Othello. He makes his black male Othello into his tragic hero.
In the concluding episode, entitled For All Time, the narrative of Shakespeare continues in 1603. In March 1603 Elizabeth dies. She was childless and without an inheritor, so the throne went to her half sister ‘s boy whom united Great Britain, King James. King James appreciated poets and drama writes, and therefore Shakespeare was placed on the royal paysheet. Shakespeare found himself in a public function during the enthronement of King James. William was one of the Usshers of the canopy ; nevertheless he wrote in his sonnets that this was simply a gesture and non intending anything.
To add, Shakespeare and his set of King ‘s work forces were required to entertain the King for two hebdomads directly during every Christmas.
In response for a secret plan to kill the royal household, Shakespeare wrote a drama called Macbeth. Theaters were farther censored and dramas rewritten to hold no farther lewdnesss.
A twelvemonth after the terrorist secret plan, the authorities required all Catholics to undergo protistent Communion or else face heavy mulcts, for which Shakespeare ‘s twenty-three-year-old daught Susanna faced. Shakspere at this clip wrote the drama King Lear in response to a male monarch that destroys his ain land through unethical and vein actions to strike cord with King Richard.
The following twelvemonth Shakespeare ‘s girl Susanna married a Protestant physician after falling in love with him. Shakespeare so became a gramps. His son-in-law was a reasonably unfastened minded adult male whom treated anyone who needed treating, and was a modest Protestant. The twenty-four hours after Susanna ‘s nuptials, an rebellion of the Diggers occurred to reason with their land being taken by rich land proprietors. They were struck down ; nevertheless, Shakespeare used their motion as an implicit in subject in his following drama. To add, Shakespeare ‘s company opened a 2nd theater in London.
Shakespeare began to systematically pass on with scientists and philosophers. It is believed that he was told a narrative of a shipwreck and he turned this narrative into his concluding solo drama, The Tempest. This drama is believed to incorporate autobiographical elements, and is about a adult male with supernatural powers that work stoppages at his enemies, but subsequently forgives them and his girl marries the boy of his enemy. This could propose that Shakespeare returned to Stratford-upon-Avon. The following spring it is known that he returned to his married woman Ann back in Stratford-upon-Avon.
In 1613, Shakespeare buys a big house in London which was one time a safe oasis for the Catholic resistance. He continues to compose with a joint author, and wrote Henry VIII ( All is True ) . The Globe theater was burnt down accidently during a public presentation of Henry VIII ( All is True ) in 1614, it is believed that Shakespeare so left the theater concern and sold his portion in the company to return to his married woman in Stratford-upon-Avon.
At the age of 51 in 1616 Shakespeare became sick and passed off. The fable goes that he died of a febrility after a bibulous tantrum with friends. He died on April 23rd, 1616. It is speculated from his will that he did n’t love his married woman as he gave her nil but a bed, nevertheless, it is speculated that this was non a mark of a deficiency of love. Most was left to his eldest girl Susanna.
Response to In Search of Shakespeare
By Katherine Finan
This docudrama was a affecting and informing testimonial to Shakespeare. I felt this docudrama focused on what we know about Shakespeare, and while there was a just sum of guess, the guesss were non utmost nor were they far stretched such as to propose that Shakespeare did non compose his ain dramas.
I learnt much of Shakespeare ‘s life. I did non cognize that Shakespeare had been a hapless immature adult male, uneducated beyond the age of 12, and married as a adolescent. I had ever thought Shakespeare to be an ageless romantic, giving fantastic gifts and love to the adult female that he fancied. However, despite being a antic writer of love affair, he seemed to miss love affair in his life beyond his mid-twentiess and the elicit matter he had with a married adult female. While we do non cognize how much clip he spent with his married woman Ann Hathaway, I was shocked to larn that he had lived apart from her for so many old ages.
I found the history of Shakespeare ‘s dramas, including those that we studied in this class, interesting. I had non to the full realized that dramas such as Twelfth Night, Hamlet, King Lear, and Henry VIII were written with motivations. I have a new regard for the cunning of Shakespeare, pull offing political sarcasm every bit good as blunt claims against and warnings for the different sovereign of his clip. He managed to get away spiritual persecution, which seemed once more to ensue from his cunning head.
What I found most interesting about this docudrama is that is interwove Shakespeare into the cloth of the Elizabethan times. Rather than merely concentrate on Shakespeare ‘s life, it gave foundation information about the times that goes beyond Shakespeare. I learnt much of Elizabeth ‘s times and spiritual insecurities, and King James turn from the broad new age male monarch to another male monarch of spiritual persecution.
I believe that Shakespeare ‘s decease was premature. After happening much about his life, it saddens me that he died so shortly after retiring and returning to his married woman and household. While possibly his love for his married woman was non strong, which is strictly guess, I am a true romantic in that I had hoped he would return and populate out a fulfilling long life with his married woman. However, I do non believe he lived long plenty to truly see the impact of his words and in this I believe the universe lost its greatest writer of all history.
