Kiva dawson biography of william shakespeare

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Shakespeare, overhearing their conclusion, went before, was entertained and at his game ere Burbage came.

Subjects of Shakespearian Plays

Another famous tragedy, Julius Caesar, written in 1599, portrays upheaval in Roman politics that might have resonated with viewers at a time when England’s aging monarch, Queen Elizabeth I, had no legitimate heir, thus creating the potential for future power struggles.

Tradition holds that Shakespeare died on April 23, 1616, which interestingly falls on the same date as his birth.

Additional Shakespeare comedies include:

  • The Two Gentlemen of Verona,
  • The Comedy of Errors,
  • Love’s Labour’s Lost,
  • The Merry Wives of Windsor,
  • Twelfth Night,
  • Measure for Measure, and
  • All’s Well That Ends Well

Troilus and Cressida is emblematic of the Shakespearean “problem play,” which defies genres.


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What Did Shakespeare Drink?

A rich and sweet wine brought to England from Greece in the 16th century, Malmsey is now produced on the island of Madeira. Wriothesley’s financial support was a helpful source of income at a time when the theaters were shuttered due to a plague outbreak.

Shakespeare’s most well-known poetry are his 154 sonnets, which were first published as a collection in 1609 and likely written as early as the 1590s.

Today, the city is part of the United Kingdom.

Parents and Siblings

Shakespeare was the third child of John Shakespeare, a glove-maker and leather merchant, and Mary Arden, a local heiress to land. There is also strong circumstantial evidence of personal relationships by contemporaries who interacted with Shakespeare as an actor and a playwright.

Later Years and Death

Around the turn of the 17th century, Shakespeare became a more extensive property owner in Stratford.

The form the bard employed for his verses became known as the Shakespearean sonnet, as opposed to the traditional Petrarchan sonnet, which consists of an octet and a sestet. Supporters of Shakespeare’s authorship argue that the lack of evidence about Shakespeare’s life doesn’t mean his life didn’t exist. Some of his other early comedies, written before 1600 or so, are: the whimsical A Midsummer Night’s Dream, the romantic Merchant of Venice, the wit and wordplay of Much Ado About Nothing, and the charming As You Like It.

Some of his comedies might be better described as tragicomedies.

Their first two children—daughters Joan and Margaret—died in infancy, so William was the oldest surviving offspring. His ability to write in various genres allowed him to appeal to diverse audiences, establishing a theatrical legacy that persists today. By the end of the 16th century, he had already generated significant income from his plays, acting roles, and as a shareholder in the Lord Chamberlain’s Men, which later became known as the King’s Men.

His successful investment in the Globe Theater further contributed to his wealth, allowing him to enjoy a prosperous lifestyle. When she’s not working on a new story, you can find her reading, hitting the gym, or watching too much TV.

Through his enduring contributions, Shakespeare has cemented his status as one of history's greatest playwrights, whose works continue to resonate with and inspire generations.

Some plays blur these lines, and over time, our interpretation of them has changed, too.

Shakespeare’s early plays were written in the conventional style of the day, with elaborate metaphors and rhetorical phrases that didn’t always align naturally with the story’s plot or characters.

This tragic loss later inspired Maggie O’Farrell’s award-winning novel Hamnet (2020) and its 2025 film adaptation Hamnet, starring Paul Mescal as Shakespeare.

kiva dawson biography of william shakespeare

In 1642, Puritans outlawed all theaters, including the Globe, which was demolished two years later. He has written with a view to be a mirror of things as they are; and shows the office of the true poet and literary man, which is to re-create the soul of man as God has created it, and human society as man has made it."
George Dawson (1821-1876), Shakespeare and Other Lectures




Bard Bite

Shakespeare's friend and fellow actor, Richard Burbage, amazed and delighted audiences with his stirring interpretation of the outrageous villain Richard III.

On March 13, 1602, a lawyer and diarist named John Manningham recorded a now-famous anecdote about Shakespeare and Richard Burbage:

"Upon a time when Burbage played Richard the Third there was a citizen grew so far in liking with him, that before she went from the play she appointed him to come that night unto her by the name of Richard the Third.