William Shakespeare

William Shakespeare was born in 1564, in Stratford, located in the center of England. His dad, John, was a trained glove maker, who was married to Mary Arden. She was the daughter of Robert Arden, who was a farmer in a nearby village of Wilmcote. John was also served on the town council for many years, becoming mayor in 1568. He was also involved in money lending and he traded wool. After 2 tries of having a child, and failed, William was born. He had 5 other siblings, but one of them died in their early life.

Shakespeare was well set in the year 1592. His high reputation was in London. His earliest plays were "Henry VI", "The Two Gentlemen of Verona", and "Titus Andronicus". In 1594, Shakespeare joined other people, creating a new theater company. Having Richard Burbage as lead actor, for almost twenty years they performed two shows a year on average. The plays included "Hamlet", "Othello", and "Lear"

In 1597, Shakespeare's successes lead him into a wealthy state. His massive income let him purchase the biggest home in Stratford. Even though his career was spent in London, he stayed close to his native town. In 1602, he bought 107 acres of land, also in Stratford.

Shakespeare plays were performed only in London, where the buildings were designed specifically for performing plays. Most of the theaters were tall, and circular in shape. They would be open to the sky, and roofs protecting the galleries. The performances took place in the afternoon, where lighting was at its peak performance. All the roles in the plays were male performers. Even the female role's, were guys. But the audience was always a mix of the sexes.

In 1599, Lord Chamberlain's company built the Globe Theater. This theater was mainly associated with his plays, and it was on the south bank of the Thames, in the suburb of Southwark. Two of his plays "Henry V", and "Julius Caesar" were performed here from the time it opened to 1613. During a performance of "Henry VIII", a fire broke out and destroyed the theater. It was rebuilt the following year.

Some of Shakespeare's best work came out in the 1600's. They included "Hamlet", "Cymbeline", and "The Tempest". He died in his Stratford home on April 23rd, 1616; he was fifty-two. He was buried at Holy Trinity Church, where now,