CHAPTER XXI WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE, 1564-1616 "I loved the man, and do honor his memory. He was indeed honest, and of an open and free nature." -BEN JONSON. "The name of Shakespeare is the greatest in our literature; it is the greatest in all literature." HALLAM. And he, the man whom Nature selfe had made WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE, the greatest of all poets, was born on the 23d of April, 1564, in Stratford-on-Avon, a small town in Warwickshire, England. His father, John Shakespeare, was a respectable tradesman; but his mother, Isabella Arden, was an heiress of ancient and even knightly descent. For many years John Shakespeare and his wife lived happily, and things prospered with them: and we learn that he was made alderman, and afterward mayor, of his native town. Then he seems to have taken to farming, about which he knew little or nothing, and the consequence was that in his later days he was so poor that his son William had to support him. The poet was born during the prosperous part of his father's life, but by the time he was fifteen there was poverty in the household. The future dramatist received little or no instruction from his parents, for neither of them could read or write; but he was sent to the free grammar school, where he received the advantages of such elementary instruction as was offered by the schools of those days. According to various reports, Shakespeare seems to have been a wayward, and even profligate, young man. There are stories of his having stolen deer from Sir Thomas Lucy's park, and of his having been severely punished by that magistrate for so doing. In revenge he is said to have written some verses, making sport of Sir WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE Thomas, and posted them on the park gate. Such was the wrath of the indignant squire, that Shakespeare, to escape from more serious persecution, deemed it expedient to leave Stratford. But there was another reason for his going away. When only eighteen years old he had married a farmer's daughter by the name of Anne Hathaway, a woman nearly eight years older than himself. The ill-matched pair seem to have been very unhappy. Susanna, the poet's favorite child, was born in 1583, and in the following year twins, Judith and Hamnet. The only son, Hamnet, died at twelve years of age; his two daughters survived their illustrious father. Very little is really known of the personal life of Shakespeare. He went to London to seek his fortune. Soon after, he was invited to join the company at the Globe Theater. His duties were to prepare old plays for the stage, and to act occasionally when required. By and by he became one of the owners in this theater, wrote splendid plays of his own, and became part proprietor of a new theater, the Blackfriars, on the north side of the Thames. Such was his industry and success in the double capacity of actor and writer of plays, that in a few years he reaped the reward of his prudence, and became a wealthy man. He was able to buy an estate called New Place, near his native town, where he retired in 1611 to spend the remainder of his days. He died, after a short illness, on the 23d of April, the anniversary of his birthday, in 1616, having exactly completed his fifty-second year. He was buried in the parish church of Stratford. Shakespeare's private character seems to have been that of an "amiable, gentle, and generous man, beloved by everybody except the very few who were jealous of his greatness." It would be in vain to try to enumerate all the characteristics of Shakespeare's poetry, or to tell in how many respects he excels all other poets. He loved Nature, and his poetry contains the most exquisite pictures; he studied the looks, the words, the actions, of the men and women he met, and his plays reflect them as in a mirror. The fame of Shakespeare rests almost solely upon his plays, usually reckoned as thirty-seven in number. These plays fall naturally into three classes, tragedies, historical dramas, and comedies. The most celebrated tragedies are "Macbeth," "King Lear," "Hamlet," "Othello," and "Romeo and Juliet." The most popular historical dramas are "Henry V.," "Richard II.," "Richard III.," "Henry VIII.," "Julius Cæsar," and "Antony and Cleopatra"; while the best-known comedies are "The Merchant of Venice," "The Merry Wives of Windsor," Midsummer 66 Night's Dream," and "As You Like It." The principal works of Shakespeare, besides his plays, are "Venus and Adonis," "Rape of Lucrece," and one hundred and fifty-four sonnets. The only account of Shakespeare's personal appearance that we have is contained in Aubrey's two lines: "He was a handsome, well-shaped man, very good company, and of a very ready and pleasant and smooth wit." ON THE STUDY OF SHAKESPEARE It is impossible to quote, in this book, enough of Shakespeare's text to be of any practical use. The ordinary memory quotations and famous passages are easily found in any advanced reading book or text-book of standard selections. Inexpensive school editions of the plays, admirably annotated, are easily obtained. It is better for the young student to become familiar with one good play, like "The Merchant of Venice," than to read passages here and there from many plays. Much depends upon the time assigned to the study of Shakespeare. The success or failure of the Shakespeare course may depend upon the plays selected, or even the first play. We have found "The Merchant of Venice" the best to begin with, followed by "Julius Cæsar," "" As You Like It," and "Macbeth." Richard Grant White advises the student to begin with "The Tempest" or 1 The following plays of Shakespeare, edited, with introductions and notes, for the use of schools, are published in the Eclectic English Classics Series: "Julius Cæsar," "Twelfth Night," ,""Merchant of Venice," " Macbeth," "As You Like It," 'Midsummer Night's Dream," and "Hamlet." "As You Like It," then follow with "The Merchant of Venice" and "Much Ado about Nothing." Whatever time may be given to Shakespeare, the student should read and study certain well-known selections from the great dramatist. After a whole play has been read, or even in the midst of it, renewed interest may be excited by reading some famous passage. For illustration, a few of the more famous and familiar passages have been chosen, to which many others may be readily added. 3. Famous reference to Queen Elizabeth, Henry VIII. V. |