THE UPSTART CROW
"For there is an upstart Crow, beautified with our feathers, that with his Tygers hart wrapt in a Players hyde, supposes he is as well able to bombast out a blanke verse as the best of you: and beeing an absolute Johannes fac totum, is in his owne conceit the onely Shake-scene in a countrey."
— Robert Greene, Groats-worth of Witte: (1592)
— Robert Greene, Groats-worth of Witte: (1592)
WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE (1564-1616)
Most of what we know about Shakespeare is based on forty official documents that bear the name "William Shakespeare" and on various mentions of him in pamphlets such as Groats-worth of Witte, written by playwright Robert Greene (see above). These documents provide us with a pretty decent snapshot of the man known as William Shakespeare, but they also leave us with a little bit of mystery about the details of the Bard's life.
The first mention of William Shakespeare is in the baptismal records of Holy Trinity Church in the small English town of Stratford-Upon-Avon. Most scholars believe Shakespeare was born on April 23, and this date is based on the record of his baptism on the 26th of that month. His father had been a glove-maker, but had become a civil servant by the time of William's birth and was named bailiff (similar to a mayor) of Stratford in 1568.
The next mention of William Shakespeare is his marriage to Anne Hathaway in 1582, followed by the baptism records of their three children, Susanna in 1583 and twins, Judith and Hamnet, in 1585. The next seven years are referred to by scholars as the "lost years" because there is no official record of Shakespeare. No one knows where he was or what he was doing during this time, and it isn't until 1592 that his name appears again, this time in London, where he is mentioned as an actor and playwright.
In 1594, there is mention of Shakespeare working as an actor and playwright with one of the most popular theatre groups in London, The Lord Chamberlain's Company, which operated under the patronage of Queen Elizabeth I. After Elizabeth's death in 1603, Shakespeare is named as part of acting company known as The King's Men, under the patronage of King James I (the monarch who sponsored the English translation of the bible known as the King James Version).
The last official record of William Shakespeare is his death in 1616. According to tradition he died on his birthday, April 23.
Most of what we know about Shakespeare is based on forty official documents that bear the name "William Shakespeare" and on various mentions of him in pamphlets such as Groats-worth of Witte, written by playwright Robert Greene (see above). These documents provide us with a pretty decent snapshot of the man known as William Shakespeare, but they also leave us with a little bit of mystery about the details of the Bard's life.
The first mention of William Shakespeare is in the baptismal records of Holy Trinity Church in the small English town of Stratford-Upon-Avon. Most scholars believe Shakespeare was born on April 23, and this date is based on the record of his baptism on the 26th of that month. His father had been a glove-maker, but had become a civil servant by the time of William's birth and was named bailiff (similar to a mayor) of Stratford in 1568.
The next mention of William Shakespeare is his marriage to Anne Hathaway in 1582, followed by the baptism records of their three children, Susanna in 1583 and twins, Judith and Hamnet, in 1585. The next seven years are referred to by scholars as the "lost years" because there is no official record of Shakespeare. No one knows where he was or what he was doing during this time, and it isn't until 1592 that his name appears again, this time in London, where he is mentioned as an actor and playwright.
In 1594, there is mention of Shakespeare working as an actor and playwright with one of the most popular theatre groups in London, The Lord Chamberlain's Company, which operated under the patronage of Queen Elizabeth I. After Elizabeth's death in 1603, Shakespeare is named as part of acting company known as The King's Men, under the patronage of King James I (the monarch who sponsored the English translation of the bible known as the King James Version).
The last official record of William Shakespeare is his death in 1616. According to tradition he died on his birthday, April 23.
The Complete Works of William Shakespeare
This website provides free on-line access to the complete works of William Shakespeare. To read a play or poem, click here.
Folger Shakespeare Library
The Folger Shakespeare Library provides study guides and other Shakespeare resources. To visit the site, click here.
How to Cite Shakespeare (MLA Format)
When quoting from a Shakespeare play, there are specific rules to follow. For a brief guide to the MLA requirements for quoting the Bard, click here.