LIFE: William Shakespeare, the greatest and most famous of English writers, and probably the greatest playwright who has ever lived, was born in the town of Stratford-upon-Avon, in Warwickshire in April 26 in 1564.He was known as the Bard of Avon. William Shakespeare was baptized in the parish church of Stratford-upon-Avon, Warwickshire, on April 26 1564 which probably means that he had been born a day or two earlier. His father, John Shakespeare, was a prosperous glove-maker who became the town’s bailiff [mayor] shortly after William’s birth .However, from about 1576 John got into financial difficulties and this may be why the gifted William was not sent to a university. But analyses of Shakespeare’s writings have shown that he received a sound grammar-school education, presumably at Stratford .His mother was Mary Arden. Young William followed his father’s trade as merchant. In 1582, aged only 18, Shakespeare married Anne Hathaway, a woman eight years older than older than him, who was already pregnant .Shakespeare’s three children were called Susanna and the twins Hamnet and Judith. Hamnet died at the age of eleven. The former named has interest as it is so similar to the title of one of his greater plays Hamlet. William Shakespeare died on April 23 1616. He was buried in Stratford Churchyard and a few months later, his wife also joined her husband in death.

EDUCATION: William Shakespeare attended the local Grammar School, the King’s New School. This school provided the basic education in Latin and literature. This is where he received the simulation to read and explore for himself the world of ancient and modern history which he later utilized in his plays. In this way he received a good classical education. His time at school was short, as his father’s fortunes declined. So, at the age of thirteen, he was obliged to earn a living to supplement the family income.

CAREER: Shakespeare found employment with a company of actors in London .There he pursued a career as actor, poet and dramatist. His literary gifts appeared in a poem Venus and Adonis in 1595 and this was far beyond what might be expected from one who left school at the age of thirteen. In 1594, he was a member of the company of actors of Lord Chamberlain’s men. His plays were popular and highly successful. His first play was the The Comedy of Errors. In the course of his career in London, he made enough money to enable him to retire in Stratford with a competence.

Early period 1590-1597: In this period, Shakespeare wrote history plays like Richard the Third. Comedies such as The Comedy of Errors, Love’s Labour Lost, The Two Gentlemen of Verona, The Taming of the Shrew and The Rape of Lucrece were published in this period, probably when the theatres were closed down because of the plague. Two tragedies, Titus Andronicus and Romeo and Juliet were also written in these years.

Later period 1597-1600: In these years Shakespeare wrote his mature and brilliant comedies and his most successful history plays. Much Ado About Nothing, As You like It and Twelfth Night exhibit the height of his comic powers. The two parts of Henry the Fourth, Henry the Fifth and Richard the Second show equal mastery. A single Julius Caesar was written in these years.

1600-1608: During these years, Shakespeare wrote his monumental tragedies. Hamlet stands at the beginning of the period .Later came All Well That Ends Well and Measure for Measure. Othello, King Lear, Macbeth and Anthony and Cleopatra are the great tragic works of the years 1604 to 1607.

1608-1612: The plays of Shakespeare’s last period are Cymbeline, The Winter’s Tale and The Tempest. A very different atmosphere pervades these plays where a higher justice and a higher meaning prevail.

Financial Success: In 1599, when the Chamberlain’s Men theatre company moved across The Thames to the Globe theatre, Shakespeare acquired a one-tenth share in the venture. Being a shareholder in a successful theatre company proved more profitable for Shakespeare than writing plays, for which he received only about 6 pounds apiece .In 1603 Queen Elizabeth died and was succeeded by James 1.Shakespeare’s company, in high favour, was renamed the King’s Men and frequently performed at court. By now the playwright was very prosperous and had begun steadily buying property in his home town. Yet it was in this very period that he wrote his profound and disturbing works-great soul racking tragedies such as Hamlet, Othello, King Lear, Macbeth and Anthony and Cleopatra. These convey such a bleak view of life, and so despairing a realization of the world’s cruelty, that it seems plausible to believe that Shakespeare himself was passing through a crisis of some sort.

Nowadays films are being made of his plays in both Hollywood and Bollywood. Hollywood has made Macbeth, Romeo and Juliet and others. Bollywood films have just begun for example Laila-Majnu [Romeo and Juliet], Macqbool [Macbeth] And Omkara [Othello].William Shakespeare is certainly the greatest of all writers in the history of the English language. His plays and poems contain such riches that each generation is able to find new meanings in them. He did not write just for kings and noblemen, but for ordinary people too. Although he lived so long ago, he wrote about things which are still important to us today. His plays are performed in different languages all over the world.

<B> Kelvin BUCKTOWAR</B>