Shakespeare


                    

The order in which the plays of William Shakespeare were written is uncertain .We know very little about his life .He was born and educated at Stratford, married Ann Hathoway in 1582 and went to London where he worked in a theatre .It is known that he was an actor and dramatist by 1592.

Shakespeare first began working as a dramatist by improving the work of other writers, the three plays which tell the story of Henry VI are example of this. In the smooth blanc verse of Richard III ,the sense usually ends with the line of happy ending .In Richard II there is rather more freedom although the line usually ends at a natural pause .Shakespeare has not yet developed the master’s freedom which brings such freshness and power to verse plays.

“Romeo and Juliet”(1594-1595) is the first Shakespeare’s great tragedy .The plot of this story of pure and tragic love is known in all parts of the civilized world.Their families are enemies and death is the only way out of their homeless situation .The tragedy is deeply said and moving but without the shock of the terrible tragedies that followed later.

The first of the comedies was probably a comedy of errors .Its plot depends on the likeness of twins and the likeness of their twin servants ,with resulting confusion .“Midsummer Night’s Dream”(1595-1596) shows Shakespeare’s growing power in comedy. The different stories of this play are usually mixed together with great skill .The feeling of the lover are never fire the audience;something really funny always internets them in time.But there is true sympathy in the treatment of chatacter and a great deal of beauty in many descriptive lines.

“As you like it”- another important comedy is the story of a good duke living in the forest of Ardem because his evil brother has driven him out of his country .Love affairs play an important part and interest is increased when the girl Rosalind dresses herself as a man .Minor characters in the play is the sad and thoughtful Jacques and the wise fool Touchstone .The pastoral setting gives us some beautiful descriptions but there is a reality about the characters that was not to be seen in earier pastoral poetry and plays .

“Twelfth Knights” (around 1600),has been called the perfection of English comedy .The whole play is alive with humour and action. The skill and the changes from bright to dark ,from gentle to severe ,is watched by the skill in the arrangement of the verse and prose .The duke Orsino believe that he is inlove with lady Olivia but he is more inlove with love .There are twins again and they cause confusion when the girl dresses like her brother .Two knights-Sir Toby and Sir Andrew provide amusement with their foolish plans and their drinking .The play contains several songs.

“Julius Caesar” (around 1599) is probably the best Shakespeare’s play .In the earier play there is not enough thought to feel the language .The later plays are difficult because so much thought is pressed into the language that it is not very clear. Its structure is also clear ,the rise from the introduction to the Chrisis in act 3 and the tragic end to the play(the deaths of the conspirators).The hero Brutos who joins Casios and the other conspirators in the plan to kill Caesar.They believe that he wants to make himself king.

“Hamlet” (around 1600) In Hamlet the prince of that name suspects that his father(king of Denmark)has been murdered by his uncle Claudius. Claudius has become king and has married his mother.The ghost of Hamlet ‘s ghost death father appears to him in his castle-Elsinor and tells him about the murder. Hamlet decides on revenge,but then he begins to think too much and to hasitate .Hamlet must try to find proof of the murder. In the crises in the 3 act Hamlet has his proof but still hesitates .The play still holds our attention and Hamlet keeps our sympathy to the end.

 “King Lear” In King Lear (1606) we see an old king thrown out of his home by two wicked daughters and treated so badly that he goes mad and dies .It is perhaps Shakespeare’s greatest work reaching into the deepest plays of the human spirit but as a play on the stage it is very difficult to act .Lear gives his kingdom to the two evil daughters who flatter him and nothing to the youngest girl who tell the truth but loves him bad.

“Macbeth” (1605-1606)In Macbeth ,the hero Macbeth must be considered together with his wife lady Macbeth .Three old witches tell Macbeth that he will receive high honours and then become a king.The high honours come and he decides to help fate to make him king .King Dunkan stays with him at his castle and he and lady Macbeth murder the king .But Dunkan’s son Malcolm and Donal Bain escape.Malcolm brings an army against Macbeth who is killed .Lady Macbeth is already dead.

“Otello” (1604-1605) is the story of a brave man mooring commander in Cyrpus who has a beautiful wife Desdemond .Yago, an evil soldier, has seen Casion rased in rang above him and tries to make Otelo believe that Casion and Desdemon are lovers .Otello believes this and kills Desdemon.

The immense power and variety of Shakespeare’s work have lead to the idea that one man can not have written it all ;yet it must be true that one man did.