What William Shakespeare wrote. Unexpected departure to Stratford

Shakespeare's life is little known, he shares the fate of the vast majority of other English playwrights of the era, whose personal life was little interested in contemporaries. There are different views on the personality and biography of Shakespeare. The main scientific trend supported by most researchers is the biographical tradition that has developed over several centuries, according to which William Shakespeare was born in the city of Stratford-upon-Avon in a wealthy but not noble family and was a member of the acting troupe of Richard Burbage. This direction of Shakespeare's study is called "Stratfordianism".

There is also an opposite point of view, the so-called "anti-Stratfordianism" or "non-Stratfordianism", whose supporters deny the authorship of Shakespeare (Shakspere) from Stratford and believe that "William Shakespeare" is a pseudonym under which another person or group of persons was hiding. Doubts about the correctness of the traditional point of view have been known since the 18th century. However, among non-Stratfordians there is no unity as to who exactly was the real author Shakespearean works. The number of probable candidates proposed by various researchers currently amounts to several dozen.

Traditional views ("Stratfordianism")

William Shakespeare was born in the town of Stratford-upon-Avon (Warwickshire) in 1564, according to legend, on April 23. His father, John Shakespeare, was a wealthy artisan (glove maker) and usurer, often elected to various public positions, once elected mayor of the city. He did not attend church services, for which he paid large fines (it is possible that he was a secret Catholic). His mother, née Arden, belonged to one of the oldest English surnames. It is believed that Shakespeare studied at the Stratford “grammar school” (English “grammar school”), where he received a serious education: the Stratford teacher of Latin and literature wrote poetry in Latin. Some scholars claim that Shakespeare attended the King Edward VI School in Stratford-upon-Avon, where he studied the work of such poets as Ovid and Plautus, however school magazines not survived, and now nothing can be said for sure.

The reconstructed Globe Theatre, where Shakespeare's troupe worked

Criticism of traditional views ("Non-Stratfordianism")

Now known autographs of Shakespeare from Stratford

The "non-Stratfordian" line of research casts doubt on the possibility of Shakespeare writing a "Shakespearean canon" from Stratford.

For clarity of terminology, non-Stratfordians strictly distinguish between "Shakespeare", the author of Shakespeare's works, and "Shakspere", a resident of Stratford, trying to prove, in contrast to the Stratfordians, that these personalities are not identical.

Proponents of this theory believe that the facts known about Shakspere are in conflict with the content and style of Shakespeare's plays and poems. Numerous theories have been put forward by non-Stratfordians as to their true authorship. In particular, as candidates for the authorship of Shakespeare's plays, non-Stratfordians name Francis Bacon, Christopher Marlo, Roger Manners (Earl of Rutland), Queen Elizabeth and others (respectively, "Baconian", "Rutlandian", etc. hypotheses).

Non-Stratfordian Arguments

Non-Stratfordians are based, among other things, on the following circumstances:

Representatives of non-Stratfordianism

In 2003, Shakespeare was published. secret history»authors who acted under the pseudonym «O. Cosminius" and "O. Melechtius". The authors conduct a detailed investigation, speaking of the Great Mystification, which (allegedly) resulted not only in the personality of Shakespeare, but also in many others. famous figures era.

In Igor Frolov's book "Shakespeare's Equation, or "Hamlet", which we have not read", based on the text of the first editions of "Hamlet" ( , , gg.), A hypothesis was put forward about which historical figures hiding behind the masks of Shakespeare's heroes.

Dramaturgy

English drama and theater in the time of William Shakespeare

English playwrights, predecessors and contemporaries of William Shakespeare

Main article: Theatrical technique in the era of William Shakespeare

The question of periodization

Researchers of Shakespeare's work (Danish literary critic G. Brandes, publisher of the Russian complete works of Shakespeare S. A. Vengerov) in late XIX- at the beginning of the 20th century, based on the chronology of the works, they presented his spiritual evolution from a “cheerful mood”, faith in the triumph of justice, humanistic ideals at the beginning of the path to disappointment and the destruction of all illusions at the end. However, in last years there was an opinion that the conclusion about the identity of the author on his works is a mistake.

In 1930, the Shakespeare scholar E.K. Chambers proposed a chronology of Shakespeare's work by genre, later it was corrected by J. McManway. There were four periods: the first (1590-1594) - early: chronicles, Renaissance comedies, "tragedy of horror" ("Titus Andronicus"), two poems; the second (1594-1600) - Renaissance comedies, the first mature tragedy ("Romeo and Juliet"), chronicles with elements of tragedy, chronicles with elements of comedy, ancient tragedy ("Julius Caesar"), sonnets; third (1601-1608) - great tragedies, ancient tragedies, "dark comedies"; fourth (1609-1613) - fairy tale dramas with a tragic beginning and happy ending. Some of the Shakespeare scholars, including A. A. Smirnov, combined the first and second periods into one early one.

First period (1590-1594)

The first period is approximately 1590-1594 years.

According to literary methods it can be called a period of imitation: Shakespeare is still completely at the mercy of his predecessors. By mood this period was defined by supporters of the biographical approach to the study of Shakespeare's work as a period of idealistic faith in the best sides life: “The young Shakespeare enthusiastically punishes vice in his historical tragedies and enthusiastically sings of high and poetic feelings - friendship, self-sacrifice, and especially love” (Vengerov).

Probably Shakespeare's first plays were the three parts of Henry VI. Source for this and subsequent historical chronicles Holinshed's "Chronicles" served. The theme that unites all Shakespearean chronicles is the change in a series of weak and incapable rulers who led the country to civil strife and civil war and the restoration of order with the accession of the Tudor dynasty. Like Marlowe in Edward II, Shakespeare not only describes historical events, but explores the motives behind the actions of the characters.

S. A. Vengerov saw the transition to the second period “in absence toy poetry of youth, which is so characteristic of the first period. The heroes are still young, but they have already lived a decent life and the main thing for them in life is pleasure. The portion is piquant, lively, but already the gentle charms of the girls of the Two Veronians, and even more so Juliet, are not in it at all.

At the same time, Shakespeare creates an immortal and most interesting type, which until now had no analogues in world literature - Sir John Falstaff. The success of both parts Henry IV» last but not least, the merit of this brightest actor chronicle, which immediately became popular. The character is undoubtedly negative, but with a complex character. A materialist, an egoist, a man without ideals: honor is nothing for him, an observant and insightful skeptic. He denies honors, power and wealth: he needs money only as a means of obtaining food, wine and women. But the essence of the comic, the grain of the image of Falstaff is not only his wit, but also a cheerful laugh at himself and the world around him. His strength is in the knowledge of human nature, everything that binds a person is disgusting to him, he is the personification of the freedom of the spirit and unscrupulousness. A man of the passing era, he is not needed where the state is powerful. Realizing that such a character is out of place in a drama about an ideal ruler, in " Henry V Shakespeare removes it: the audience is simply informed of Falstaff's death. According to tradition, it is believed that at the request of Queen Elizabeth, who wanted to see Falstaff on stage again, Shakespeare resurrected him in " The Merry Wives of Windsor» . But this is only a pale copy of the former Falstaff. He lost his knowledge of the world around him, there is no more healthy irony, laughter at himself. Only a self-satisfied rogue remained.

Much more successful is the attempt to return to the Falstaff type in the final play of the second period - "Twelfth Night". Here, in the person of Sir Toby and his entourage, we have, as it were, a second edition of Sir John, although without his sparkling wit, but with the same infectious good-natured chivalry. It also perfectly fits into the framework of the “Falstaffian” period, for the most part, a rude mockery of women in "The Taming of the Shrew".

Third period (1600-1609)

The third period of artistic activity, approximately covering 1600-1609 years, supporters of the subjectivist biographical approach to Shakespeare’s work call the period of “deep spiritual darkness”, considering the appearance of the melancholic character Jacques in comedy as a sign of a changed worldview "As You Like It" and calling him almost the predecessor of Hamlet. However, some researchers believe that Shakespeare, in the image of Jacques, only ridiculed melancholy, and the period of alleged disappointments in life (according to the supporters of the biographical method) is not actually confirmed by the facts of Shakespeare's biography. The time when the playwright created the greatest tragedies coincides with the flowering of his creative powers, the solution of material difficulties and the achievement high position in society.

Around 1600 Shakespeare creates "Hamlet", according to many critics, is his deepest work. Shakespeare kept the plot of the well-known tragedy of revenge, but shifted all his attention to spiritual discord, the inner drama of the protagonist. A new type of hero has been introduced into the traditional revenge drama. Shakespeare was ahead of his time - Hamlet is not familiar tragic hero carrying out vengeance for the sake of Divine justice. Coming to the conclusion that it is impossible to restore harmony with one blow, he experiences the tragedy of alienation from the world and dooms himself to loneliness. According to the definition of L. E. Pinsky, Hamlet is the first "reflective" hero of world literature.

Cordelia. Painting by William F. Yemens (1888)

The heroes of Shakespeare's "great tragedies" are outstanding people in whom good and evil are mixed. Faced with the disharmony of the world around them, they make a difficult choice - how to exist in it, they create their own destiny and bear full responsibility for it.

At the same time, Shakespeare creates drama. Despite the fact that in the First Folio of 1623 it is classified as a comedy, there is almost no comic in this serious work about an unjust judge. Its name refers to the teaching of Christ about mercy, in the course of action one of the heroes is in mortal danger, and the ending can be considered conditionally happy. This problematic work does not fit into a specific genre, but exists on the verge of genres: going back to morality, it is directed towards tragicomedy.

• Sonnets dedicated to a friend: 1 -126
  • Chanting a friend: 1 -26
  • Friendship Trials: 27 -99
    • The bitterness of separation: 27 -32
    • First disappointment in a friend: 33 -42
    • Longing and fears: 43 -55
    • Growing alienation and melancholy: 56 -75
    • Rivalry and jealousy towards other poets: 76 -96
    • "Winter" of separation: 97 -99
  • Celebration of Renewed Friendship: 100 -126
• Sonnets dedicated to a swarthy lover: 127 -152
• Conclusion - the joy and beauty of love: 153 -154

Dating problems

First publications

It is estimated that half (18) of Shakespeare's plays were published in one way or another during the playwright's lifetime. The folio of 1623 (the so-called "First Folio"), published by Shakespeare's troupe actors John Heming and Henry Condel, is considered to be the most important publication of Shakespeare's legacy. This edition includes 36 Shakespeare's plays - all except "Pericles" and "Two Noble Kinsmen". It is this edition that underlies all research in the field of Shakespeare.

Authorship issues

Plays commonly considered Shakespearean

• The Comedy of Errors (g. - first edition, - probable year of first production)
• Titus Andronicus (g. - first edition, authorship is debatable)
• Romeo and Juliet
• A Midsummer Night's Dream
• Merchant of Venice ( r. - first edition, - probable year of writing)
• King Richard III (r. - first edition)
• Measure for Measure (g. - first edition, December 26 - first production)
• King John (r. - first edition of the original text)
• Henry VI (r. - first edition)
• Henry IV (r. - first edition)
• Love's Labour's Lost (g. - first edition)
• As You Like It (writing - - gg., d. - first edition)
• Twelfth Night (writing - not later, d. - first edition)
• Julius Caesar (writing -, g. - first edition)
• Henry V (r. - first edition)
• Much Ado About Nothing (r. - first edition)
• The Merry Wives of Windsor (g. - first edition)
• Hamlet, Prince of Denmark ( r. - first edition, r. - second edition)
• All's well that ends well (writing - - gg., g. - first edition)
• Othello (creation - no later than the year, first edition - year)
• King Lear (December 26
• Macbeth (creation - c., first edition - c.)
• Anthony and Cleopatra (creation - d., first edition - d.)
• Coriolanus ( r. - year of writing)
• Pericles (g. - first edition)
• Troilus and Cressida ( d. - first publication)
• Tempest (November 1 - first production, city - first edition)
• Cymbeline (writing - g., g. - first edition)
• Winter's Tale (g. - the only surviving edition)
• The Taming of the Shrew ( d. - first publication)
• Two Veronians ( d. - first publication)
• Henry VIII ( r. - first publication)
• Timon of Athens ( d. - first publication)

Apocrypha and lost works

Main article: Apocrypha and Lost Works of William Shakespeare

Love's Efforts Rewarded (1598)

Literary criticism of the works of the Shakespeare Corpus

Russian writer Lev Nikolayevich Tolstoy in his critical essay"On Shakespeare and Drama", based on a detailed analysis of some of the most popular works Shakespeare, in particular: "King Lear", "Othello", "Falstaff", "Hamlet" and others - sharply criticized Shakespeare's abilities as a playwright.

Musical Theatre

• - "Otello" (opera), composer G. Rossini
• - "Capulets and Montagues" (opera), composer V. Bellini
• - “The Prohibition of Love, or the Novice from Palermo” (opera), composer R. Wagner
• - "The Merry Wives of Windsor" (opera), composer O. Nikolai
• - "A Midsummer Night's Dream" (opera), composer A. Toma
• - "Beatrice and Benedict" (opera), composer G. Berlioz
• - "Romeo and Juliet" (opera), composer Ch. Gounod
• A. Thomas
• - "Otello" (opera), composer G. Verdi
• - "The Tempest" (ballet), composer A. Toma
• - "Falstaff" (opera), composer G. Verdi
• - "Sir John in Love" (opera), composer R. Vaughan Williams
• - "Romeo and Juliet" (ballet), composer S. Prokofiev
• - The Taming of the Shrew (opera), composer V. Shebalin
• - "A Midsummer Night's Dream" (opera), composer B. Britten
• - "Hamlet" (opera), composer A. D. Machavariani
• - "Hamlet" (opera), composer S. Slonimsky
• - "King Lear" (opera), composer S. Slonimsky

• A crater on Mercury is named after Shakespeare.
• Shakespeare (according to the Stratfordian position) and Cervantes both died in 1616
• Shakespeare's last direct descendant from Stratford was his granddaughter Elizabeth (b. 1608), daughter of Susan Shakespeare and Dr. John Hall. Three sons of Judith Shakespeare (married Queenie) died young without issue.

Notes

Bibliography

• Anikst A. A.. Shakespeare theater. M.: Art, . - 328°C. 2nd ed.: M., Drofa Publishing House, . - 287 p. - ISBN 5-358-01292-3
• Anikst A. Shakespeare: The Dramatist's Craft. M .: Soviet writer, . - 607 p.
• Anikst A. Shakespeare. M.: Mol. guard, . - 367 p. ("Life of Remarkable People")
• Anikst A. Shakespeare's work. - M .: Goslitizdat, . - 615 p.

The great playwright of Renaissance England, the national poet, who received world recognition, William Shakespeare was born in the town of Stratford, which is located north of London. Only information about his baptism on April 26, 1564 has been preserved in history.

The boy's parents were John Shakespeare and Mary Arden. They were among the wealthy citizens of the city. The boy's father, in addition to agriculture, was engaged in the manufacture of gloves, as well as petty usury. He was elected several times to the city's board of directors, he was a constable and even a mayor.

According to some reports, John belonged to the Catholic faith, for which at the end of his life he was persecuted, forcing him to sell all his lands. During his life, he paid large sums to the Protestant church for not attending services. William's mother was a native Saxon, she belonged to an ancient respected family. Mary gave birth to 8 children, the third of which was William.

In Stratford, little William Shakespeare received a good education for those times. As a child, he entered a grammar school, where they studied Latin and ancient Greek. For a deeper and more complete mastery of ancient languages, it was assumed that students would participate in school plays plays in Latin.

According to some reports, in addition to this educational institution William Shakespeare in his youth also attended the royal school, which was also located in his native town. There he had the opportunity to get acquainted with ancient Roman poetic works.

Personal life

At the age of 18, young William began an affair with the 26-year-old daughter of a neighbor, Anne Hathaway, whom they soon married. The reason for the hasty marriage was the girl's pregnancy. In those days, premarital affairs in England were considered the norm, marriage often took place after the conception of the first child. The only condition for such relationships was a mandatory wedding before the birth of a child. When the couple's daughter Susan was born in 1583, William was happy. All his life he was especially attached to her, even after the birth of twins, a son, Hemnet, and a second daughter, Judith, two years later.

There were no more children in the poet's family, most likely due to the second difficult birth of his wife Ann. In 1596, the Shakespeare couple will experience a personal tragedy: during an epidemic of dysentery, their only heir will die. After William moved to London, his family remained in his hometown. Infrequently, but regularly, William visited his relatives.

Historians build many mysteries about his personal life in London. It is possible that the playwright lived alone. Some researchers of the poet's biography attribute to him love affairs, including males. But this information remains unproven.

Unknown seven years

William Shakespeare is one of the few authors about whom information was collected literally bit by bit. Very little direct evidence of his life remains. Basically, all information about William Shakespeare was extracted from secondary sources, such as statements of contemporaries or administrative records. Therefore, about seven years after the birth of his twins and before the first mention of his work in London, researchers are building riddles.

Shakespeare is credited with serving a noble landowner as a teacher, and working in London theaters as a prompter, stagehand and even a horse breeder. But there is no truly reliable information about this period of the poet's life.

London period

In 1592, a statement by the English poet Robert Greene appeared in the press about the work of the young William. This is the first mention of Shakespeare as an author. The aristocrat in his pamphlet tried to ridicule the young playwright, as he saw in him a strong competitor, but who did not differ in noble birth and good education. At the same time, mention is made of the first productions of Shakespeare's play Henry VI at London's Rose Theatre.

This work was written in the spirit of the popular English chronicle genre. This type of performance was common during the Renaissance in England, it was epic in nature, the scenes and paintings were often not connected to each other. The chronicles were called upon to sing of the statehood of England as opposed to feudal fragmentation and internecine wars.

It is known that since 1594 William has been a member of the Lord Chamberlain's Servants, a large acting community and soon becomes its co-founder. The performances brought great success, and the troupe for a short time so rich that she allowed herself to build over the next five years famous building the Globe Theatre. And by 1608, the theater-goers also acquired an enclosed space, which they called Blackfriars.

In many ways, success was facilitated by the goodwill of the rulers of England: Elizabeth I and her heir James I, who theater group acquired permission to change status. Since 1603, the troupe has received the name "Servants of the King". Shakespeare not only wrote plays, he also took an active part in the staging of his works. In particular, information has been preserved that William played the main roles in all his plays.

State

According to some testimonies, in particular, about the real estate purchases made by William Shakespeare, he earned enough and was successful in financial affairs. The playwright is credited with practicing usury.

Thanks to his savings, in 1597 William was able to afford to buy a spacious mansion in Stratford. In addition, after his death, Shakespeare was immediately buried in the altar of the Church of the Holy Trinity of his native city. Such an honor was given to him not for special merits, but for the fact that during his lifetime he paid the due amount for the place of his burial.

Periods of creativity

The great playwright created an immortal treasury that nourishes world culture for more than five centuries in a row. The plots of his plays have become an inspiration not only for artists drama theaters, but also for many composers, as well as for filmmakers. Throughout his creative life, Shakespeare repeatedly changed the nature of writing his works.

His first plays in their structure often copied genres and plots popular at that time, such as chronicles, comedies of the Renaissance (“The Taming of the Shrew”), “tragedies of horror” (“Titus Andronicus”). These were cumbersome works with a large number of characters and an unnatural style for perception. On the classical forms for that time, the young Shakespeare comprehended the basics of writing a drama.

The second half of the 90s of the 16th century was marked by the appearance of dramatic compositions for the theater that were sharpened in form and content. The poet is looking for a new form, without departing from the given framework of the Renaissance comedy and tragedy. It fills the old obsolete forms with new content. So the brilliant tragedy "Romeo and Juliet", the comedies "A Midsummer Night's Dream", "The Merchant of Venice" are born. The freshness of the verse in the new works of Shakespeare is combined with an unusual and memorable plot, which makes these plays popular with the public of all segments of the population.

At the same time, Shakespeare creates a cycle of sonnets, the famous genre of love poetry at that time. For almost two centuries, these poetic masterpieces of the master were forgotten, but with the advent of romanticism, they regained their fame. In the 19th century, there was a fashion for quoting immortal lines written at the end of the Renaissance by an English genius.

Thematically, the poems are love letters to an unknown young man, and only the last 26 sonnets out of 154 are an appeal to a black-haired lady. Many researchers see autobiographical features in this cycle, suggesting an unconventional orientation of the playwright. But some historians are inclined to think that these sonnets use William Shakespeare's appeal to his patron and friend the Earl of Southampton in the then adopted secular society form.

At the turn of the century, works appeared in the work of William Shakespeare that made his name immortal in the history of world literature and theater. A practically successful, creatively and financially successful playwright creates a number of tragedies that brought him fame not only in England. These are the plays Hamlet, Macbeth, King Lear, Othello. These works raised the popularity of the Globe Theater to the heights of one of the most visited places of entertainment in London. At the same time, the fortune of its owners, including Shakespeare, has increased many times over a short period.

At the end of his career, Shakespeare composes a series immortal works, which surprised contemporaries with their new form. They combine tragedy with comedy. fairy tales woven into the fabric of descriptions of situations from Everyday life. First of all, these are fantasy plays "The Tempest", " winter fairy tale", as well as dramas on antique stories- Coriolanus, Antony and Cleopatra. In these works, Shakespeare acted as a great connoisseur of the laws of drama, who easily and gracefully combines the features of tragedy and fairy tale, a complex high style and understandable speech turns.

Individually, many of dramatic works Shakespeare were published during his lifetime. But complete collection works, which included almost all the canonical plays of the playwright, appeared only in 1623. The collection was printed on the initiative of Shakespeare's friends William John Heming and Henry Condela, who worked in the troupe of the Globe. The book, consisting of 36 plays by the English author, was published under the title "First Folio".

During the 17th century, three more folios were published, which came out with some changes and with the addition of previously unpublished plays.

Death

Since the last years of his life, William Shakespeare suffered from a serious illness, as evidenced by his altered handwriting, he created some of the last plays in collaboration with another playwright of the troupe, whose name was John Fletcher.

After 1613, Shakespeare finally leaves London, but does not give up doing some business. He still has time to participate in the trial of his friend as a defense witness, and also acquires another mansion in the former Blackfriar parish. For some time, William Shakespeare lives on the estate of his son-in-law John Hall.

Three years before his death, William Shakespeare writes his will, in which he leaves almost all his property to his eldest daughter. The English writer died at the end of April 1616 in own house. His wife Ann outlived her husband by 7 years.

In family eldest daughter Susan by this time had already been born the granddaughter of the genius Elizabeth, but she died childless. In family youngest daughter Shakespeare's Judith, who married just two months after her father's death to Thomas Quiney, had three boys, but they all died in their youth. Therefore, Shakespeare did not have direct descendants.

• No one knows the exact date of the birth of William Shakespeare. In the arsenal of historians there is only a church record of the baby's baptism, which took place on April 26, 1564. Researchers suggest that the ceremony was performed on the third day after birth. Accordingly, in an incredible way, the date of birth and death of the playwright fell on the same date - April 23.
• The great English poet had a phenomenal memory, his knowledge could be compared with encyclopedic. In addition to knowing two ancient languages, he also knew the modern dialects of France, Italy and Spain, although he himself never left the borders of the English state. Shakespeare understood both the subtle historical issues and the current political environment. His knowledge affected music and painting, he thoroughly studied a whole layer of botany.

• Many historians tend to think of gay poet, referring to the fact that the playwright lived separately from his family, as well as his long friendship with the Earl of Southampton, who had a habit of dressing in women's clothing and apply a large amount of paint on the face. But there is no direct evidence for this.
• The Protestant faith of Shakespeare and his family remains in doubt. There is circumstantial evidence that his father belonged to the Catholic denomination. But during the reign of Elizabeth I, it was forbidden to be an open Catholic, so many adherents of this branch simply paid off the reformers and attended Catholic worship in secret.

• The only autograph of the writer that has survived to this day is his will. In it, he lists all his property to the smallest detail, but never mentions his literary works.
• Throughout his life, presumably, Shakespeare changed about 10 professions. He was a theater stable keeper, actor, theater co-founder and stage director. In parallel with acting, William conducted usurious business, and at the end of his life he was engaged in brewing and renting out housing.
• Modern historians support the version of unknown writer who made Shakespeare his figurehead. Even the Encyclopædia Britannica does not refuse the version that Count Edward de Vere could create plays under the pseudonym Shakespeare. According to a number of guesses, it could be Lord Francis Bacon, Queen Elizabeth I, and even a whole group of people of aristocratic origin.

• The poetic style of Shakespeare had a great influence on the development of the English language, forming the basis of modern grammar, as well as enriching literary speech Englishmen with new phrases, which were used as quotations from the works of the classic. Shakespeare left over 1,700 new words as a legacy to his compatriots.

Famous Shakespeare quotes

Famous phrases of the classic often contain philosophical thoughts which are expressed very precisely and concisely. A large number of subtle observations devoted to the love sphere. Here is some of them:

• “You are trying so hard to judge the sins of others - start with your own and you won’t get to strangers”;
• "Oaths given in a storm are forgotten in calm weather";
• “With one look you can kill love, with one look you can resurrect it”;
• “What does the name mean? A rose smells like a rose, even if you call it a rose, even if you don’t”;
• "Love flees from those who chase after it, and those who run away, throw themselves on the neck."

William Shakespeare was born April 23, 1564 in small town Stratford-upon-Avon (Eng. Stratford-upon-Avon). His father, John Shakespeare, was a glove maker, and in 1568 he was elected mayor of the city. His mother, Mary Shakespeare of the Arden family, belonged to one of the oldest English families. It is believed that Shakespeare studied at the Stratford "grammar school", where he studied Latin language, the basics of Greek and gained knowledge ancient mythology, history and literature reflected in his work. At the age of 18, Shakespeare married Anne Hathaway, from whom a daughter Susanna and twins Hamnet and Judith were born. Between 1579 and 1588 commonly called "lost years", because. there is no exact information about what Shakespeare did. Around 1587, Shakespeare left his family and moved to London, where he took up theatrical activities.

The first mention of Shakespeare as a writer, we find in 1592 in the dying pamphlet of the playwright Robert Greene "For a penny of a mind bought for a million remorse", where Greene spoke of him as dangerous competitor("upstart", "crow flaunting our feathers"). In 1594, Shakespeare was listed as one of the shareholders of Richard Burbage's troupe "Servants of the Lord Chamberlain" (Chamberlain's Men), and in 1599 Shakespeare became one of the co-owners of the new Globe Theatre. By this time, Shakespeare was getting enough wealthy man, buys the second largest house in Stratford, receives the right to a family coat of arms and the title of nobility - a gentleman. For many years Shakespeare was engaged in usury, and in 1605 he became a farmer of church tithes. In 1612 Shakespeare left London and returned to his native Stratford. On March 25, 1616, a will was drawn up by a notary and on April 23, 1616, on his birthday, Shakespeare dies.

The entire career of Shakespeare - the period from 1590 to 1612. usually divided into three or four periods.

I (optimistic) period (1590-1600)

The general character of the works of the first period can be defined as optimistic, colored by a joyful perception of life in all its diversity, a belief in the triumph of the smart and the good. During this period, Shakespeare mostly writes comedies:

The theme of almost all of Shakespeare's comedies is love, its emergence and development, the resistance and intrigues of others, and the victory of a bright young feeling. The action of the works takes place against the backdrop of beautiful landscapes flooded with moonlight or sunlight. This is how it appears before us Magic world Shakespeare's comedies are seemingly far from fun. Shakespeare has a great ability, talented to combine the comic (the witty duels of Benedict and Beatrice in Much Ado About Nothing, Petruchio and Catharina from The Taming of the Shrew) with the lyrical and even tragic (the betrayals of Proteus in The Two Veronians, the intrigues of Shylock in " Merchant of Venice"). Shakespeare's characters are amazingly multifaceted, their images embody the features characteristic of Renaissance people: will, desire for independence, and love of life. Of particular interest are the female images of these comedies - equal to men, free, energetic, active and infinitely charming. Shakespeare's comedies Shakespeare uses various genres of comedies - a romantic comedy ("A Midsummer Night's Dream"), a comedy of characters ("The Taming of the Shrew"), a sitcom ("Comedy of Errors").

During the same period (1590-1600) Shakespeare wrote a number of historical chronicles. Each of which covers one of the periods of English history.

About the time of the struggle of the Scarlet and White Roses:

On the preceding period of struggle between the feudal barons and the absolute monarchy:

The genre of dramatic chronicle is peculiar only to the English Renaissance. Most likely, it happened because the beloved theatrical genre Early English Middle Ages were mysteries on secular motifs. The dramaturgy of the mature Renaissance was formed under their influence; and in the dramatic chronicles, many mystery features are preserved: a wide coverage of events, many characters, a free alternation of episodes. However, unlike the mysteries, the chronicles do not present bible story and the history of the state. Here, in essence, he also refers to the ideals of harmony - but the harmony of the state, which he sees in the victory of the monarchy over the medieval feudal civil strife. In the finale of the plays, good triumphs; evil, no matter how terrible and bloody was his way, overthrown. Thus, in the first period of Shakespeare's work at different levels - personal and state - the main Renaissance idea is interpreted: the achievement of harmony and humanistic ideals.

During the same period, Shakespeare wrote two tragedies:

II (tragic) period (1601-1607)

It is considered the tragic period of Shakespeare's work. Dedicated mainly to tragedy. It was during this period that the playwright reaches the pinnacle of his work:

There is no longer a trace of a harmonious sense of the world in them; eternal and insoluble conflicts are revealed here. Here the tragedy lies not only in the clash of the individual and society, but also in internal contradictions in the heart of a hero. The problem is brought to a general philosophical level, and the characters remain unusually multifaceted and psychologically voluminous. At the same time, it is very important that in the great tragedies of Shakespeare there is a complete absence of a fatalistic attitude towards fate, which predetermines tragedy. The main emphasis, as before, is placed on the personality of the hero, who shapes his own destiny and the fate of those around him.

During the same period, Shakespeare wrote two comedies:

III (romantic) period (1608-1612)

It is considered the romantic period of Shakespeare's work.

Works of the last period of his work:

These are poetic tales leading away from reality into the world of dreams. The complete conscious rejection of realism and retreat into romantic fantasy is naturally interpreted by Shakespeare scholars as the playwright's disappointment in humanistic ideals, the recognition of the impossibility of achieving harmony. This path - from a triumphantly jubilant faith in harmony to tired disappointment - actually went through the entire worldview of the Renaissance.

Shakespeare's Globe Theater

The incomparable world popularity of Shakespeare's plays was facilitated by the playwright's excellent knowledge of the theater "from the inside". Almost all of Shakespeare's London life was one way or another connected with the theater, and from 1599 - with the Globe Theater, which was one of the most important centers cultural life England. It was here that the troupe of R. Burbage "Servants of the Lord Chamberlain" moved to the newly built building, just at the time when Shakespeare became one of the shareholders of the troupe. Shakespeare played on the stage until about 1603 - in any case, after this time there is no mention of his participation in performances. Apparently, as an actor, Shakespeare was not particularly popular - there is evidence that he performed minor and episodic roles. Nonetheless, stage school was passed - work on the stage undoubtedly helped Shakespeare to better understand the mechanisms of interaction between the actor and the audience and the secrets of audience success. Audience success was very important for Shakespeare, both as a theater shareholder and as a playwright - and after 1603 he remained closely associated with the Globe, on the stage of which almost all the plays he wrote were staged. The design of the Globe hall predetermined the combination of spectators of various social and property strata at one performance, while the theater could accommodate at least 1,500 spectators. The playwright and actors faced the most difficult task of keeping the attention of a heterogeneous audience. Shakespeare's plays maximum degree responded to this task, enjoying success with viewers of all categories.

The mobile architectonics of Shakespeare's plays was largely determined by the peculiarities of the theatrical technique of the 16th century. - an open stage without a curtain, a minimum of props, extreme conventionality stage design. This forced to focus on the actor and his stage skills. Each role in Shakespeare's plays (often written for a specific actor) is psychologically voluminous and provides huge opportunities her stage interpretation; the lexical structure of speech changes not only from play to play and from character to character, but also transforms depending on internal development and stage circumstances (Hamlet, Othello, Richard III, etc.). No wonder many world-famous actors shone in the roles of Shakespeare's repertoire.

The Language and Stage Means of Shakespeare

In general, the language of Shakespeare's dramatic works is unusually rich: according to the studies of philologists and literary critics, his dictionary contains more than 15,000 words. The speech of the characters is replete with all sorts of tropes - metaphors, allegories, paraphrases, etc. The playwright used many forms of 16th-century lyric poetry in his plays. - sonnet, canzone, alba, epithalamus, etc. White verse, with which his plays are mainly written, is distinguished by flexibility and naturalness. This is the reason for the great attraction of Shakespeare's work for translators. In particular, many masters turned to translations of Shakespeare's plays in Russia. artistic text- from N. Karamzin to A. Radlova, V. Nabokov, B. Pasternak, M. Donskoy and others.