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, was one of the oldest English surnames. It is believed that Shakespeare studied at the Stratford "grammar school", where he studied Latin language, the basics of Greek and received knowledge of 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.

We find the first mention of Shakespeare as a writer 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 a dangerous competitor ("upstart", "crow flaunting in 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.

Whole creative way 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 for the most part 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 bathed in moonlight or sunlight. This is how the magical world of Shakespeare's comedies appears before us, seemingly far from fun. Shakespeare has a great ability, talent to combine the comic (the duels in wit between 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 machinations of Shylock in Merchant of Venice). Shakespeare's characters are amazingly multifaceted, their images embody the features characteristic of people of the Renaissance: will, desire for independence, and love of life. Particularly interesting female images of these comedies are equal to a man, free, energetic, active and infinitely charming. Shakespeare's comedies are varied. Shakespeare uses various genres comedy - romantic comedy ("Dream in midsummer night”), comedy of characters (“The Taming of the Shrew”), 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 on 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.

Artworks last period his creations:

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. Nevertheless, 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. - outdoor stage no curtain, minimum 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; lexical structure 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 in his plays. lyric poetry 16th century - 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.

William Shakespeare is one of the greatest playwrights and poets in history. His works are studied in all schools of the world, and his plays have been translated into all major languages ​​and staged on theater stages more often than plays by any other authors.

Shakespeare's works consist of 38 plays, 154 sonnets, 4 poems and 3 epitaphs. Shakespeare is called the national poet of England, and his surname is translated from English as "a terrific spear."

However, there were those who were skeptical about creativity English writer. One of his most authoritative critics was. He publicly criticized Shakespeare's abilities as a playwright.

At the same time, the great Russian playwright called Shakespeare an "objective poet" and greatly admired him. considered Chekhov a successor of Shakespearean traditions.

Death

In the last years of his life, William Shakespeare lived in his native city, where he continued to write plays. What he did is still impossible to say due to the lack of any reliable historical information.

Biographers studying Shakespeare's manuscripts have noted that at the end of his life, his handwriting became more sweeping and uncertain. Based on this, some of them put forward the version that the playwright was seriously ill.

After his death, all his property passed to his daughters. An interesting fact is that at the place where Shakespeare lived his last years, a monument was later erected to him.

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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 Catholic religion, 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 Protestant Church for not attending the service. 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 assimilation of ancient languages, students were supposed to participate in school productions of 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 intended 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. Performances brought big success, and the troupe for a short time She became so rich that she allowed herself to build the famous building of the Globe Theater over the next five years. And by 1608, the theatergoers also acquired closed room, which was 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 has nourished world culture for more than five centuries in a row. The plots of his plays became an inspiration not only for actors of drama theaters, but also for many composers, as well as for film directors. For all my 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.

Second half of the 90s XVI century was marked by the appearance of dramaturgically perfected in form and content compositions for the theater. 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 who 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 ancient subjects - 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 Shakespeare's dramatic works were published during his lifetime. But the complete collection of 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. Book of 36 plays English author, saw the light under the name "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 his own house. His wife Ann outlived her husband by 7 years.

In the family of the eldest daughter Susan, by this time the granddaughter of the genius Elizabeth had already been born, but she died childless. In the family of Shakespeare's youngest daughter Judith, who married just two months after her father's death to Thomas Queenie, there were 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 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 are devoted to the love sphere. Here are 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."

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 bathed in moonlight or sunlight. This is how the magical world of Shakespeare's comedies appears before us, seemingly far from fun. Shakespeare has a great ability, talent to combine the comic (the duels in wit between 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 machinations of Shylock in Merchant of Venice). Shakespeare's characters are amazingly multifaceted, their images embody the features characteristic of people of the Renaissance: 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 are varied. 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, this happened because the favorite theatrical genre of the early English Middle Ages was mysteries with 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 biblical history, but 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 the internal contradictions in the soul of the 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 somehow connected with the theater, and from 1599 - with the Globe Theater, which was one of the most important centers of cultural life in 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, Shakespeare was not very popular as an actor - there is evidence that he played minor and episodic roles. Nevertheless, the stage school was completed - work on the stage undoubtedly helped Shakespeare 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 responded to this task to the maximum extent, enjoying success with audiences 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, an extreme convention of 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 great opportunities for its 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 glorious history of Shakespeare's Globe Theater began in 1599, when in London, distinguished big love to theatrical art, the buildings of public public theaters were built one after another. During the construction of the Globe, building materials were used that were left over from the dismantled building of the very first public London theater (it was called the Theatre). The owners of the building, a troupe of famous English actors Berbedzhey, the term of the land lease has expired; so they decided to rebuild the theater in a new place. The leading playwright of the troupe, William Shakespeare, who by 1599 became one of the shareholders of Burbage's The Lord Chamberlain's Servants, was undoubtedly involved in this decision.

Theaters for the general public were built in London mainly outside the City, i.e. - outside the jurisdiction of the City of London. This was explained by the puritanical spirit of the city authorities, who were hostile to the theater in general. The Globe was a typical building of a public theater of the early 17th century: an oval room in the form of a Roman amphitheater, enclosed by a high wall, without a roof. The theater got its name from the statue of Atlanta that adorned its entrance, supporting Earth. This globe (“globe”) was surrounded by a ribbon with the famous inscription: “The whole world is acting” (lat. Totus mundus agit histrionem; more famous translation: "The whole world is a theater").

The stage adjoined the back of the building; above its deep part rose the upper stage platform, the so-called. "gallery"; even higher was the "house" - a building with one or two windows. Thus, there were four scenes of action in the theater: the proscenium, deeply protruding into the hall and surrounded by the audience on three sides, on which the main part of the action was played out; the deep part of the stage under the gallery, where interior scenes were played; a gallery that was used to depict a fortress wall or a balcony (the ghost of Hamlet's father appeared here or walked famous scene on the balcony in Romeo and Juliet); and a "house", in the windows of which actors could also appear. This made it possible to build a dynamic spectacle, laying in the dramaturgy a variety of scenes and changing the points of the audience's attention, which helped to maintain interest in what was happening on the set. This was extremely important: we must not forget that the attention of the auditorium was not supported by any auxiliary means - the performances went on in daylight, without a curtain, to the continuous hum of the audience, animatedly exchanging impressions in full voice.

The auditorium of the "Globe" accommodated, according to various sources, from 1200 to 3000 spectators. It is impossible to establish the exact capacity of the hall - there were no seats for the bulk of commoners; they crowded into the stalls, standing on the earthen floor. Privileged spectators were located with some conveniences: on the inside of the wall there were lodges for the aristocracy, above them there was a gallery for the wealthy. The richest and noblest sat on the sides of the stage, on portable three-legged stools. There were no additional facilities for spectators (including toilets); physiological needs, if necessary, were easily coped with, during the performance - right in the auditorium. Therefore, the absence of a roof could be regarded more as a blessing than as a drawback - the influx of fresh air did not allow devoted fans of theatrical art to suffocate.

However, such simplicity of morals fully met the then rules of etiquette, and the Globe Theater very soon became one of the main cultural centers of England: all the plays of William Shakespeare and other outstanding playwrights of the Renaissance were staged on its stage.

However, in 1613, during the premiere of Shakespeare's Henry VIII, there was a fire in the theater: a spark from a stage cannon shot hit the thatched roof above the deep part of the stage. Historical evidence claim that there were no casualties in the fire, but the building burned to the ground. The end of the "first Globe" symbolically marked the change of literary and theatrical eras: around this time, William Shakespeare stopped writing plays.

"And now I will entertain you with a story about what happened this week in Bankside. His Majesty's actors played new play entitled "All is true" (Henry VIII), representing the highlights of the reign of Henry VIII. The production was staged with extraordinary pomp, and even the flooring on the stage was amazingly beautiful. Knights of the Orders of St. George and the Garter, guards in embroidered uniforms and so on - everything was more than enough to make greatness recognizable, if not ridiculous. So, King Henry arranges a mask in the house of Cardinal Wolsey: he appears on the stage, several salutatory shots are heard. One of the bullets, apparently, got stuck in the scenery - and then everything happened. At first, only a small haze was visible, to which the audience, carried away by what was happening on the stage, did not pay any attention; but after a fraction of a second, the fire spread to the roof and began to spread rapidly, destroying the entire building to the ground in less than an hour. Yes, those were disastrous moments for this solid structure, where only wood, straw and a few rags burned down. True, one of the men's trousers caught fire, and he could easily have been roasted, but he (thank heaven!) guessed in time to put out the flame with ale from a bottle.

Sir Henry Wotton

Soon the building was rebuilt, already from stone; the thatched ceiling above the deep part of the stage was replaced with a tiled one. Burbage's troupe continued to play in the "Second Globe" until 1642, when a decree was issued by the Puritan Parliament and Lord Protector Cromwell to close all theaters and prohibit any theatrical entertainment. In 1644, the empty “second Globe” was rebuilt into a rental building. The history of the theater was interrupted for more than three centuries.

The idea of ​​the modern reconstruction of the Globe Theater belongs, oddly enough, not to the British, but to the American actor, director and producer Sam Wanamaker. He came to London for the first time in 1949, and for about twenty years, together with his like-minded people, bit by bit collected materials about the theaters of the Elizabethan era. By 1970, Wanamaker had established the Shakespeare Globe Trust, designed to renovate the lost theatre, create an educational center and permanent exhibition. Work on this project continued for more than 25 years; Wanamaker himself died in 1993, nearly four years before the remodeled Globe opened. The landmark for the reconstruction of the theater was the excavated fragments of the foundation of the old Globe, as well as the nearby Rose Theater, where Shakespeare's plays were staged in the "pre-Globus" times. The new building was built from "green" oak wood, processed in accordance with the traditions of the 16th century. and is located almost in the same place as before - the new one is 300 meters away from the old Globus. Careful reconstruction appearance combined with the modern technical equipment of the building.

The new "Globe" was opened in 1997 under the name " Shakespeare theater"Globe"". Since, according to historical realities, the new building was built without a roof, performances are held only in spring and summer. However, tours in the oldest London theater "Globe" are held daily. Already in this century next to the restored Globe, a theme park-museum dedicated to Shakespeare was opened. It has the world's largest exhibition exposition dedicated to the great playwright; various thematic entertainment events are organized for visitors: here you can try to write a sonnet yourself; watch a sword fight, and even take part in a production of a Shakespearean play.

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, in Russia, many masters of literary text turned to translations of Shakespeare's plays - from N. Karamzin to A. Radlova, V. Nabokov, B. Pasternak, M. Donskoy and others.

Minimalism stage facilities The Renaissance allowed the dramaturgy of Shakespeare to organically merge into new stage development of the world theater, dating from the beginning of the 20th century. - director's theater, focused not on individual acting work, but on the general conceptual solution of the performance. Can't even enumerate general principles all numerous productions of Shakespeare - from a detailed everyday interpretation to an extreme conventionally symbolic; from farce-comedy to elegiac-philosophical or mystery-tragedy. It is curious that Shakespeare's plays are still oriented to viewers of almost any level - from aesthetic intellectuals to undemanding audiences. This, along with complex philosophical problems, is facilitated by intricate intrigue, and a kaleidoscope of various stage episodes, alternating pathetic scenes with comedic ones, and the inclusion of fights, musical numbers, etc. in the main action.

The dramatic works of Shakespeare became the basis for many performances. musical theater(operas Othello, Falstaff (based on the Merry Wives of Windsor) and Macbeth by D. Verdi; ballet Romeo and Juliet by S. Prokofiev and many others).

Shakespeare's departure

Around 1610 Shakespeare left London and returned to Stratford-upon-Avon. Until 1612, he did not lose touch with the theater: in 1611 the Winter Tale was written, in 1612 - the last dramatic work, Storm. The last years of his life moved away from literary activity and lived quietly and imperceptibly with his family. This was probably due to a serious illness - this is indicated by the surviving will of Shakespeare, drawn up clearly hastily on March 15, 1616 and signed in a changed handwriting. April 23, 1616 in Stratford-upon-Avon died the most famous playwright of all times and peoples.

The influence of Shakespeare on world literature

The influence of the images created by William Shakespeare on world literature and culture cannot be overestimated. Hamlet, Macbeth, King Lear, Romeo and Juliet - these names have long become common nouns. They are used not only in works of art, but also in ordinary speech as a designation of any human type. For us, Othello is a jealous man, Lear is a parent, destitute of heirs, whom he himself has favored, Macbeth is a usurper of power, and Hamlet is a person who is torn apart by internal contradictions.

Shakespeare's images had a huge impact on Russian literature of the 19th century. The plays of the English playwright were addressed by I.S. Turgenev, F.M. Dostoevsky, L.N. Tolstoy, A.P. Chekhov and other writers. In the 20th century, interest in inner world people and motives and heroes of Shakespeare's works again excited the poets. We find them in M. Tsvetaeva, B. Pasternak, V. Vysotsky.

In the era of classicism and the Enlightenment, Shakespeare was recognized for his ability to follow "nature", but was condemned for not knowing the "rules": Voltaire called him a "brilliant barbarian". English Enlightenment criticism appreciated Shakespeare's life-like truthfulness. In Germany, Shakespeare was raised to an unattainable height by I. Herder and Goethe (Goethe's sketch "Shakespeare and Unending," 1813-1816). In the period of romanticism, the understanding of Shakespeare's work was deepened by G. Hegel, S. T. Coleridge, Stendhal, V. Hugo.

In Russia, Shakespeare was first mentioned in 1748 by A.P. Sumarokov, however, even in the 2nd half of the 18th century, Shakespeare was still little known in Russia. Shakespeare became a fact of Russian culture in the first half of the 19th century: writers associated with the Decembrist movement turned to him (V. K. Kuchelbeker, K. F. Ryleev, A. S. Griboedov, A. A. Bestuzhev, etc.) , A. S. Pushkin, who saw the main advantages of Shakespeare in his objectivity, the truth of characters and the "correct depiction of time" and developed Shakespeare's traditions in the tragedy "Boris Godunov". In the struggle for the realism of Russian literature, V. G. Belinsky also relies on Shakespeare. The importance of Shakespeare especially increased in the 30-50s of the 19th century. Projecting Shakespearean images onto the present, A. I. Herzen, I. A. Goncharov and others helped to comprehend the tragedy of time more deeply. A notable event was the production of "Hamlet" translated by N. A. Polevoy (1837) with P. S. Mochalov (Moscow) and V. A. Karatygin (Petersburg) in the title role. In the tragedy of Hamlet, V. G. Belinsky and other progressive people of the era saw the tragedy of their generation. The image of Hamlet attracts the attention of I. S. Turgenev, who saw the features in him " extra people"(Art. "Hamlet and Don Quixote", 1860), F. M. Dostoevsky.

In parallel with the comprehension of Shakespeare's work in Russia, acquaintance with the works of Shakespeare itself deepened and expanded. In the 18th and early 19th centuries, mainly French adaptations of Shakespeare were translated. Translations of the 1st half of the 19th century sinned either with literalism ("Hamlet" in the translation by M. Vronchenko, 1828), or with excessive liberty ("Hamlet" in Polevoy's translation). In 1840-1860, translations by A. V. Druzhinin, A. A. Grigoriev, P. I. Weinberg and others discovered attempts scientific approach to problem solving literary translation(the principle of language adequacy, etc.). In 1865-1868, under the editorship of N. V. Gerbel, the first " complete collection Dramatic Works of Shakespeare in the Translation of Russian Writers". In 1902-1904, under the editorship of S. A. Vengerov, the second pre-revolutionary Complete Works of Shakespeare was carried out.

The traditions of advanced Russian thought were continued and developed by Soviet Shakespeare studies on the basis of deep generalizations made by K. Marx and F. Engels. In the early 1920s, A. V. Lunacharsky read lectures on Shakespeare. The art criticism aspect of the study of Shakespeare's heritage is brought to the fore (V. K. Muller, I. A. Aksyonov). Historical and literary monographs (A. A. Smirnov) and individual problematic works (M. M. Morozov) appeared. Significant contribution to modern science about Shakespeare are the works of A. A. Anikst, N. Ya. Berkovsky, the monograph of L. E. Pinsky. Film directors G. M. Kozintsev, S. I. Yutkevich comprehend the nature of Shakespeare's work in a peculiar way.

Criticizing allegories and pompous metaphors, hyperbole and unusual comparisons, "horrors and buffoonery, reasoning and effects" - character traits style of Shakespeare's plays, Tolstoy took them as signs of exceptional art, serving the needs of the "upper class" of society. Tolstoy, at the same time, points to many of the merits of the plays of the great playwright: his remarkable "ability to stage scenes in which the movement of feelings is expressed", the extraordinary stage presence of his plays, their genuine theatricality. The article on Shakespeare contains Tolstoy's profound judgments about the dramatic conflict, characters, the development of the action, the language of the characters, the technique of constructing the drama, etc.

He said: “So I allowed myself to blame Shakespeare. But after all, every person acts with him; and it is always clear why he does it this way. He had pillars with an inscription: Moonlight, house. And thank God, because all attention was focused on the essence of the drama, and now quite the opposite. "Tolstoy, who "denied" Shakespeare, put him above the playwrights - his contemporaries, who created inactive plays of "moods", "riddles", "symbols".

Recognizing that under the influence of Shakespeare the whole world dramaturgy, which does not have a "religious basis", Tolstoy attributed his " theatrical plays", noting at the same time that they were written "accidentally." So, the critic V.V. Stasov, who enthusiastically met the appearance of his folk drama"The Power of Darkness", found that it was written with Shakespearean power.

In 1928, based on her impressions of reading Shakespeare's "Hamlet", M. I. Tsvetaeva wrote three poems: "Ophelia to Hamlet", "Ophelia in Defense of the Queen" and "Hamlet's Dialogue with Conscience".

In all three poems by Marina Tsvetaeva, one can single out a single motive that prevails over others: the motive of passion. Moreover, Ophelia, who in Shakespeare appears as a model of virtue, purity and innocence, acts as the bearer of the ideas of a "hot heart". She becomes an ardent protector of Queen Gertrude and is even identified with passion.

Since the mid-30s of the 19th century, Shakespeare has been great place in the repertoire of the Russian theater. P. S. Mochalov (Richard III, Othello, Lear, Hamlet), V. A. Karatygin (Hamlet, Lear) are famous performers of Shakespeare's roles. In the second half of the 19th - early 20th centuries, the Moscow Maly Theater created its own school of their theatrical embodiment - a combination of stage realism with elements of romance, which put forward such outstanding interpreters of Shakespeare as G. Fedotova, A. Lensky, A. Yuzhin, M. Yermolova . At the beginning of the 20th century, the Moscow Art Theater turned to the Shakespearean repertoire (Julius Caesar, 1903, staged by Vl. I. Nemirovich-Danchenko with the participation of K. S. Stanislavsky; Hamlet, 1911, staged by G. Craig; Caesar and Hamlet - V. I. Kachalov

And:

The exact date of the birth of the future talented writer has not been preserved. He is believed to have been born at Stratford-upon-Avon in April 1564. It is known for certain that on April 26 he was baptized in a local church. He spent his childhood in a wealthy family with many children, he was the third child among seven brothers and sisters.

youthful time

Researchers of Shakespeare's life and work suggest that he received his education first at the Stratford Grammar School, and then continued his studies at the school of King Edward the Sixth. At the age of eighteen, he starts a family. His chosen one is a pregnant girl named Ann. There were three children in the writer's family.

Life in London

At the age of 20, Shakespeare leaves hometown moves to London. There, his life is not easy: in order to earn money, he is forced to agree to any work in the theater. He is then trusted to play small roles. In 1603, his plays appear on the stage of the theater and Shakespeare becomes a co-owner of a troupe called "The King's Servants". Later, the theater gets the name "Globe", moves to a new building. The financial condition of William Shakespeare is getting much better.

Literary activity

The writer's first book was published in 1594. She brought him success, money and recognition. Despite this, the writer continues to work in the theater.

Shakespeare's literary work can be roughly divided into four periods.

On early stage he writes comedies and poems. At this time, he wrote such works as "Two Veronians", "The Taming of the Shrew", "Comedy of Errors".

Later appear romantic works: A Midsummer Night's Dream, The Merchant of Venice.

The most profound philosophical books appear in the third period of his work. It was during these years that Shakespeare created the plays Hamlet, Othello, and King Lear.

The last works of the master are characterized by a refined style and elegant poetic skill. "Antony and Cleopatra", "Coriolanus" are the pinnacle of poetic art.

Critics' score

An interesting fact is the assessment of the works of William Shakespeare by critics. So Bernard Shaw considered Shakespeare an outdated writer compared to Ibsen. Leo Tolstoy repeatedly expressed doubts about Shakespeare's dramatic talent. And yet, the talent and genius of the great classic is an indisputable fact. As said famous poet T. S. Eliot: "Shakespeare's plays will always be modern."

As part of short biography Shakespeare is impossible to tell in detail about the life of the writer and analyze his works. In order to assess the personality and creative heritage, it is necessary to read the works and get acquainted with the works of literary critics about the life and work of William Shakespeare.