William Shakespeare facts. William Shakespeare: interesting facts from the life of the great playwright

William Shakespeare- great English playwright and poet, author of 36 plays, 154 sonnets, as well as two epic poems. His works: “Hamlet,” “Henry V,” “King Lear,” “Julius Caesar,” “Macbeth,” “Romeo and Juliet” and others. His personality is mysterious and there are many interesting facts about the biography of William Shakespeare.

For several centuries there has been debate about whether he was the true author of the works that were published under his name. Some say that Shakespeare never existed.
It is interesting that the first editions of Shakespeare's plays, which followed the poems, were anonymous.
In 1597, Shakespeare's name appeared for the first time on an edition of the play.

The question of the authorship of Shakespeare's works was raised more than a century ago. Literary scholars are interested Interesting Facts about the biography of Shakespeare: after all, he was a simple Stratford townsman and at the same time he himself created all these timeless characters. There is very little reliable information about Shakespeare. Many believe that it is extremely implausible that this man, the son of an illiterate merchant, managed to create The Merchant of Venice, Henry V, King Lear and other masterpieces. According to available data: Shakespeare's entire education was a country school. There is no evidence that Shakespeare ever left the country or studied foreign languages. Yes he has vocabulary would not be enough to create the world's most famous plays.

There are only a few official documents with Shakespeare's signature, but they contain at least 6 different options spelling Shakespeare's name in English. It is also interesting that, apart from the plays written by him, there are no manuscripts, for example: letters, diary entries- nothing that would be signed with the name of Shakespeare. These facts are confusing. Few people noticed Shakespeare's death in 1616, which was rare among famous writers while. Shakespeare's wife and children (interestingly, illiterate) did not inherit any money because there was no mention of manuscripts or anything like that. Proponents of this theory include Sigmund Freud, Orson Welles, Mark Twain, Charlie Chaplin, Walt Whitman, Sir Derek Jacobi, Ralph Waldo Emerson and Sir John Gielgud. Some of them believe that there are several authors behind Shakespeare’s works, others suggest that the author could be one of outstanding writers and thinkers - Edward de Vere (Earl of Oxford), Christopher Marlowe or Francis Bacon.
The most suitable candidate for Shakespeare's role is considered Earl of Oxford. This is confirmed by numerous circumstances of his life, which coincide with the works of Shakespeare. It is known that Oxford traveled around Europe for more than a year - where he visited cities with which Shakespeare the author was familiar firsthand - these are Milan, Verona, Florence, Mantua and Siena. An interesting fact is the amazing similarity between the life of Oxford and the plot of Hamlet.
Others believe that William Shakespeare of Stratford actually created 37 plays and 154 sonnets. They are sure that all the works belong to this playwright. Their theory is based on four main arguments:
1. works published during Shakespeare’s lifetime are signed with his name;
2. Ben Jonson, in the preface to the First Folio, called Shakespeare “the Swan of Avon” (the folio was published only 7 years after Shakespeare’s death),
3. Contemporary actors of Shakespeare Hemindezhs and Condell say that Shakespeare is the author of the folio,
4. The epitaph on Shakespeare's grave in Stratford hints that the deceased was a writer after all.
Much less is known about Shakespeare than about others famous actors and playwrights of the time. And the mystery of the authorship of his works seems to remain unsolved.
Several Yet interesting facts about William Shakespeare:

1. Macbeth is one of the most popular plays in history; it is performed every four hours in the world! (in different places, of course)

3. Shakespeare was buried in the Church of the Holy Trinity, Stratford-upon-Avon. Presumably his epitaph is located on the grave:
"Curse the man who touches these stones,
And the cursed one will be the one who moves my bones.”

4. A crater on Mercury is named after Shakespeare.

5. Shakespeare and Cervantes died in 1616.

Action Shakespearean plays develops in Italy, France, Denmark, but the playwright himself most likely never left his native Britain. Goethe said that no matter where the events of the play take place, the audience always faces “England washed by the seas.”

Inventor of words

It is believed that Shakespeare introduced more than two thousand words into use with his plays. For example, it was he who first published the words excellent (“magnificent” - English) and critical (“critical” - English). Perhaps the word murder (“murder” - English) came from his pen.

There is no sadder story

In the most romantic play, Romeo and Juliet, the word “love” is mentioned 150 times.

Was there William?

Some historians believe that a person named Shakespeare did not actually exist. Indeed, his biography is full of blank spots: for example, practically no handwritten documents under his authorship have survived. There is no evidence that Shakespeare received an education or knew foreign languages... Several years of his life have completely “fell out” of history - even the most meticulous biographers do not know where he lived then and what he did.

Controversial issue

There are also debates about sexual orientation Shakespeare. Despite the fact that the playwright was married and had several offspring, many of his poignant and romantic sonnets are dedicated to a man.

Worldwide popularity

One of the playwright's most popular plays is Macbeth. It is believed that in different corners world this performance is performed every four hours.

Bad shot

In the company of like-minded people, Shakespeare opened his own theater in London - it was called the Globe. In 1613, the theater burned down as a result of a cannon shot. The cannon fired during the play "Henry VIII".

Cosmic scale

There is a crater on Mercury called Shakespeare.

Trendsetter

Thanks to the playwright's plays, the fashion of calling girls Olivia, Miranda and Jessica spread throughout Britain, and then throughout the English-speaking world.

Prolific author

In total, William Shakespeare composed 38 plays, as well as 154 sonnets, 4 poems and several epitaphs.

Did you know that some people believe that Britain's favorite poet and playwright, William Shakespeare, never existed? According to one theory, the literary masterpieces attributed to him are actually the fruit of the labor of Edward de Vere, Earl of Oxford. Our next publication will tell readers about this interesting hypothesis, as well as others. little known facts from the life of Shakespeare.

The poet's father was a beer taster

The son of a tenant, John Shakespeare, had nothing in his soul. In 1551 he arrived in Stratfort-upon-Avon. In order to somehow make ends meet, the father of the future poet took on any job: he sold leather goods, wool, malt and corn. And after 5 years, John was appointed official beer taster. Soon he married the daughter of a farmer, Maria Ardenne. Subsequently, John becomes a moneylender and for some time holds the post of mayor of the city. And in 1570, Shakespeare's father suddenly fell into debt bondage, as a result of which he was forced to flee from justice.

Shakespeare married an older woman

18-year-old William married farmer's daughter Anne Hathaway, who was 8 years older than him. The union was hastily organized due to the bride's pregnancy. The marriage was registered only in the church, and after 6 months the newlyweds’ daughter Susanna was born. The couple subsequently had twins. ABOUT family life There are few facts left of Shakespeare. It is only known that the poet’s family lived separately.

The poet's parents and children were illiterate

With a greater degree of probability, we can state the fact that William’s parents were illiterate. England at that time did not strive to educate the offspring of farmers. Surprisingly, serving as mayor did not require John to have basic reading or writing skills. The poet's father signed his name in the form of a symbol.

William mastered reading, writing and Latin at the local gymnasium. However, the poet’s children were not honored to acquire writing and reading skills - this is what historians believe.

There is a “dark spot” in the poet’s life

No one still knows what Shakespeare did between 1585 and 1592. After the moment of the baptism of the poet's twins, historical records are interrupted and resumed only during his work on the London theater stage.

Historians tend to believe that the future playwright, during his unknown period, worked as a teacher, studied law, and also traveled around Europe. Eventually, on one of these trips, William joined one of the acting troupes. However, opinions differ on this matter. Possibly Shakespeare could have escaped from his hometown in connection with the poaching of a deer that belonged to a noble person.

Shakespeare's plays gave rise to many of today's terms

English literature of that time widely popularized various terms and phrases and influenced the formation modern language. So, in everyday speech, terms authored by Shakespeare are still used: “fashionable”, “holy”, “eyeball”, “dim”. The poet in his works gave rise to the use of expressions: “predetermined”, “in deplorable”, “in one fell swoop”.

William is also credited with creating some of the women's names that he used in his sonnets. And if names such as Olivia, Miranda, Jessica and Cordelia are popular to this day, then the names Nerissa and Titania are irrevocably forgotten.

The poet's name and surname have survived several dozen spellings

Shakespeare never signed his own works with his own. full name. About 80 signatures containing variations of the surname or abbreviations have reached us.

Fans protected his grave from vandals

Shakespeare died at the age of 52, despite the fact that the life expectancy of men of that era was around 30-40 years. The cause of the poet’s death is not known for certain, and there are several hypotheses on this matter. At that time, grave robbing vandals flourished in England. Fans of the playwright's work protected him last refuge literary epitaph with a curse.

The poet wore a gold earring in his ear

It is known that Shakespeare painted self-portraits. One of the most famous canvases shows him with a beard, a receding hairline, a loose shirt collar and an earring in his left ear. At that time, wearing an earring for men meant being involved in bohemia. It is believed that the inspiration for the fashionable look could have been pirates.

American starlings owe their existence to Shakespeare

The poet's works mention more than 600 references to different kinds birds. Some of the species lived at that time exclusively in Western Europe and Asia. They were brought to America in connection with one interesting project, who undertook to import every species of bird ever mentioned in the author's plays. Thus, the population of starlings turned out to be the most adapted to the new conditions.

Some believe Shakespeare never existed

Does it surprise you how a small-town commoner who never went to college went on to become, outside his hometown, one of the most prolific and eloquent authors in history? Even his early writings reveal a detailed knowledge of international affairs, European history, the pitfalls of high society. Some theorists have put forward the version that several authors at once, wishing to hide their identity, used the pseudonym of Shakespeare. In addition to the aforementioned Edward de Vere, the proposed candidates also include Francis Bacon, Christopher Merlow and Mary Sidney Herbert.

The English playwright William Shakespeare is not only a world-famous figure, but also an extremely mysterious one. His identity is still shrouded in mystery, and to this day no one even knows for certain what he looked like. He achieved fame during his lifetime, but his works are still studied, read and shown on theater stages Worldwide.

• There is no reliable information about Shakespeare's appearance. The only lifetime portrait of the writer, whose authenticity is beyond doubt, was exhibited in London - he long years was stored in private collection. It is known that the picture was painted 6 years before the playwright’s death, but it is no longer possible to establish how accurate its author was.
• In addition to William, his parents had six more children.
• Shakespeare, at the age of eighteen, married the 26-year-old daughter of a landowner because the girl became pregnant. The future writer had to obtain special permission to marry from the bishop.
• In his will, Shakespeare gave his wife only a “second-class bed.” For a long time this was considered offensive, although now researchers have come to the opposite conclusion - they believe that Shakespeare had in mind their first common bed.
• The playwright's plays take place in many European countries, including France, Denmark and Italy, but the author of these lines most likely never traveled outside his native England.
• Thanks to Shakespeare in English language According to various sources, from 1700 to 3200 new words appeared.
• Theater directors considered the ending of Shakespeare's play King Lear so sad that for a century and a half it was never staged in its original form.
• During Shakespeare’s lifetime, his most popular work was the poem “Venus and Adonis,” which is now known only to connoisseurs of his work.
• We know of at least two of his plays, the text of which was irretrievably lost.
• Shakespeare repeatedly used the theme of twins in his works, since the poet himself was the father of twins. His son died in early childhood, but my daughter lived to be 77 years old.
• The first film based on Shakespeare's work was made at the end of the 19th century.
• Shakespeare's vocabulary ranged from 20 to 25 thousand words, although educated Englishmen now use no more than 4,000 words for writing and speaking. At the same time, the writer’s parents were not taught to read and write, and there is no information about the playwright’s education.
• Not a single manuscript of Shakespeare has survived to this day. Scientists can study only 6 signatures under documents made by his hand.
• The direct line of Shakespeare was interrupted in 1670 after the death of his granddaughter.
• Shakespeare was born and died on April 23. 52 years passed between these two events.
• There are more than 80 pronunciation options for the playwright's first and last name.
• Shakespeare's books in Britain are the second most cited books after the Bible.
• Shakespeare was not only a writer, but also a good actor who played many roles in his own plays. In addition, he and his partners owned several theaters.
• In 38 plays written by the playwright for his creative career, there are over 884,000 words.
• All the moons of the planet Uranus are named after characters from Shakespeare's works.
• The researchers came to the conclusion that Shakespeare was well versed in politics, music and botany - references to 63 species of plants were found in his plays.
• Shakespeare's friend Henry Risley used to wear women's clothing and wear makeup every day.

William Shakespeare is considered one of the greatest English playwrights. It is difficult to find another person in the world whose life is shrouded in so many hypotheses and assumptions. To this day, films are made based on Shakespeare’s works, ballets and operas. And this is not without reason. This man was able to gain enormous popularity and respect from his fans. His incredible gift for drama is a true talent.

1. The great playwright William Shakespeare always lived with secrets.

2. The facts of Shakespeare's biography say that he was the second most cited author in the entire world.

3. It was Shakespeare who introduced the word “murder” into everyday use for all people.

4.William Shakespeare did not receive a university education.

5.As the facts from Shakespeare’s life say, he quickly gained worldwide popularity.

6.Shakespeare is the greatest artist today.

7. The works of the great playwright, which have survived to this day, include a collection of 38 plays.

8.Many of Shakespeare's plays have been translated into other languages ​​of the world.

9. The plays of this figure are staged in theaters more often than the plays of other figures.

10.William Shakespeare began his career in the arts with acting.

11. The great playwright never published his own plays.

12.Facts from the life of Shakespeare confirm the information that when writing his own plays, this playwright borrowed data from many sources.

13.Shakespeare became Anne Hathaway's husband before he came of age.

14.Shakespeare had 3 children.

15.All of William Shakespeare's children were from the same woman.

16.Shakespeare's granddaughter died without becoming a mother because she was childless.

17.The date of birth of the famous playwright remained unknown to anyone.

18.According to some sources, Shakespeare died at 52 years old.

19. From 1585 to 1592, Shakespeare was considered a lost period because information regarding this time did not appear.

20.According to Shakespeare, his plays were to be performed only on stage.

21.Before his own death, Shakespeare tried to curse anyone who would try to rebury him.

22.Approximately 3,000 new words were invented by Shakespeare.

23.Before today William Shakespeare's manuscripts have not survived.

24.Shakespeare has plays of an erotic nature.

25.William Shakespeare's vocabulary was approximately 25,000 words.

26. Some art historians confirm that Shakespeare had an unconventional orientation.

27. The play “Macbeth”, written by Shakespeare, is considered the most famous in the entire world.

28.At the age of 20, Shakespeare had to leave home.

29. Not a single Shakespeare play was published during the playwright’s lifetime.

31.Shakespeare is considered a theater co-owner.

32.Shakespeare had no direct descendants.

33. William Shakespeare's father, whose name was John, was a glover.

34. Some of Shakespeare's plays are based on legends from the past.

35. During Shakespeare’s lifetime there were no curtains.

36.There are 2035 words in Shakespeare's works.

37. William Shakespeare's son named Hamnit died in childhood.

38.Shakespeare's father was a tenant.

39.Shakespeare's wife was a farmer's daughter.

40.The marriage of Shakespeare and his wife Anne was registered only in the church.

41.Shakespeare’s parents were illiterate people.

42.Shakespeare did not try to sign his works with his full name.

43.William Shakespeare painted self-portraits.

44.On one canvas, Shakespeare depicted himself with a beard.

45. In the works of the great playwright there are more than 600 references to various species of birds.

46.Shakespeare was considered a true professional creator of sonnets.

47.Shakespeare made a huge poetic gift to drama.

48.Shakespeare’s life took place in a period that was favorable for creativity.

49. Every hero of William Shakespeare was not a man from the street.

50.Shakespeare was known not only as an excellent writer, but also as an actor.

51.Shakespeare's plays belong to various genres.

52. 150 years after Shakespeare's death, doubts have arisen as to whether his plays were truly original works.

53.Shakespeare's wife was much older than him.

54.Shakespeare had to live a double life.

55.Shakespeare's family was ordinary.

56.William Shakespeare adolescence attended a literary club.

57. At the time of Shakespeare’s marriage, his future wife was pregnant.

58. Shakespeare had all his children within 4 years.

59.In 1590, Shakespeare had to run away from his annoying wife.

60.Shakespeare created 10 tragedies.

61.Shakespeare was able to develop his own principles for creating a theatrical production.

62.In 1599, Shakespeare opened a theater.

63.Shakespeare had no awards.

64.Shakespeare managed to create the latest canons for staging plays on stage.

65.In 1612, William Shakespeare returned to the city where he was born and spent his childhood.

66.Shakespeare is the third child of eight children in the family.

67.The work “Hamlet” written by Shakespeare is the cry of his soul.

68.It was thanks to William Shakespeare that the European theater began to compete on stage with the French theater.

69.Shakespeare's dad was prosecuted for speculative actions.

70.Shakespeare studied at the new royal school in Stratford.

71.By 1592, Shakespeare was already considered a famous playwright.

72.Shakespeare died on his birthday.

73.Shakespeare’s creative path was divided into 4 stages.

74.Died great playwright in Stratford-upon-Avon.

75.All of Shakespeare's drama has been filmed.

76. Some sources say that Shakespeare studied at a grammar school.

77.In 1580, Shakespeare and his family moved to London.

78.The theater in which Shakespeare had to work became famous.

79.Before working in the theater, Shakespeare mastered another profession: a school teacher.

80.Shakespeare was considered a co-owner of the Dominican Theater.

81.In 1603, Shakespeare had to leave the stage.

82. The great playwright was buried in the church of his hometown.

83.William had to live in Stratford until his death.

84.In 1613, the Shakespeare Theater burned down.

85.After 25 years creative activity Shakespeare returned to his hometown.

86.The image of Hamlet from Shakespeare's play became a world hero.

88.Shakespeare's first daughter was born.

89.As a playwright, Shakespeare was a recognized person.

90.Shakespeare was a shareholder in one of the theaters.

91. Based on Shakespeare’s plays, we can say that he had a lot of knowledge from the fields of history, law, and natural sciences.

92. Living in London, Shakespeare very rarely visited his hometown.

93.Shakespeare had twins.

94.William Shakespeare's dramatic career began in 1590.

95. Shakespeare used many forms of lyric poetry in his poetic work.

96.Shakespeare's plays were aimed at different levels spectators.

97.William lived quietly with his family in the last years of his life.

98. Little information has been preserved about Shakespeare’s life today.

99.Last for more than 2 decades creative life William Shakespeare.

100.Shakespeare's last play was The Tempest.