Collectable Avon

Collectable Avon

William Shakespeare – British Playwright and Acting Icon

William Shakespeare is one of Britain's greatest icons and is recognised worldwide. I thought it would be interesting to write the history of this famous icon from his early cloudy beginnings.

William Shakespeare was born to John Shakespeare and mother Mary Arden some time in late April 1564 in Stratford-upon-Avon. There is no record of his birth, but his baptism was recorded by the church, thus his birthday is assumed to be the 23rd of April. His father, John Shakespeare, was a whittawer by profession and held several important town offices. His father was also a prominent and prosperous alderman in the town of Stratford-upon-Avon, and was later granted a coat of arms by the College of Heralds.

His mother, Mary Arden, was from a fairly wealthy family.

In all the Shakespeares had eight children, and William was their first son.

All that is known of Shakespeare's youth is that he attended the Stratford Grammar School, and did not proceed to Oxford or Cambridge.

The next record we have of him is his marriage to Anne Hathaway in 1582. The next year she bore a daughter for him, Susanna, followed by the twins Judith and Hamnet two years later.

Seven years later in 1889 Shakespeare is recognized as an actor, poet and playwright, when a rival playwright, Robert Greene, refers to him as "an upstart crow" in A Groatsworth of Wit.

Between 1590 and 1592 no records of Shakespeare were found, and that period of his life is usually referred to as "The Lost Years". Some have speculated that he either became a school teacher, became a butcher's apprentice, or was running from the law during this time.

The first evidence of Shakespeare after 1592 was in London. Here he had established himself as a playwright and actor and had found a sponsor, Henry Wriothsley. However, Shakespeare's work in the theatres came to a halt in January of 1593 when the theatres closed because of the plague. The company that Shakespeare worked for was called "Lord Chamberlain's Men" and changed their name to "The King's Men" after King James I took over in 1603. Because Shakespeare worked and performed for them, this company became the biggest and most famous acting company. Shakespeare became very wealthy as a director, writer, actor, and stockholder in "The King's Men".

In 1596 Hamnet died at the age of eleven.

When, in 1599, the troupe lost the lease of the theatre where they performed, (appropriately called The Theatre) they were wealthy enough to build their own theatre across the Thames, south of London, which they called "The Globe." The new theatre opened in July of 1599, built from the timbers of The Theatre, with the motto "Totus mundus agit histrionem" (A whole world of players) When James I came to the throne (1603) the troupe was designated by the new king as the King's Men (or King's Company). The Letters Patent of the company specifically charged Shakespeare and eight others "freely to use and exercise the art and faculty of playing Comedies, Tragedies, Histories, Inerludes, Morals, Pastorals, stage plays ... as well for recreation of our loving subjects as for our solace and pleasure."

Shakespeare entertained the king and the people for another ten years until June 19th , 1613, when a canon fired from the roof of the theatre for a gala performance of Henry VIII set fire to the thatch roof and burned the theatre to the ground. The audience ignored the smoke from the roof at first, being to absorbed in the play, until the flames caught the walls and the fabric of the curtains. Amazingly there were no casualties, and the next spring the company had the theatre "new builded in a far fairer manner than before." Although Shakespeare invested in the rebuilding, he retired from the stage to the Great House of New Place in Statford that he had purchased in 1597, and some considerable land holdings where he continued to write until his death in 1616 on the day of his 52nd birthday.

• 1556 - Anne Hathaway is born.

• 1564 - Shakespeare's baptism is recorded in the parish church of Stratford-upon-Avon dated April 26, 1564. The usual delay between birth and baptism was 3-4 days, making the date of birth most likely April 22 or 23. Since Shakespeare died on April 23, 1616, and the engraving on his monument lists him as aged 53, it is assumed he was born on April 23. At least, that is how scholars in the absence of any other information have been willing to leave it. April 23 is also St. George's day, an appropriate day for the birth of the national poet. (94 miles from London.)

• 1582 - Marries Anne Hathaway on November 27. Worcester was 21 miles west of Stratford, and the consistory court there the place where a marriage license, issued to a local parish priest, might be obtained. Whitgift's register for the date November 27, 1582 indicates the issuance of a license for marriage between William Shaxpere and Anne Whateley of Temple Grafton. At the time, Shakespeare would have been 18 years old.

• 1583 - Susanna Shakespeare is born.

• 1585 - The twins Judith and Hamnet Shakespeare are born.

• 1592 - After leaving Stratford for London, William was recognized as a successful actor, as well as a leading poet. He was a member of 'The Chamberlain's Men'.

• 1596 - Hamnet dies at the age of eleven. Shakespeare becomes a "gentleman" when the College of Heralds grants his father a coat of arms.

• 1597- He bought a large house called "The Great House of New Place".

• 1599 - The 'Globe Theater' is built from the pieces of 'The Theater' in July.

• 1603 - 'The Lord Chamberlain's Men' became 'The King's Men' on May 19.

• 1613 - The 'Globe Theatre' burns during a performance of Henry VII when a canon fired on the roof sets fire to the straw thatch. The theatre is rebuilt, but Shakespeare retires.

• 1616 - April 23, in Stratford, on his 52nd birthday he died.

 

In 1611 Shakespeare retired and left London. He made a will on March 25, 1616, and died on April 23, 1616. He was fifty two years old. The cause of Shakespeare's death is not known. Shakespeare also wrote his own epitaph because during his time, when the graveyard was full, people would dig up someone's corpse and burn it so that another could be buried in that person's place. This disgusted Shakespeare, and he didn't want this type of disrespect after his death. His epitaph reads as follows:

"Good Friends, for Jesus' sake forbear,
To dig the bones enclosed here!
Blest be the man that spares these stones,
And curst be he that moves my bones."

To this day no one has disturbed Shakespeare's grave.

 

Please visit my Funny Animal Art Prints Collection @ http://www.fabprints.com

My other website is called Directory of British Icons: http://fabprints.webs.com

The Chinese call Britain 'The Island of Hero's' which I think sums up what we British are all about. We British are inquisitive and competitive and are always looking over the horizon to the next adventure and discovery.

Copyright © 2010 Paul Hussey. All Rights Reserved.

About the Author

My family tree has been traced back to the early Kings of England from the 7th Century AD. I am also a direct descendent of Sir Christopher Wren which has given me an interest in English History which is great fun to research.

 

I have recently decided to write articles on my favourite subjects: English Sports, English History, English Icons, English Discoveries and English Inventions. At present I have written over 100 articles which I call "An Englishman's Favourite Bits Of England" in various Volumes. Please visit my Blogs page http://Bloggs.Resourcez.Com where I have listed all my articles to date.

Copyright © 2010 Paul Hussey. All Rights Reserved.

Avon $49.99 Matthew Lusk Avon - Limited Edition

Rare Collectable And S $12.49 Rare Collectable And S

Avon Fisherman $19.99 Avon Fisherman - Premium Poster

Avon Lady $49.99 Avon Lady - Giclee Print

Rare Collectable And Soulful : Volume 1 $12.49 Rare Collectable And Soulful : Volume 1

Stratford on Avon $34.99 Currier & Ives Stratford on Avon - Giclee Print

Avon II $49.99 Matthew Lusk Avon II - Limited Edition

Avon Calling Vol.2 $9.49 Avon Calling Vol.2

Avon Tour of Britain 1973-75 $14.99 Avon Tour of Britain 1973-75

Avon Font $20 Download the Avon Font font for Mac or Windows in OpenType, TrueType or PostScript format.

Avon Regular $40 Download the Avon Regular font for Mac or Windows in OpenType, TrueType or PostScript format.

On the Avon near Stratford $19.99 On the Avon near Stratford - Premium Poster

River Avon, Bristol $24.99 River Avon, Bristol - Photographic Print

Bradford on Avon Bridge $24.99 Bradford on Avon Bridge - Photographic Print

Political Map of Avon, IN $19.99 Political Map of Avon, IN - Premium Poster

Avon near Glastonbury $49.99 Avon near Glastonbury - Giclee Print

The Circus at Bath, Avon $39.99 The Circus at Bath, Avon - Giclee Print

The Stratford-On-Avon Mops $39.99 The Stratford-On-Avon Mops - Giclee Print

Baseball Collectable Framed Print $50 Let the games begin with the Baseball Collectable Framed Print. Signed and numbered print measures 7.825 x 7.825 with frame and reads My Collector Ball. Whitewashed wooden frame features subtle accents.

Basketball Collectable Framed Print $60 Let the games begin with the Basketball Collectable Framed Print. Signed and numbered print measures 10.25 x 10.25 with frame and reads This is the game ball. Whitewashed wooden frame features subtle accents.

Football Collectable Framed Print $60 Let the games begin with the Football Collectable Framed Print. Signed and numbered print measures 10.25 x 10.25 with frame and reads For Football Practice. Whitewashed wooden frame features subtle accents.

The Collectable King Crimson - Vol. 1 - Live In Mainz $10.49 The Collectable King Crimson - Vol. 1 - Live In Mainz

The Seven Year Itch [Collectable Metal Tin] $6.99 The Seven Year Itch [Collectable Metal Tin]

Bradford On Avon to London $108 Travel from Bradford On Avon to London by train

Gloucestershire Scenery: Welford-On-Avon $39.99 Gloucestershire Scenery: Welford-On-Avon - Giclee Print

British Motorcycle Avon Tire $64.99 British Motorcycle Avon Tire - Giclee Print

Shakespeare House, Stratford-on-Avon $34.99 Shakespeare House, Stratford-on-Avon - Giclee Print

Political Map of Avon, OH $19.99 Political Map of Avon, OH - Premium Poster

Political Map of Avon, PA $19.99 Political Map of Avon, PA - Premium Poster

Political Map of Avon, MA $19.99 Political Map of Avon, MA - Premium Poster

Political Map of Avon, CO $19.99 Political Map of Avon, CO - Premium Poster

Political Map of Avon, NY $19.99 Political Map of Avon, NY - Premium Poster

Stratford-Upon-Avon $34.99 Ron Embleton Stratford-Upon-Avon - Giclee Print