William Shakespeare
(1563-1616)
William
Shakespeare was baptized on April, 26, 1964 in Stratford-upon-Avon, England.
Much of his youth remains as mystery but from Church documents and other
records some conclusions can be drawn. It is assumed he was the son of a yeoman
and an heiress of land and that he worked as an apprentice at some trade when
he was young (Bio.com). It is also assumed that he attended school and received
free tuition because of his father’s involvement in town positions.
Perhaps surprising
to some, Shakespeare married Ann Hathaway, who was eight years his elder at the
age of eighteen. The couple had three children together; Susana and a set of
twins, Hamnet and Judith. Again, much mystery remains about events leading up
to William’s participation in the theater. However, by around 1954 he was a key
player in Lord Chamberlain’s Men, which changed to the King’s Men in 1603.
By 1957,
Shakespeare had published 15 of his 37 plays and for his family he purchased
the second largest house in Stratford for his family. He most likely spent his
time in London, four days away from his home. Two years later, he and his
partners built their own theater, the Globe on the Thames River. He increased
his wealth by investing in real estate. William Shakespeare died on April 23,
1616 and left a legacy of literature that is World-famous and whose themes seem
timeless.
Sonnet 55
As I began reading
Sonnet 55 I thought of the unstable times in which Shakespeare lived. In his
time, the throne was erratic; from King Henry’s Reformation, to “Bloody Mary’s”
backslide to Roman-Catholicism, followed by her Protestant Sister Elizabeth’s
respected rule (Norton). The sonnet stirs images of the throne in the very
first line, or at least an allusion to a King when he wrote “gilded monuments /
Of princes” (Shakespeare. 55. 1). He
says not even those things will
outlive this poem. I sense confidence on the speaker’s part and wonder if W was
feeling a bit big-headed. The speaker says that stones and monuments will get
dirty and war will overturn them (Shakespeare.55.5). He says that the battle
will take care of old Masonry. I wondered at one point if Shakespeare was
alluding to idol-worship. He says not even fire from war will get rid of this sonnet.
The speaker seems to be saying, “Don’t worry my friend, you will be remembered
in these lines. He says the poem will live on and “Shall you pace forth; your
praise shall still find room”. Until of course he sees him on Judgment Day.
The Norton Anthology of English Literature. New York: Norton, 2006.
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