William Shakespeare was perhaps the world’s greatest writer and playwright. In his lifetime he wrote 154 sonnets, two long narratives, and 38 plays, as well as several other smaller works. Some of his most famous plays include Romeo and Juliet, Hamlet, Macbeth, Othello, King Lear, Julius Caesar, Twelfth Night, The Taming of the Shrew, A Midsummer Night’s Dream Much Ado About Nothing, As You Like It, Richard III, Henry V, and King John (Wikipedia.org). According to Alchin, “He is the most widely read of all Authors and the popularity of the Life and Works of Shakespeare, in English speaking countries, is second only to the Bible” (William-shakespeare.info). Shakespeare continued to write up until his death in 1616. Interestingly, upon Shakespeare’s …show more content…
Unfortunately, despite Shakespeare’s great fame and popularity, there is some controversy over whether he was actually the author of the many works attributed to him. Some skeptics question how a man from such a modest background and education was capable of such poetic skill and mastery of words. Many rather ascribe credit to other more well-known authors of the time, in particular Christopher Marlowe, Francis Bacon, and Edward de Vere (Biography.com; Wikipedia.org). In 1599, William Shakespeare, along with his business partners, built his own theatre, which he called the Globe, along the south bank of the River Thames. This famous theatre showed many of Shakespeare’s plays, some of which he even acted in. The stage was built in the center of the theatre, along the back wall. The wealthy sat in three rows of galleries encircling the stage while commoners, known as groundlings, payed a penny to stand on the floor surrounding the stage. The Globe was rumored to have not just been used for showing plays, but also as both a brothel and a gambling house. On June 29, 1613, the theatre burned down after a cannon misfired during a production of Henry VIII, setting fire to the wooden beams and thatched roof, but it was rebuilt the following year. In 1642, the English Parliament, under the influence of the Puritans, ordered all theatres to stop productions of all plays. The Puritans demolished the …show more content…
For example, the phrase “break the ice” means to relieve tension or get a conversation started when people first meet, but many people fail to realize that this phrase comes from Shakespeare’s comedy he Taming of the Shrew. In this play the character Tranio is saying that Petruchio can woo Katherine once he breaks the ice, or gets to know her. He is also implying that the shrewish, cold-hearted, and icy Katherine needs to be broken or tamed, so she can be softened. Another commonly used expression, “wild-goose chase,” meaning a hopeless pursuit of something nonexistent or unattainable, was first used in Romeo and Juliet. In the play, Mercutio refers to a mimicking game played on horseback, called a “wild-goose chase in which the leader tries to trick the followers who are unable to anticipate his next move. Mercutio is telling Romeo that he can never prepare for his jokes if he is going to keep changing their topics. Also, “goose” was a term for prostitute, so Mercutio is making a pun to Romeo about chasing geese. Lastly, “Knock, knock! Who’s there?” is a phrase commonly recited as the setup for a popular joke. In Macbeth, the Porter is literally asking who is knocking at the door. However, on a more figurative level he is discussing throughout the scene themes of politics, homicide, and betrayal.