Happy 448 birthday, William Shakespeare!
William Shakespeare
April 23, 1564 – April 23, 1616
Good frend for Iesvs sake forbeare,
To digg the dvst encloased heare.
Bleste be ye man yt spares thes stones,
And cvrst be he yt moves my bones.
Four
centuries after he wrote them, the works of William Shakespeare continue to
entertain and intrigue audiences around the world. Shakespeare’s genius
permanently shaped the English language, while his knowledge of the human mind
and heart speaks to us across the years. Love him or hate him, it is no
question that he remains one of the most influential writers in the English
language.
Those
who know me know I am a little in love with Mr. William Shakespeare. I was
lucky enough to be in DC last year and spent a luxurious amount of time in the
Folger Shakespeare Library. I had hoped to go back this year for William’s
birthday celebration but alas! I am burdened with responsibilities!
Thankfully,
you’re not here to be burdened by anything, so let’s focus on the fun…
First,
some fun facts about Shakespeare:
1.
Nobody knows Shakespeare's actual birthday. Scholars think he was born
on April 23, 1564, three days before his baptism was recorded at a church in
Stratford, England. Strangely enough, his death in 1616 also occurred on April
23.
2.
As far as we know, he never went beyond grammar school, probably
finishing in his early to mid-teens. In those days, grammar school was way more
advanced than now: Students learned Latin, math and religion; they read
classical literature and studied using a hornbook (paper glued to a piece of
wood and covered with clear animal horn).
3.
Shakespeare applied to the College of Heralds for a coat of arms for his
father. A coat of arms was a symbol of higher rank in British society. The
Shakespeare family's coat of arms has a spear in the middle and a falcon on
top. Shakespeare inherited the coat of arms when his father died and was then
permitted to call himself a gentleman.
4.
Shakespeare and his wife, Anne Hathaway, had three children: Susanna and
twins Judith and Hamnet. The twins were named after neighbors who named
their son William. Although Hamnet died at age 11, his name lives on: It was
sometimes written as Hamlet, the title of one of his father's greatest
characters and plays. Shakespeare's last descendant, a granddaughter, died in
1670.
5.
"Shakespeare" was spelled 80 different ways, including
"Shaxpere" and "Shaxberd."
6.
Shakespeare is the most translated author ever. His work is read in at
least 80 languages, including Chinese, Italian, Armenian, Bengali, Tagalog,
Uzbek and Krio (spoken by freed slaves in Sierra Leone).
7.
Shakespeare is thought to have written 39 plays. About half were printed
in small booklets before his death. But some of his most famous works,
including Macbeth and Julius Caesar, were not printed in his lifetime. They
would not have been handed down to us had not two men in Shakespeare's acting
company—John Heminge and Henry Condell— printed 36 of his plays in a book
called the First Folio. When the book was published in 1623, seven years after
Shakespeare's death, it sold for 1 British pound (several hundred dollars in
today's money). One sold in 2006 for nearly $5 million.
8.
While most people regularly use about 2,000 words, Shakespeare used more
than 25,000 in his writing.
9.
If you do a Google search on "Shakespeare," you get more than 44
million results.
10.
Did Shakespeare really write Shakespeare? Some people think that other
authors wrote the works credited to him. This is a debate that likely will
continue.
Originally
appeared in "10 Ways To Be Or Not To Be A Shakespeare Expert" in the
Washington Post by Ellen Edwards.
“You scullion! You
rampallian! You fustilarian! I’ll tickle your catastrophe!”
Who doesn’t love Shakespearean insults? Click here to
generate your own!
Let's not forget about those book to movie adaptations! Personally, Shakespeare in Love was my favorite though I know many who would argue that Romeo and Juliet starring a young Leo is the best. What we have all agreed on thus far however is that the newest movie to bring the bard to the big screen was a big 'ol flop and had me throwing popcorn at the screen! Anonymous, you remain a thorn in my side and frankly I want those two hours of my life back. Now it is nearly impossible to talk about Shakespearean films without talking about Kenneth Branagh (yes, I do mean Gilderoy Lockhart for those Harry Potter fans.) He is a master and his adaptations are probably my favorite Shakespearean films ever!
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| Joseph Fiennes as William Shakespeare |
Want to learn more about William Shakespeare?
Check out this amazing Wiki filled to the brim with all things Shakespeare!
Or, check out these resources:
How are you celebrating the Bard's birthday?
