William Shakespeare Complete Works – World’s Best Collection: 220+ Plays, Sonnets, Poetry Inc. the rare Apocryphal Plays Plus Commentaries of Works, Full Biography and More

SHAKESPEARE

WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE COMPLETE WORKS WORLD’S BEST COLLECTION

Editor Darryl Marks

WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE COMPLETE WORKS WORLD’S BEST COLLECTION - William Shakespeare works first published circa 17th Century Samuel Taylor Coleridge Notes on Shakespeare - circa 1817 Samuel Johnson Preface and Notes on Shakespeare's Plays – 1765 Study in Shakespeare 1874-1880 Characters of Shakespeare's Plays 1817 The Life of William Shakespeare 1899 First Imagination Books edition published 2018 PREFACE: THE LIFE OF WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE EXPLANATION OF THE APOCRYPHAL PLAYS Copyright © 2018 by Darryl Marks and Infinite Eternity Entertainment LLC All Rights Reserved.

THE LIFE OF WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE

Written by Darryl Marks

William Shakespeare, the Bard of Avon, is widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and the world's pre-eminent dramatist.

Birth and Parentage

Shakespeare was born and raised in Stratford-upon-Avon. He was the son of John Shakespeare, a successful glover and alderman, and Mary Arden, the daughter of a rich farmer.

He is listed as being baptised on 26 April 1564. His actual birthdate is not certain, but is traditionally observed on 23 April (St George's Day). This date has proved appealing because Shakespeare died on 23 April 1616.

School Life

It is generally accepted that Shakespeare may have been educated at the King's New School in Stratford, a free school chartered in 1553. During the Elizabethan era, the curriculum was enforced by law throughout England and Shakespeare would have been educated in Latin and the Classics. No University education is known of, but it is unlikely Shakespeare attended one.

Marriage

At the age of 18, Shakespeare married the 26-year-old Anne Hathaway on 27 November 1582. There is some debate regarding the marriage, from the fact that the couple appear to have organised the wedding quite quickly, with the result that the Worcester chancellor read the marriage banns only once instead of the traditional three times. It is speculated that Anne may have been pregnant at the time and this could have been the reason for the quick marriage.

Children

This view holds up because six months after the marriage, she gave birth to a daughter, Susanna, baptised on 26 May 1583. Two years later, twins, son Hamnet and daughter Judith, were baptised on 2 February 1585.

Sadly, Hamnet died of unknown causes at the age of 11 and was buried on 11 August 1596. It is speculated that the name 'Hamlet' is a commemoration of Shakespeare's beloved son.

The Lost Years

After the birth of the twins, little is known about Shakespeare until his arrival on the London theatre scene. This gap from 1585 to 1592 is known as Shakespeare's lost years.

Many biographer have attempted to explain what Shakespeare was up to during this time. Some explanations include Shakespeare having begun his theatre 'career' as a horse-minder for theatre patrons in London (a type of horse-valet service). Other stories include Shakespeare having been a schoolmaster and a more intriguing report, from Nicholas Rowe (Shakespeare’s first biographer) states that Shakespeare eventually fled Stratford and went to London, to escape prosecution for deer poaching in the Stratford area.

Theatre Career

Whatever the reason, by 1592, he had s successful career as a writer and actor for the London theatre scene.

He was so well known that he even attracted the denigrating attack of fellow playwrights. In an oft-mentioned quote, playwright Robert Greene said: ...there is an upstart Crow, beautified with our feathers, that with his Tiger's heart wrapped in a Player's hide, supposes he is as well able to bombast out a blank verse as the best of you: and being an absolute Johannes factotum, is in his own conceit the only Shake-scene in a country.

Scholars mostly agree that Greene is accusing Shakespeare of reaching above his rank in trying to match university-educated writers.

Nevertheless, Shakespeare continued undaunted and from 1594, he was a co-owner, actor, player, member and principal playwright for a theatrical troupe called the Lord Chamberlain's Men. It quickly became the most successful play company in London.

King's Men

When Queen Elizabeth died in 1603, the Lord Chamberlain's Men were awarded a royal patent by new king, James I, and its named was changed to the more famous name - the King's Men.

They became so successful that In 1599, a group of the company members built their own theatre on the south bank of the Thames. It came to be known as the Globe.

Shakespeare himself became quite wealthy and purchased the second-largest house in Stratford.

Acting Roles

Shakespeare was not only playwright but an actor in the troupe. The First Folio of 1623, lists Shakespeare as one of the Principal Actors in all these Plays. We cannot know which roles he took, but records indicate that Shakespeare played many of the Kings. This is substantiated by John Davies of Hereford, who wrote in 1610 that good Will played kingly roles. Rowe, Shakespeare's first biographer, reported that Shakespeare played the ghost of Hamlet's father, as well as Adam in As You Like It and the Chorus in Henry V.

Later Years

Shakespeare retired to Stratford some years before his death in 1613.

He died on 23 April 1616 and was survived by his wife and two daughters.

Susanna had married John Hall, a doctor, in 1607. Judith had married Thomas Quiney, a vintner, in 1616.

In his will, Shakespeare left most of his estate to Susanna, with terms instructing her to pass it down intact to the first son of her body. Shakespeare's will doesn't mention much about his wife Anne, however he did leave her [his]second best bed. This has led to much debate as whether it was an insult or, as others believe, a beautiful remark because the second-best bed would have been the matrimonial bed, and therefore of romantic significance.

Descendants

As for Shakespeare's descendants: The Quineys had three children, all of whom died without marrying. The Halls had one child, Elizabeth, who married twice but died without children in 1670. Thus ended Shakespeare’s direct descendants.

Shakespeare was buried in the chancel of the Holy Trinity Church.

The Curse

In the last poetic gesture of his time on earth, on the stone covering Shakespeare's grave, there is a carving: A curse against moving his bones.

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.

WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE’S COMEDIES

ALL'S WELL THAT ENDS WELL

By William Shakespeare

PERSONS REPRESENTED.

KING OF FRANCE.

THE DUKE OF FLORENCE.

BERTRAM, Count of Rousillon.

LAFEU, an old Lord.

PAROLLES, a follower of Bertram.

Several young French Lords, that serve with Bertram in the

Florentine War.

Steward, Servant to the Countess of Rousillon.

Clown, Servant to the Countess of Rousillon.

A Page, Servant to the Countess of Rousillon.

COUNTESS OF ROUSILLON, Mother to Bertram.

HELENA, a Gentlewoman protected by the Countess.

An old Widow of Florence.

DIANA, daughter to the Widow.

VIOLENTA, neighbour and friend to the Widow.

MARIANA, neighbour and friend to the Widow.

Lords attending on the KING; Officers; Soldiers, &c., French and

Florentine.

SCENE: Partly in France, and partly in Tuscany.

ACT I.

SCENE 1. Rousillon. A room in the COUNTESS'S palace.

[Enter BERTRAM, the COUNTESS OF ROUSILLON, HELENA, and LAFEU, all in black.]

COUNTESS.

In delivering my son from me, I bury a second husband.

BERTRAM. And I in going, madam, weep o'er my father's death anew; but I must attend his majesty's command, to whom I am now in ward, evermore in subjection.

LAFEU. You shall find of the king a husband, madam;—you, sir, a father: he that so generally is at all times good, must of necessity hold his virtue to you; whose worthiness would stir it up where it wanted, rather than lack it where there is such abundance.

COUNTESS.

What hope is there of his majesty's amendment?

LAFEU. He hath abandoned his physicians, madam; under whose practices he hath persecuted time with hope; and finds no other advantage in the process but only the losing of hope by time.

COUNTESS. This young gentlewoman had a father—O, that 'had!' how sad a passage 'tis!—whose skill was almost as great as his honesty; had it stretched so far, would have made nature immortal, and death should have play for lack of work. Would, for the king's sake, he were living! I think it would be the death of the king's disease.

LAFEU.

How called you the man you speak of, madam?

COUNTESS. He was famous, sir, in his profession, and it was his great right to be so—Gerard de Narbon.

LAFEU. He was excellent indeed, madam; the king very lately spoke of him admiringly and mourningly; he was skilful enough to have liv'd still, if knowledge could be set up against mortality.

BERTRAM.

What is it, my good lord, the king languishes of?

LAFEU.

A fistula, my lord.

BERTRAM.

I heard not of it before.

LAFEU. I would it were not notorious.—Was this gentlewoman the daughter of Gerard de Narbon?

COUNTESS. His sole child, my lord, and bequeathed to my overlooking. I have those hopes of her good that her education promises; her dispositions she inherits, which makes fair gifts fairer; for where an unclean mind carries virtuous qualities, there commendations go with pity,—they are virtues and traitors too: in her they are the better for their simpleness; she derives her honesty, and achieves her goodness.

LAFEU.

Your commendations, madam, get from her tears.

COUNTESS. 'Tis the best brine a maiden can season her praise in. The remembrance of her father never approaches her heart but the tyranny of her sorrows takes all livelihood from her cheek. No more of this, Helena,—go to, no more, lest it be rather thought you affect a sorrow than to have.

HELENA.

I do affect a sorrow indeed; but I have it too.

LAFEU. Moderate lamentation is the right of the dead; excessive grief the enemy to the living.

COUNTESS. If the living be enemy to the grief, the excess makes it soon mortal.

BERTRAM.

Madam, I desire your holy wishes.

LAFEU.

How understand we that?

COUNTESS.

Be thou blest, Bertram, and succeed thy father

In manners, as in shape! thy blood and virtue

Contend for empire in thee, and thy goodness

Share with thy birthright! Love all, trust a few,

Do wrong to none: be able for thine enemy

Rather in power than use; and keep thy friend

Under thy own life's key: be check'd for silence,

But never tax'd for speech. What heaven more will,

That thee may furnish and my prayers pluck down,

Fall on thy head! Farewell.—My lord,

'Tis an unseason'd courtier; good my lord,

Advise him.

LAFEU.

He cannot want the best

That shall attend his love.

COUNTESS.

Heaven bless him!—Farewell, Bertram.

[Exit COUNTESS.]

BERTRAM. The best wishes that can be forg'd in your thoughts [To HELENA.] be servants to you! Be comfortable to my mother, your mistress, and make much of her.

LAFEU.

Farewell, pretty lady: you must hold the credit of your father.

[Exeunt BERTRAM and LAFEU.]

HELENA.

O, were that all!—I think not on my father;

And these great tears grace his remembrance more

Than those I shed for him. What was he like?

I have forgot him; my imagination