William Shakespeare

1564 - 1616 *

arguably the most heralded poet and dramatist of all time.

Little is known about William Shakespeare - some critics even claim that he was merely a front for another playwright. What is known, however, is that he was universally popular in his own time and his works have been heralded as the finest ever examples of the use of the English language.

Shakespeare was adept at crafting words and sentences for maximum effect and, because of this, he was instrumental in the changes that were occuring to the English language during the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries. Shakespeare's power with language was coupled with a remarkable poetic ability evident throughout his plays and in his collection of sonnets.

In the world today, Shakespeare's plays are performed more than those of any other dramatist; standing testiment to the timeless nature of his works.

          Source: Classics Network Editorial Team

English poet, dramatist, and actor, considered by many to be the greatest dramatist of all time. Some of Shakespeare's plays, such as HAMLET and ROMEO AND JULIET, are among the most famous literary works of the world. Shakespeare was the most popular dramatist of his age. However, his early works did not match the artistic quality of Marlowe's dramas. If he had died on the same year than Marlowe, in 1593, today he perhaps would be considered a minor poet. Shakespeare became the first to appeal and to meet with the full approval of a broad and mixed public embracing almost all levels of society... [read entire biography]

          Source: Petri Liukkonen

SHAKESPEARE, WILLIAM (1564—1616), English poet, player and playwright, was baptized in the parish church of Stratford-upon-Avon in Warwickshire on the 26th of April 1564. The exact date of his birth is not known. Two 18th-century antiquaries, William Oldys and Joseph Greene, gave it as April 23, but without quoting authority for their statements, and the fact that April 23 was the day of Shakespeare’s death in 1616 suggests a possible source of error. In any case his birthday cannot have been la... [read entire biography]

          Source: Public Domain

These essays offer analysis of the author's life and works. Many of them have been submitted by users, and are assigned an Editorial Rating on a scale from one to five stars to assist you in evaluating their worth. See also: Note on Essays, Editorial Policy.

     

Marginalisation of Principle Characters in Othello by William Shakespeare -- Othering at work in Othello
By [unknown]	Editorial Rating:

Othello or Othe(r)llo: A vacillation Between the Familiar and the Alien -- This essay challenges the popular view of Othello as a villain, and examines this in the context of Said's theory of Orientalism.
By [unknown]	Editorial Rating:

Shakespeare and Freudian theory Hamlet and Titus -- This essay attempts to discover how Freud’s psychoanalytical accounts of human nature can bring us to a deeper understanding of the family relationships at work in Shakespeare’s Hamlet and Titus Andronicus.
By pjbr, Student	Editorial Rating:

Masters of Disguise and Language -- Evaluates the influence of Homer on Shakespeare centralizing on the use of physical, verbal, and emotional disguises in the characters to impel forward the plot line of the story and enhance themes
By char, Student	Editorial Rating:

Sound in Shakespeare's 'The Tempest' -- An academic exercise that takes a formalistic approach (focusing specifically on the use of sounds) to William Shakespeare's play.
By Skylar Burris, Masters Student	Editorial Rating:

Power and Being in Shakespeare's Antony and Cleopatra -- A short essay on the duality in the main characters'attitude and behaviour.
By Claudine Peyre, Doctorate Student	Editorial Rating:

What Could Have Been: The Role of the Theatrical Character in Romeo and Juliet, Hamlet and Henry IV, Part 1 -- Examining the role of the most theatrical characters in three plays by Shakespeare.
By Ian Fortey, Undergraduate Student	Editorial Rating:

Iago as a dramatic construct of deceit and revenge. -- Year 12 lit essay. 'The character of Iago in Shakespeare's play Othello, is said to be the ultimate dramatic construct of deceit and the epitome of an unquenchable desire for revenge.' Refers Sir Francis Bacon http://essayists.8m.com/essays.html.
By Zachary Whitely, High School Student	Editorial Rating:

Marginilisation of Characters in Othello -- An analysis of the ways in which principal characters are marginalised in Shakespeare's Othello
By frank lamacchia, High School Student	Editorial Rating:

Presenting Taming Of The Shrew To A Modern Day Audience -- Presenting Taming Of The Shrew To A Modern Day Audience
By Jonathan Taylor,	Editorial Rating:

The Tragic and Pitiful King Lear -- I will discuss the idea that is King Lear a tragic hero or not
By moahmed nadi, Student	Editorial Rating:

Setting in The Tempest -- The significance of setting in Shakespeare's play, with reference to the construction of the worlds of art and reality
By Andrew Nicol, Student	Editorial Rating:

"King Henry & Prince Hal: Machiavellian Monarchs" -- Shakespeare's Prince Hal in 1 Henry IV as a machiavellian character
By Yan Somoza, Student	Editorial Rating:

Sonnet 130 Appreciation Essay -- Techniques and meaning of Shakespeare's 130th sonnet; my mistress' eyes are nothing like the sun.
By Andrew Nicol, Student	Editorial Rating:

The Action in of Macbeth and Reality in History -- Examines the relationship between the tragedy of Macbeth and historical reality.
By Jillian Soh,	Editorial Rating:

Madness in Hamlet: Hamlet and Ophelia -- Discusses the dramatic significane of the 'mad' scenes in Shakespeare's play.
By MAYSA SH, Undergraduate Student	Editorial Rating:

Othello's Character Development -- A study of Othello's character developement from a respectable general into a jealous murderer based on four major extracts.
By james bradbury,	Editorial Rating:

Love in Shakespeare's Twelfth Nght -- Examines how Shakespeare uses his main characters to present the theme of love.
By Ruth Linton,	Editorial Rating:

Representation of Gender Within Shakespeare's Othello -- Women are always victims because it is men who determine social organisation. Considers the ways in which the representation of men and women in Othello supports or challenges this assumption.
By Ainsley Brett,	Editorial Rating:

Appearance vs. Inner Value in The Merchant of Venice -- In the Merchant of Venice, elegant outward appearances are used to mask a thing's true worthlessness, and these beautiful facades are often mislead people.
By Nora Kleinman,	Editorial Rating:

An Analysis of Iago's Manipulation of Each of the Characters in Othello -- The essay describes in detail Iago's manipulation of Cassio, Desdemona, Emilia, Roderigo, and Othello.
By Paul Simon, Student	Editorial Rating:

Why is the First Act of Shakespeare’s ‘Romeo and Juliet’ so Important? -- This essay looks at the significance of Act 1 of Shakespeare's 'Romeo and Juliet', analysing how Shakespeare set's up the crutial aspects which make this a wholly gripping and exciting play, and also includes some history on the play itself.
By Matthew Jeffries, High School Student	Editorial Rating:

Degradation of Macbeth -- To compare and contrast Macbeth we see in Act 1 and Act 5.
By Grace Fung, High School Student	Editorial Rating:

Select Review On Romeo and Juliet -- Three Short Essays on Shakespeare's Characters
By Tori1219, High School Student	Editorial Rating:

To what extent is the character of Brutus a tragic hero in Shakespeare’s Julius Caesar? What does this reveal about his character? -- The concept of Brutus as a tragic hero in Shakespeare's Julius Caesar in the Shakesperann and classical sense.
By Melissa Legrand, Undergraduate Student	Editorial Rating:

"Thriftless Ambition" -- “Time and hour run through the roughest day”, (I, 4, 164), or do they? Is this only true when one can bask in “the death of each day’s life [?]” It is “thriftless ambition that will raven up thine own life’s means
By rob nock, Student	Editorial Rating:

William Shakespeare and Existentialism -- Shakespeare and existentialism
By moahmed nadi, Student	Editorial Rating:

King Lear as a tragic hero -- I will discuss the idea that is King Lear a tragic hero or not
By moahmed nadi, Student	Editorial Rating:

Who is Responsible? -- Tells of the major blame to the demise and degeneration of Macbeth.
By sarah heywood, Student	Editorial Rating:

The sonnets 1_17 of shakespeare -- my essay will grapple with a general analysis of these sonnets
By moahmed nadi, Student	Editorial Rating:

Significance of the Opening and Closing Scenes of The Tempest -- Through the deconstruction of the court system in the tumultuous opening scene, and its eventual superior reconstruction in the closing scene, Shakespeare is able to better develop and display inherent character traits in the major roles
By DaRabbit, Student	Editorial Rating:

Power in Relation to Class, Gender and Race in Othello -- Othello is a play about human nature and relationships. By studying these human relationships, differences in race, gender and class suggest that Venetian society consists both of empowered and disempowered groups
By Alastair Lagrange, Student	Editorial Rating:

Henry the 4 port 1 - Does Hal undergo real change, or is it marely for political purposes -- an analysis of Hal figure and the comparison to Hutspur and Falstaff
By anat avissar, Student	Editorial Rating:

Upon the Heath There Are No Stars -- Analysis of King Lear IV.vi. 142-184
By jonathan barker, Student	Editorial Rating:

Who is the Third Murderer? -- A look into the possible identity of the Third Murderer found in Macbeth.
By Jillian Soh,	Editorial Rating:

The Path of Forgiveness in the Tempest -- In the Tempest, Prospero's initial desire to wreak revenge upon his enemies through insanity brought on by guilt is eventually overridden by his realization that he really desires reconciliation, which he will only achieve through forgiveness.
By Nora Kleinman,	Editorial Rating:

Othello - Act 11 Scene 11 -- Critical analysis of the scene and an assessment of its importance in the play.
By Saman Bashir, Masters Student	Editorial Rating:

Who or What is to Blame for the Tragedy -- Investigates whether 'fate' ro the behaviour of Romeo is to blame for the tragedy in the play.
By sandra latimer, High School Student	Editorial Rating:

Character Analysis of Romeo and Juliet -- Brief notes on the major characters.
By sandra latimer, High School Student	Editorial Rating:

kings and fools in King lear -- The tragedy of this play is shown through the daughters of the king, the fool
By moahmed nadi, Student	Editorial Rating:

The funeral orations in Julius Caesar -- The funeral orations of both Brutus & Antony after Caesar's death
By moahmed nadi, Student	Editorial Rating:

     

Miscellaneous

		Shakespeare's Life and Times Home Page -- thorough exploration of the context informing Shakespeare's work http://www.web.uvic.ca/shakespeare/Libra... Editorial Rating: Number of Visitors: 572 0 users have rated it an average of 0 stars     [rate it] Shakespeare Plays Presented by the Electronic Literature Foundation -- Full text of all of Shakespeare's plays including concordances, and quotes. http://www.theplays.org/ Editorial Rating: Number of Visitors: 363 4 users have rated it an average of 3.5 stars     [rate it] Shakespeare Resource Center -- Play synopses, biography (including Shakespeare's will!) and a section on Elizabethan England. http://www.bardweb.net/ Editorial Rating: Number of Visitors: 587 2 users have rated it an average of 3.5 stars     [rate it] The Shakespeare Classroom -- Teaching and learning resources including study questions and materials for studying Shakespeare as well as a short list of links. http://www.jetlink.net/~massij/shakes/ Editorial Rating: Number of Visitors: 627 4 users have rated it an average of 3.5 stars     [rate it] Mr William Shakespeare and the Internet -- Good Shakespeare resources and links, including unique items of interest http://daphne.palomar.edu/shakespeare/ Editorial Rating: Number of Visitors: 625 3 users have rated it an average of 3.33 stars     [rate it] Surfing with the Bard -- Shakespeare classroom, including well organised and presented links to summaries and criticism for the most widely-studied of his plays. http://www.ulen.com/shakespeare/plays/ Editorial Rating: Number of Visitors: 325 2 users have rated it an average of 3.5 stars     [rate it] Shakespeare's Life and Times Home Page -- useful resources on the social and political context http://web.uvic.ca/shakespeare/Library/S... Editorial Rating: Number of Visitors: 345 1 users have rated it an average of 4 stars     [rate it] Rivendell's Drama Page -- Shakespeare -- Background and biography and eight excellent essays analysing Shakespeare in general and specific Shakespeare texts. http://www.watson.org/rivendell/dramasha... Editorial Rating: Number of Visitors: 421 0 users have rated it an average of 0 stars     [rate it] Shakespeare Magazine -- Shakespeare news and events and useful teaching resources which present interesting ways of reading Shakespeare's plays. http://www.shakespearemag.com/ Editorial Rating: Number of Visitors: 227 0 users have rated it an average of 0 stars     [rate it] Slelected commentaries on Shakespeare's sonnets -- A selection of notes and commentaries on all the "154 sonnets of Shakespeare" http://www.shakespeares-sonnets.com Editorial Rating: Number of Visitors: 355 4 users have rated it an average of 3.25 stars     [rate it]

     

I would fain die a dry death. -- The Tempest. Act i. Sc. 1.

William Shakespeare

Now would I give a thousand furlongs of sea for an acre of barren ground. -- The Tempest. Act i. Sc. 1.

William Shakespeare

What seest thou else
In the dark backward and abysm of time? -- The Tempest. Act i. Sc. 2.

William Shakespeare

I, thus neglecting worldly ends, all dedicated
To closeness and the bettering of my mind. -- The Tempest. Act i. Sc. 2.

William Shakespeare

Like one
Who having into truth, by telling of it,
Made such a sinner of his memory,
To credit his own lie. -- The Tempest. Act i. Sc. 2.

William Shakespeare

My library
Was dukedom large enough. -- The Tempest. Act i. Sc. 2.

William Shakespeare

Knowing I lov'd my books, he furnish'd me
From mine own library with volumes that
I prize above my dukedom. -- The Tempest. Act i. Sc. 2.

William Shakespeare

From the still-vexed Bermoothes. -- The Tempest. Act i. Sc. 2.

William Shakespeare

I will be correspondent to command,
And do my spiriting gently. -- The Tempest. Act i. Sc. 2.

William Shakespeare

Fill all thy bones with aches. -- The Tempest. Act i. Sc. 2.

William Shakespeare

More quotes by this author are available...

Additional searches

Shakespeare at Encarta Encyclopedia

Shakespeare at Britannica Encyclopedia

Shakespeare at Xrefer.com