江苏省常州市西夏墅中学高中英语 Unit1 The written word文化背景 牛津译林版选修8.doc

william shakespearewilliam shakespeare (1564 1616) was an english poet and playwright, widely regarded as the greatest writer in the english language and the worlds preeminent dramatist. he is often called englands national poet and the bard of avon (or simply the bard). shakespeare produced most of his known work between 1590 and 1613. his early plays were mainly comedies and histories, genres he raised to the peak of sophistication and artistry by the end of the sixteenth century. he then wrote mainly tragedies until about 1608, including hamlet, king lear, and macbeth, considered some of the finest works in the english language.shakespeare was a respected poet and playwright in his own day, but his reputation did not rise to its present heights until the nineteenth century. in the twentieth century, his work was repeatedly adopted and rediscovered by new movements in scholarship and performance. his plays remain highly popular today and are constantly studied, performed and reinterpreted in diverse cultural and political contexts throughout the world.lifewilliam shakespeare was the son of john shakespeare, a successful glover and alderman originally from snitterfield, and mary arden, the daughter of an affluent landowning farmer. he was born in stratford-upon-avon and baptised on 26 april 1564. his unknown birthday is traditionally observed on 23 april, st georges day. this date, which can be traced back to an eighteenth-century scholars mistake, has proved appealing because shakespeare died on 23 april 1616. he was the third child of eight and the eldest surviving son. john shakespeares house, believed to be shakespeares birthplace, in stratford-upon-avon.at the age of 18, shakespeare married the 26-year-old anne hathaway. six months after the marriage, she gave birth to a daughter, susanna, who was baptised on 26 may 1583. twins, son hamnet and daughter judith, followed almost two years later and were baptised on 2 february 1585. between 1585 and 1592, shakespeare began a successful career in london as an actor, writer, and part owner of a playing company called the lord chamberlains men, later known as the kings men. he appears to have retired to stratford around 1613, where he died three years later.works of shakespearecomedyhistorytragedypoetryalls well that ends well as you like it the comedy of errors cymbeline loves labours lost measure for measure the merry wives of windsor the merchant of venice a midsummer nights dream much ado about nothing pericles, prince of tyre taming of the shrew the tempest troilus and cressida twelfth night two gentlemen of verona winters tale henry iv, part 1 henry iv, part 2 henry v henry vi, part 1 henry vi, part 2 henry vi, part 3 henry viii king john richard ii richard iiiantony and cleopatra coriolanus hamlet julius caesar king lear macbet