OTHELLO A play by William Shakespeare ABOUT THE AUTHOR: WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE Born: April 23, 1564, in Stratford-upon-Avon, England Died: April 23, 1616, in Stratford-upon-Avon, England (aged 52 years) Although he is recognised as the greatest dramatist ever, relatively little is known about his life. Even his dates of birth and death are only approximations. Shakespeare lived during the Renaissance – a period when a new interest and output in all forms of Art reached a peak that has yet to be surpassed. (During the reign of Queen Elizabeth I.) He was the third of eight children born to John Shakespeare, a successful merchant, and Mary Arden. It is thought that he was educated at the local school in his village. Being the oldest son, he should have taken over his father's business, but apparently, he became a butcher's apprentice and then a schoolmaster. He married Anne Hathaway, a farmer's daughter, in 1582. (She was 9 years his senior.) They had three children. He moved to London after he was caught poaching deer. By 1592, he'd become successful in the London theatre and had the patronage of Henry Wriothesley, third earl of Southampton. Shakespeare lived in a God-centred universe – it was assumed that all Englishmen were Christians. (All other faiths / religions / beliefs were heavily criticised and persecuted.) The Elizabethan Chain of Being structured the universe in a series of ranks, known as the Natural Order – God was the supreme powerThe Hierarchy of HeavenThe Hierarchy of the StarsThe Hierarchy of Earth – which ran in this order: King NobilityThe Common ManAnimals and Plants. During his lifetime, Shakespeare wrote or contributed to thirty-eight plays and wrote more than 150 sonnets. They were popular with the public, but not critically acclaimed until well after his death. At the time, English drama was seen as a poor cousin to "more European" drama. However, he was given audiences with Queen Elizabeth I and King James I and he was financially wealthy. His career is generally studied in four periods: the development of his style and prose; the histories such as Richard II; the tragedies such as Macbeth; and the tragic-comedies. 1
His last few years were relatively unproductive and he spent much time with his family in Stratford. He was buried in a churchyard in Stratford. Here is a chronology of his works: Year Title Type of work1590-92 Henry VI, Parts I, II, and III (play)HISTORICAL 1592 The Comedy of Errors (play)1593 The Taming of the Shrew (play)1593 Richard III (play)HISTORICAL 1593 Venus and Adonis (poem)1594 The Rape of Lucrece (poem)1594 Titus Andronicus (play) 1594 The Two Gentlemen of Verona (play)1594 Love's Labour's Lost (play)1595 King John (play)HISTORICAL 1595 Richard II (play)HISTORICAL 1595 A Midsummer Night's Dream (play)The 'Joyous' Comedies 1595 Romeo and Juliet (play)TRAGEDY 1596 The Merchant of Venice (play)The 'Joyous' Comedies 1597 Henry IV, Parts I and II (play)HISTORICAL 1598 Henry V (play)HISTORICAL 1599 Much Ado About Nothing (play)The 'Joyous' Comedies 1599 As You Like It (play)The 'Joyous' Comedies1599 The Merry Wives of Windsor (play)The 'Joyous' Comedies 1599 Julius Caesar (play)TRAGEDY 1600 Twelfth Night (play)The 'Joyous' Comedies 1601 Hamlet (play)GREAT TRAGEDY 1602 Troilus and Cressida (play)TRAGEDY 1602 All's Well That Ends Well (play)‘DARK’ COMEDY 1604 Othello (play) GREAT TRAGEDY 1604 Measure for Measure (play)‘DARK’ COMEDY 1605 King Lear (play)GREAT TRAGEDY 1606 Antony and Cleopatra (play)GREAT TRAGEDY 1606 Macbeth (play)
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