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Unit 4: Shakespeare: Macbeth—Introduction to the Author and the Text

Death Notes
William Shakespeare lived until 1616. His wife Anna died in 1623 at the age of 67. He was buried in
the chancel of his church at Stratford.

4.1.2 Work Experience

Although many records of Shakespeare’s life as a citizen of Stratford—including marriage and birth
certificates—have survived, very little information exists about his life as a young playwright. Legend
characterizes Shakespeare as a roguish young man who was once forced to flee London under
suspect circumstances perhaps having to do with his love life. But the little written information we
have of his early years does not necessarily confirm this characterization.
In any case, young Will was not an immediate and universal success. The earliest written record of
Shakespeare’s life in London comes from a statement by the rival playwright Robert Greene. In his
Groatsworth of Witte (1592), Greene calls Shakespeare an “upstart crow... [who] supposes he is as
well able to bombast out a blank verse as the best of you.” While this is hardly high praise, it does
suggest that Shakespeare rattled the London theatrical hierarchy even at the beginning of his career.
It is natural, in retrospect, to attribute Greene’s complaint to jealousy of Shakespeare’s ability, but
of course we can’t be sure.

Playwright

In 1594, Shakespeare returned to the theater and became a charter member of the Lord Chamberlain’s
Men—a group of actors who changed their name to the King’s Men when James I ascended to the
throne. By 1598, he was the “principal comedian” for the troupe; by 1603, he was “principal
tragedian.” He remained associated with the organization until his death. Although acting and
playwriting were not considered noble professions at the time, successful and prosperous actors
were relatively well respected. Shakespeare’s success left him with a fair amount of money, which
he invested in Stratford real estate. In 1597, he purchased the second largest house in Stratford—the
New Place—for his parents. In 1596, Shakespeare applied for a coat of arms for his family, in effect
making himself a gentleman. Consequently, his daughters made “good matches,” marrying wealthy
men.
Shakespeare had been working as an actor and dramatist for a few years already when theaters and
other public spaces were ordered closed in January 1593 due to an outbreak of the plague.
Shakespeare used the break to compose two long poems, “Venus and Adonis,” based on Ovid’s
Metamorphoses, and “The Rape of Lucrece,” based on a Roman myth. The two poems were celebrated
for their beauty and lyricism. Both were dedicated to Henry Wriothesley, the Third Earl of
Southampton, whom Shakespeare was fortunate enough to have adopted as a patron. “The love I
dedicate to your Lordship is without end,” Shakespeare wrote in the dedication to “The Rape of
Lucrece.” “The warrant I have of your honorable disposition, not the worth of my untutored lines,
makes it assured of acceptance. What I have done is yours; what I have to do is yours; being part in
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all I have, devoted yours.” Scholars also believe that Southampton is the “fair youth” mentioned in
Shakespeare’s sonnets, an unnamed male character of whom Shakespeare sometimes seems to speak
erotically.
In 1594, the theaters reopened. Shakespeare joined the Lord Chamberlain’s Men, a theater troupe
sponsored by a baron named Henry Carey, a.k.a. Lord Chamberlain. Shakespeare also purchased
shares in the company, making him a manager and co-owner. Over the next few years, with
Shakespeare as chief dramatist, the Chamberlain’s Men became one of the most popular theater
companies in London and a favorite of Queen Elizabeth. We don’t have a precise timeline for when
Shakespeare wrote each of his plays; in most cases, the best evidence comes from outside references
to the productions. In 1598, the critic Francis Meres penned a review in which he wrote that

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