Shakespeare

William, the greatest English poet and dramatist, ivas born in 1564. Very little is actually known of his earlier life, except his marriage with Anne Hatha way in 1582, by whom he had three children, Suzanna, Hamnet, and Judith. Having settled in London he published "Venus and Adonis” and "The Rape of Lucrece,” in 1593; and from this time he grew in fame and fortune, playing before Queen Elizabeth in 1594. In 1598 twelve of his plays were mentioned in a publication, but he still continued to act, taking part that year in Jonson’s "Every Man in his Humour,” and, in 1603, in his "Sejanus." He probably retired to Str at ford about 1610 or 1612. He died in 1616. It is impo ible to enumerate more than a few of his best-known works, which are " The Comedy of Errors” and “Midsummer Night’s Dream,” etc. (in the first period) "King John,” " Romeo and Juliet,” "The Merchant; of Venice," "Much Ado about Nothing,” "As You Like it,” etc. (second period); "Julius Caesar,” "Hamlet,” "Othello,” " King Lear,” " Macbeth,” etc. (third period) "Cymbeline,” "The Tempest,” and "Henry VIII.,” etc. (fourth period); which are partly by another writer. Critical editions of his plays have been published by Nicholas Rowe (1709), Bishop War burton I747 ), Samuel Johnson (1765), Capell (1767), Boswell 1821), F. A. Marshall, " Henry Irving Edition 1888-90), and others; and C. Knight published his " i Shakespeare, a Biography,” in 1843.