William Shakespeare
Everyone who has gone to school has heard of William Shakespeare. For those that are fans of poetry, they have probably read more than one of his most famous works. Some would say that he is the most famous poet of his time and still today. But, for those that have really studied his writing, it soon becomes obvious that Shakespeare probably didn’t enjoy the acclaim to fame he has received posthumously.
Shakespeare is a radical of his time. His writings and his plays were often far from what we would call socially acceptable. He pushed the limits in both his personal and professional life.
Many of Shakespeare’s plays were acted out in the Globe theatre. Shakespeare himself was listed as an actor in some of the plays. Usually, he played bit parts, so he could concentrate on writing. Unfortunately, the Globe burned down in 1613, after a cannon shot, during the play, started a fire.
For all of his fame today, Shakespeare had a troubled life. His marriage to his wife was a little rushed, as she was already pregnant. They also had twins a couple of years later. But, there is some question as to where his true allegiances lay. Based on some of his sonnets, many scholars believe that Shakespeare was bisexual, and the young gentleman in his love sonnets was a young man of the time that was obviously homosexual.
Shortly before his death, Shakespeare had his will rewritten. In the will, he left not his best bed but the second and the coverings to his lovely wife. Shakespeare left majority of his estate his eldest daughter Susanna, and no further mention of his wife was made. No one knows exactly why precipitated this change. But, his troubled existence may explain why much of his work was filled with some of the darkest aspects of society. Much of his work may have reflected some of his own internal turmoil.
After only looking at two very well known men that have written some of the most memorable works in history, it seems to support the theory that authors do their best work, when they write about what they know firsthand. Both of this notable classic writers experienced both successes and failures in their personal and professional lives. If you take the time to study the correlations, the ups and downs are sure to be reflected in each masterpiece that readers still appreciate today.