Thesis: William Shakespeare influenced the world through his early life, career, and his plays.

Shakespeare’s Early Life:

Quote #1: "William Shakespeare was born in the small market town of Stratford-upon-Avon in 1564, the third of eight children" (Lander).

Commentary: This quote shows how Shakespeare was part of a big family. Although he was part of a big family, he was able to create his works, become successful and influence the world.

Quote #2: "Beginning at about the age of 7, William probably attended the Stratford grammar school with other boys of his social class"(Lander).

Commentary: This quote shows how Shakespeare went to a grammar school which had highly qualified teachers. If he did not get this opportunity, he probably would not have influenced the world later on in his life.

Quote #3: "Young Shakespeare may have read such outstanding ancient Roman authors as Cicero, Ovid, Plautus, Seneca, Terence, and Virgil" (Lander).

Commentary: Shakespeare was influenced by the works of these authors. This led to him creating his works when he got older.

Quote #4: "His father, John Shakespeare, was successful in the leather business during Shakespeare's early childhood but later met with financial difficulties" ("William").

Commentary: Although his family faced difficulties financially, he was determined enough to succeed. As a result, he became a playwright and an actor, and became well-known.

His Career:

Quote #5: "Until the end of his London career Shakespeare remained with the company; it is thought that as an actor he played old men's roles, such as the ghost in Hamlet and Old Adam in As You Like It" ("William").

Commentary: Shakespeare became an actor in order to play a role in plays. By doing this, he contributed to the successful production of these plays.

Quote #6: "In 1599 he became a partner in the ownership of the Globe theatre, and in 1608 he was part owner of the Blackfriars theatre" ("William").

Commentary: Because of hard work and perseverance, Shakespeare attained ownership of the Globe Theatre and the Blackfriars Theatre. He contributed to these theatres, making them famous as well.

Quote #7: "In 1599, Burbage's theater was torn down and its timbers were used by Shakespeare and his company to build the Globe Theatre" (Anderson).

Commentary: Shakespeare and his company built the Globe Theatre themselves. He helped build the Globe Theatre, which is one of the most popular theatres in the world.

His Plays:

Quote #8: "The motion picture was a great morale-booster to the British people during World War II (1939-1945)" (Seidel).

Commentary: This provided support for the British when they were at war. If Shakespeare didn't write the play in the first place, the motion picture would not have been created.

Quote #9: "Shakespeare's plays are still produced all over the world" (Anderson).

Commentary: This quote shows that Shakespeare's plays were so well-written that places all around the world are still producing them. This shows how Shakespeare's works influenced the whole world.

Quote #10: "During a Broadway season in the 1980s, one critic estimated that if Shakespeare were alive, he would be receiving $25,000 a week in royalties for a production of Othello alone" (Anderson).

Commentary: This quote shows how Shakespeare's play would be very successful, meaning it would receive the most support compared to others. His play was very famous since he was such a great playwright.

Works Cited

Anderson, Robert. “Shakespeare and His Theater: A Perfect Match.” Holt Literature & Language Arts: Mastering the California Standards: Reading, Writing, Listening, Speaking, by G. Kylene Beers et al., Austin, Holt, Rinehart & Winston, 2003, pp. 778-80.

---. “William Shakespeare’s Life.” Holt Literature & Language Arts: Mastering the California Standards: Reading, Writing, Listening, Speaking, by G. Kylene Beers et al., Austin, Holt, Rinehart & Winston, 2003, pp. 776-77.

Lander, Jesse M. “Shakespeare, William.” World Book Advanced. World Book, 2016. Web. 17 Nov. 2016.

Seidel, Michael. “Henry V.” World Book Advanced. World Book, 2016. Web. 1 Dec. 2016.

“William Shakespeare.” Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia, 6Th Edition (2016): 1-4. History Reference Center. Web. 18 Nov. 2016.