THESIS: Shakespeare made an impact on the world of theatre throughout his early, middle, and late life.

EARLY LIFE

Quote 1: "The Lord Chamberlain’s Men were one of the most popular companies in London. In large part because of Shakespeare’s talents, they would go on to become the dominant company in England during the late 1500’s and early 1600’s"(Lander).

Commentary: This quote shows that Shakespeare made The Lord Chamberlain's Men very popular through his talents. Shakespeare must have had a knack for plays to make a popular company even more popular.

Quote 2: "William probably attended the Stratford grammar school with other boys of his social class. The school’s highly qualified teachers were graduates of Oxford University. Students spent about nine hours a day in school"(Lander).

Commentary: Shakespeare probably became such a successful playwright because he went to such a prestigious school. If it weren't for the strict schedules and rules of his teachers, he might not have become as outstanding of a writer.

Quote 3: "William attended grammar school, where he studied Latin grammar, Latin literature, and rhetoric(the uses of language). As far as we know, he had no further formal education"(Anderson 776-777).

Commentary: This quote shows that Shakespeare learned a lot about Latin and other things in grammar school, which could have affected his career as a playwright. If he would have had more education, who knows what would have happened with his career.

Quote 4: "His parents were illiterate; he grew up in a small provincial town in which lived no more than a handful of educated men. His schooling ended at thirteen"(Rubinstein). Commentary: Even though Shakespeare might not have had the best of education, he still turned out to be one of the best playwrights in the Elizabethan Era. No facts about his childhood can be 100% true, but he is definitely a master writer.

MIDDLE LIFE

Quote 5: "Shakespeare worked with this company for the rest of his writing life. Year after year he provided it with plays, almost on demand. Shakespeare was the ultimate professional writer. He had a theater that needed plays, actors who needed parts, and a family that needed to be fed"(Anderson 777).

Commentary: This quote shows how great of a playwright Shakespeare was. It shows that he was committed and loved to do his work.

Quote 6: "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 was not only a playwright, but he was also an actor that was successful as well. This shows how much he loved to work in the play community.

Quote 7: "William Shakespeare is considered the greatest English poet and the world’s greatest playwright. His main body of work consists of 37 plays that are divided into comedies, tragedies, and histories. In addition, he wrote a number of poems, including 154 sonnets"(Forster).

Commentary: This quote shows that Shakespeare wrote many plays and other pieces during his prime. This shows that he is dedicated to being a playwright making him one of the best.

LATE LIFE

Quote 8: "In 1599 he became a partner in the ownership of the Globe theatre, and in 1608 he was part owner of the Blackfriars theatre. Shakespeare retired and returned to Stratford c.1613. He undoubtedly enjoyed a comfortable living throughout his career and in retirement, although he was never a wealthy man"(William).

Commentary: This quote shows that Shakespeare was so successful in his writing career that in retirement, he could enjoy being the owner of more than one theatre. This shows that he worked hard in his early and middle life and it payed off.

Quote 9: "Shakespeare died on April 23, 1616, six weeks after Judith’s wedding. Many consider the same date as Shakespeare's birthday. He was buried in the Stratford church"(Forster).

Commentary: This quote shows that Shakespeare had over 50 good years to become one of the greatest playwrights ever known. It also shows how he was buried in Stratford, the town he grew up in.

Quote 10: "Seven years after Shakespeare's death, in 1623, a huge memorial volume appeared, produced by several of his former theatrical associates, which contained nearly all of his plays (many printed in full for the first time)"(Rubinstein).

Commentary: This quote shows that Shakespeare was so accomplished that even after he died he still had memorials dedicated to him. This shows that Shakespeare must have been very popular for people to care that much about him seven years after his death.

Works Cited

Anderson, Robert. “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.

Forster, Matt. “William Shakespeare.” William Shakespeare (2005): 1­3. History Reference Center. Web. 5 Dec. 2016.

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

Rubinstein, William. “Who Was Shakespeare?.” History Today 51.8 (2001): 28. History Reference Center. Web. 5 Dec. 2016.

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