William Shakespeare (1564 - 1616)

 - Born in Stratford-upon-Avon.

- Ben Johnson called him "Sweet Bard of Avon. 

- Father's name: John Shakespeare. 

- Mother's name: Marry Shakespeare. 

- Wife's name: Anne Hathaway. 

- 3 children: Susanna, Hamnet, Judith (last two were twins). 

- Shakespeare was one of the Eight children from which only 5 survived (4 sons and 1 daughter) 

- Shakespeare's Title: Bard of Avon. 

- Shakespeare Buried in: Holy Trinity Church. 

- Shakespeare's contemporary: C Marlowe. 

- Shakespeare owned two theatres: The Globe Theatre (1599) and The Black Friars. The Goble theatre caught fire in 1613 and was rebuild in 1614.

 - Shakespeare wrote 154 sonnets, 37 plays, two narrative and one short (Phoenix and The Turtle) poem.  

- Richard II and King John are the plays completely written in verse only. Rest of the plays are written in verse and prose. 

- King John was the first play to be filmed in 1899.

- Longest play: Hamlet (4042 lines) 

- Shortest Play: Comedy of Errors (1787 lines). 

- He wrote 14 comedies, 10 histories, and 12 Tragedies. 

- List of History plays:

1. Henry IV (Part 1 and 2). 

2. Henry V. 

3. Henry VI ( Part 1, 2 and 3 ). 

4. Henry VIII. 

5. King John. 

6. Richard II

7. Richard III. 

Sources of his history plays was Hollinshed's Chronicles (1577) by Raphel Hollinshed. 

- His four famous tragedies are

1. Othello. 

2. King Lear. 

3. Macbeth. 

4. Hamlet

- Roman Plays of Shakespeare are:

1. Julius Ceaser. 

2. Antony and Cleopatra. 

3. Romeo and Juliet. 

4. Titus Andronicus: This play was written in contribution with George Peele. 

Sources of Roman plays: Plutarch. 

- His comedies are:

1. Comedy of Errors. 

2. Love labour Lost. 

3. Much ado about nothing. 

4. Twelfth Night. 

5. As you like it. 

6. Merchant of Venice. 

- His Romantic plays are:

1. Tempest. 

2. Cymbeline, King of Britain. 

3. Winter's Tale. 

4. Pericles, Prince of Tyre. 

- According to T. S Elliot "Maccbeth" and

 "Coriolanus" are his 'Artistic success". While "Hamlet" is artistic failure. 

- Shakespeare introduced 3000 words and Phrases in English Dictionary. 

Examples: Brave, Birthplace, honest, Character. 

Phrases: All that Glitters is not gold. Break the ice. It's Greek to me. Catch a Cold etc.