Free Essay

What Was Shakespeare's Reputation During His Life?

In:

Submitted By lizziecattle
Words 1294
Pages 6
For several years his genius as dramatist and poet had been acknowledged by critics and playgoers alike, and his social and professional position had become considerable. Inside the theatre his influence was supreme. When, in 1598, the manager of the company rejected Ben Jonson’s first comedy—his ‘Every Man in his Humour’—Shakespeare intervened, according to a credible tradition (reported by Rowe but denounced by Gifford), and procured a reversal of the decision in the interest of the unknown dramatist who was his junior by nine years. He took a part when the piece was performed. Jonson was of a difficult and jealous temper, and subsequently he gave vent to an occasional expression of scorn at Shakespeare’s expense, but, despite passing manifestations of his unconquerable surliness, there can be no doubt that Jonson cherished genuine esteem and affection for Shakespeare till death. Within a very few years of Shakespeare’s death Sir Nicholas L’Estrange, an industrious collector of anecdotes, put into writing an anecdote for which he made Dr. Donne responsible, attesting the amicable relations that habitually subsisted between Shakespeare and Jonson. ‘Shakespeare,’ ran the story, ‘was godfather to one of Ben Jonson’s children, and after the christening, being in a deep study, Jonson came to cheer him up and asked him why he was so melancholy. “No, faith, Ben,” says he, “not I, but I have been considering a great while what should be the fittest gift for me to bestow upon my godchild, and I have resolv’d at last.” “I pr’ythee, what?” sayes he. “I’ faith, Ben, I’ll e’en give him a dozen good Lattin spoons, and thou shalt translate them.”’ 1

The Mermaid meetings.

The creator of Falstaff could have been no stranger to tavern life, and he doubtless took part with zest in the convivialities of men of letters. Tradition reports that Shakespeare joined, at the Mermaid Tavern in Bread Street, those meetings of Jonson and his associates which Beaumont described in his poetical ‘Letter’ to Jonson:

‘What things have we seen
Done at the Mermaid? heard words that have been
So nimble, and so full of subtle flame,
As if that every one from whence they came
Had meant to put his whole wit in a jest,
And had resolved to live a fool the rest
Of his dull life.’

‘Many were the wit-combats,’ wrote Fuller of Shakespeare in his ‘Worthies’ (1662), ‘betwixt him and Ben Jonson, which two I behold like a Spanish great galleon and an English man of war; Master Jonson (like the former) was built far higher in learning, solid but slow in his performances. Shakespeare, with the Englishman of war, lesser in bulk, but lighter in sailing, could turn with all tides, tack about, and take advantage of all winds by the quickness of his wit and invention.’

Mere’s eulogy, 1598.

Of the many testimonies paid to Shakespeare’s literary reputation at this period of his career, the most striking was that of Francis Meres. Meres was a learned graduate of Cambridge University, a divine and schoolmaster, who brought out in 1598 a collection of apophthegms on morals, religion, and literature which he entitled ‘Palladis Tamia.’ In the book he interpolated ‘A comparative discourse of our English poets with the Greek, Latin, and Italian poets,’ and there exhaustively surveyed contemporary literary effort in England.

Shakespeare figured in Meres’s pages as the greatest man of letters of the day. ‘The Muses would speak Shakespeare’s fine filed phrase,’ Meres asserted, ‘if they could speak English.’ ‘Among the English,’ he declared, ‘he was the most excellent in both kinds for the stage’ (i.e. tragedy and comedy). The titles of six comedies (‘Two Gentlemen of Verona, ‘Errors,’ ‘Love’s Labour’s Lost,’ ‘Love’s Labour’s Won,’ ‘Midsummer Night’s Dream,’ and ‘Merchant of Venice’) and of six tragedies (‘Richard II,’ ‘Richard III,’ ‘Henry IV,’ ‘King John,’ ‘Titus,’ and ‘Romeo and Juliet’) were set forth, and mention followed of his ‘Venus and Adonis,’ his ‘Lucrece,’ and his ‘sugred 2 sonnets among his private friends.’ These were cited as proof ‘that the sweet witty soul of Ovid lives in mellifluous and honey-tongued Shakespeare.’ In the same year a rival poet, Richard Barnfield, in ‘Poems in divers Humors,’ predicted immortality for Shakespeare with no less confidence.

And Shakespeare, thou whose honey-flowing vein
(Pleasing the world) thy Praises doth obtain,
Whose Venus and whose Lucrece (sweet and chaste)
Thy name in Fame’s immortal Book have placed,
Live ever you, at least in fame live ever:
Well may the Body die, but Fame dies never.

Value of his name to publishers.

Shakespeare’s name was thenceforth of value to unprincipled publishers, and they sought to palm off on their customers as his work the productions of inferior pens. As early as 1595, Thomas Creede, the surreptitious printer of ‘Henry V’ and the ‘Merry Wives,’ had issued the crude ‘Tragedie of Locrine, as ‘newly set foorth, overseene and corrected. By W. S.’ It appropriated many passages from an older piece called ‘Selimus,’ which was possibly by Greene and certainly came into being long before Shakespeare had written a line of blank verse. The same initials — ‘W.S.’ 3 - figured on the title-page of ‘The True Chronicle Historie of Thomas, Lord Cromwell,’ which was licensed on August 11, 1602, was printed for William Jones in that year, and was reprinted verbatim by Thomas Snodham in 1613. On the title-page of the comedy entitled ‘The Puritaine, or the Widdow of Watling Streete,’ which George Eld printed in 1607, ‘W.S.’ was again stated to be the author. Shakespeare’s full name appeared on the title-pages of ‘The Life of Old-castle’ in 1600 (printed for T[homas] P[avier]), of ‘The London Prodigall’ in 1605 (printed by T. C. for Nathaniel Butter), and of ‘The Yorkshire Tragedy’ in 1608 (by R. B. for Thomas Pavier). None of these six plays have any internal claim to Shakespeare’s authorship; nevertheless all were uncritically included in the third folio of his collected works,(1664). Schlegel and a few other critics of repute have, on no grounds that merit acceptance, detected signs of Shakespeare’s genuine work in one of the six, ‘The Yorkshire Tragedy;’ it is ‘a coarse, crude, and vigorous impromptu,’ which is clearly by a far less experienced hand.

The fraudulent practice of crediting Shakespeare with valueless plays from the pens of comparatively dull-witted contemporaries was in vogue among enterprising traders in literature both early and late in the seventeenth century. The worthless old play on the subject of King John was attributed to Shakespeare in the reissues of 1611 and 1622. Humphrey Moseley, a reckless publisher of a later period, fraudulently entered on the ‘Stationers’ Register’ on September 9, 1653, two pieces which he represented to be in whole or in part by Shakespeare, viz. ‘The Merry Devill of Edmonton’ and the ‘History of Cardenio,’ a share in which was assigned to Fletcher. ‘The Merry Devill of Edmonton,’ which was produced on the stage before the close of the sixteenth century, was entered on the ‘Stationers’ Register,’ October 22, 1607, and was first published anonymously in 1608; it is a delightful comedy, abounding in both humour and romantic sentiment; at times it recalls scenes of the ‘Merry Wives of Windsor,’ but no sign of Shakespeare’s workmanship is apparent. The ‘History of Cardenio’ is not extant. Francis Kirkman, another active London publisher, who first printed William Rowley’s ‘Birth of Merlin’ in 1662, described it on the title-page as ‘written by William Shakespeare and William Rowley;’ it was reprinted at Halle in a so-called ‘Collection of pseudo-Shakespearean plays’ in 1887.

Similar Documents

Premium Essay

William Shakespeare

...(1564-1616), was an English playwright and poet. He is generally considered as the greatest dramatist the world has ever known and the finest poet who has written in the English language. Shakespeare has also been the world’s most popular author. No writer’s play have been produced so many times or read widely in so many countries. Scholars have written thousands of books and articles about his plots, characters, themes, and language. As a matter of fact, almost four hundred years after Shakespeare’s death there are 157 million referring him on Google. He began a successful life in London. Shakespeare’s profession was acting. He is listed in documents of 1592, 1598 and 1603 as an actor. Some of us know that he acted in a Ben Johnson play and also in his own plays, but its thought that he is a very busy man, writing, managing the theatre, and commuting between London and Stratford, where his family was, he didn’t undertake big roles. There are evidences that he played the ghost in Hamlet and Adam in As You Like It. Being the most famous writer in the world, Shakespeare left us neither journals nor letters- he left us only poems and his plays. What we know about Shakespeare’s life comes mostly from church and legal documents- a baptismal registration, a marriage license and records from real-estate transactions. However, these only provide brief sketches of specific events in his life. Shakespeare produced most of his known work between 1589 and 1613. His early plays...

Words: 2780 - Pages: 12

Premium Essay

Othello Essay

...the masterpiece written by Shakespeare is truly remarkable. However, there is debate as to whether the play was written to tell a story about a war hero who ascends to the peak of Italian military ranks and fell off due to his insecurities, or for Shakespeare to present an allegory narrating the chaos in seventeenth century England. The assertion made declaring Othello to be an allegory is very compelling. Just like an artist chooses every stroke of their painting, in Othello, Shakespeare’s words are all determined very conscientiously. This could potentially mean he was crafting a perfect narration to provoke the leaders of his time about the imperfections of the society they live in. The underlying themes throughout the book are extremely plausible claims in order to draw a parallel to an allegory. The most profound theme in Othello is how love can present shameful aspects and hereby, make someone act irrationally. Reputation is a compelling reason for why Othello acts aberrantly. He is proud of the reputation and power he had works so diligently for, therefore, he was not going to let it crumble. Lastly, Othello was an African leader in the Italian military, which was particularly irregular in that era. This feeds into his profound insecurities because he is looked at as an outlier. Clearly, Shakespeare was using this to show how racism is distasteful and people during that time need to end bigotry. Shakespeare is very clearly crafting an allegory with Othello because of the...

Words: 1562 - Pages: 7

Premium Essay

William Shakspere: The Tragedy Of William Shakespeare

...William Shakspere was the greatest playwright the humankind has ever known. His gift with using the English linguistic communication has never had any competitor. With his wonderful talent he has produced thirty seven play. Although Shakespeare has died more than four hundred year ago, he is still very famous around the world today. William Shakespeare was born on April 23rd , 1564. He was born in Stratford-upon-Avon in England. The people of England still celebrate his birthday today, it is known as the feast of St. George. He was the third child of eight children. ("William Shakespeare." Wikipedia) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . At a time John Shakespeare became a mayor of Stratford, which allowed young William...

Words: 1875 - Pages: 8

Premium Essay

I Nees Essays

...Shakespeare William Shakespeare was the greatest playwright the world has ever known. His talent with using the English language has never had any competition, not even today. With his wonderful talent he has produced thirty-seven plays. Although Shakespeare has died more than four hundred years ago he is still very famous around the world today. William Shakespeare was born on April 23, 1564. He was born in Stratford-upon-Avon in England. The people of England still celebrate his birthday today, it is known as the feast of St. George. He was the third child and the eldest boy of eight children. His parent’s names were John and Mary Arden Shakespeare. His mother came from a very wealthy family and his father was a glove maker and a tanner. At a time John Shakespeare became a mayor of Stratford, which allowed young William Shakespeare to attend a very good grammar school in his town. The school had highly qualified teachers who were very strict on disciplining the students. During his grammar school years was when he got his first taste of what real plays were to look like. Shakespeare did not want to attend a University so at the age of fourteen he was withdrawn from school. At the age of eighteen William Shakespeare married Anne Hathaway who was almost ten years older than him. They got married on November 27, 1582. Together they had three children. The following year after their marriage their first baby girl, Susana, was born. Anne and William also had one...

Words: 930 - Pages: 4

Premium Essay

Essay

...Shakespeare was baptized on April 26, 1564, in Stratford-upon-Avon, England. From roughly 1594 onward he was an important member of the Lord Chamberlain’s Men company of theatrical players. Written records give little indication of the way in which Shakespeare’s professional life molded his artistry. All that can be deduced is that over the course of 20 years, Shakespeare wrote plays that capture the complete range of human emotion and conflict. Known throughout the world, the works of William Shakespeare have been performed in countless hamlets, villages, cities and metropolises for more than 400 years. And yet, the personal history of William Shakespeare is somewhat a mystery. There are two primary sources that provide historians with a basic outline of his life. One source is his work—the plays, poems and sonnets—and the other is official documentation such as church and court records. However, these only provide brief sketches of specific events in his life and provide little on the person who experienced those events. Though no birth records exist, church records indicate that a William Shakespeare was baptized at Holy Trinity Church in Stratford-upon-Avon on April 26, 1564. From this, it is believed he was born on or near April 23, 1564, and this is the date scholars acknowledge as William Shakespeare's birthday. Located 103 miles west of London, during Shakespeare's time Stratford-upon-Avon was a market town bisected with a country road and the River Avon. William was the third...

Words: 2089 - Pages: 9

Premium Essay

Othello-Apa

...1604, we find Othello in a downfall that was fed by a villain named Iago. Othello soon becomes the tragic hero of this story. Aristotle’s definition of a tragic hero is “someone who is a noble soul, from high estates, and has a downfall in the result of his hamartia or tragic flaw” (Kennedy, & Gioia, 2007). Othello is easily persuaded with bad advice, that his wife is being unfaithful and is in love with another man. Othello being insecure, is crushed when he is fooled into believing that his wife Desdemona has been unfaithful. With anger and jealousy in his heart he finds himself causing a downfall in the result of his own tragic flaw. Desdemona continues to stay faithful to her husband even as her husband accuses her of being in love with another man. She is a sweet, kind and intelligent woman who is truly devoted to loving Othello. Heartbroken to find her husband has turned against her and plans to kill her, she tries to defend herself with the truth. She is unable to dismiss the lies told to her husband by the villainous Iago. Iago’s hate for the Moor stems from several different directions. He plays the main reason Othello has a tragic flaw. Fueled by his own jealousy, Iago has started a rumor about Othello’s wife and Cassio, Othello’s honorable lieutenant. Emilia is the wife of Iago and Desdemona’s maid. She is submissive to Iago, but builds a strong bond with Desdemona, which later in the play helps defend Desdemona’s reputation. Othello portrays a tragic hero in the...

Words: 1590 - Pages: 7

Free Essay

The Value of Shakespear Today

...Shakespeare Today What makes Shakespeare stand out from other playwrights of his era is his deep understanding of human nature and the human condition, the timelessness of his works, and hi exquisite mastery of the English language. The Renaissance (during which he wrote) was a particularly transformative time in English history, initiating a sense of English nationalism and pride in English as a language of art. Some critics continue to challenge his authenticity and relevance making the future of Shakespeare within the curriculum of both secondary school and higher education at stake. Shakespearean Literature still speaks to modernity and is therefore important in the schools. Humanism, mastery of the English language, English nationalism, and pride in English Language as an art is brought forth in works such as, As You Like It, King Henry V, and The Tragical History of Hamlet Prince of Denmark. Students need to learn these works in order to have a broadened understanding of the English Language, culture, and history. William Shakespeare has provided the world with guidelines to the English Language, an understanding of human nature, and the ability to deal with a wide variety of emotional situations through his performative literature. Students will continue to benefit from his works of art for centuries to come. Therefore, a 446-year-old playwright is our children’s best resource and greatest teacher. During the Renaissance, the English Language was undergoing a transformation...

Words: 1515 - Pages: 7

Free Essay

To Be or Not to Be

...Term Paper Outline: “To be or not to be….” For most it leaves no question as to who wrote these infamous words. William Shakespeare is regarded by some as the greatest author within all of the English language. Regardless of one’s true opinion of Shakespeare’s writings, they continue to cycle their way from one generation to the next. His works still hold significant value within all levels of academic teachings. Shakespeare’s literatures range from poems and plays to sonnets. Once he gathered the notion of how the style of blank verse operated, he began to cultivate it into something unique and one he could call his very own. His latest works was that of sonnets, in which were found to be the last of his non-dramatic works to be printed. It is not certain whether any of the themes within his sonnets have a direct correlation to real life individuals, but one could see the underlying humanistic nature that lies within the lines. In William Shakespeare’s works Sonnet 20, Sonnet 62, and Sonnet 12 he thoroughly develops each of the following; motifs, dictions, and internal rhythms. Within the sub sequential paragraphs one will uncover the explanations, analyzation, and evaluations of each of the three selected sonnets. In Sonnet 20, Shakespeare takes on the concept of homosexuality as the central motif found throughout this particular sonnet. In the beginning, the reader is drawn in by these concrete diction characteristics of a charming and beautiful woman, “with nature’s...

Words: 2034 - Pages: 9

Free Essay

Voltaire

...Life François-Marie Arouet was born in Paris, the youngest of the five children[1] (only three of whom survived) of François Arouet (1650 – 1 January 1722), a notary who was a minor treasury official, and his wife, Marie Marguerite d'Aumart (ca. 1660 – 13 July 1701), from a noble family of the province of Poitou. Some speculation surrounds his date of birth, which Voltaire always claimed to be 20 February 1694. Voltaire was educated by the Jesuits at the Collège Louis-le-Grand (1704–1711), where he learned Latin and Greek; later in life he became fluent in Italian, Spanish and English.[2] By the time he left school, Voltaire had decided he wanted to be a writer, against the wishes of his father, who wanted him to become a notary. Voltaire, pretending to work in Paris as an assistant to a notary, spent much of his time writing poetry. When his father found out, he sent Voltaire to study law, this time in Caen, (Normandy). Nevertheless, he continued to write, producing essays and historical studies. Voltaire's wit made him popular among some of the aristocratic families with whom he mixed. His father then obtained a job for him as a secretary to the French ambassador in the Netherlands, where Voltaire fell in love with a French Protestant refugee named Catherine Olympe Dunoyer. Their scandalous elopement was foiled by Voltaire's father and he was forced to return to France.[3] Most of Voltaire's early life revolved around Paris. From early on, Voltaire had trouble with the...

Words: 1029 - Pages: 5

Premium Essay

Difference of Insanity: Hamlet Verses Ophelia

...madness was the theme of William Shakespeare's writings. He attended grammar school, but nothing further. So for his writings to be written with intelligence, it was greatly admired by many. Shakespeare’s career was in the time of Elizabeth I, 1558-1603 and James I, 1566-1625. His writings were not his own original work. It has been said that he took the story, Hamlet, from Saxo Grammaticus and changed the way Hamlet was portrayed from his story into a more “mad” version of Hamlet that waits to get revenge and is not truly mad from the start. It is also said that Shakespeare stole a majority of his stories from other writers during his time, making them more well-known and changing the moral of the story. In the Renaissance, people looked at insanity as if it were a crime. It was looked down upon. People did not understand that it was something that occurred within the mind, so they thought if they sprayed people with water it would shock them out of their insanity. The Renaissance culture also gave an intellectual rendition to three specific kinds of madness: folly, demonic possession and melancholia. In that time, thoughts of madness were confused by religious beliefs and sometimes even mistaken for nonsense. The dictionary defines madness as “extreme anger, excitement, or foolishness” and in Hamlet, Hamlet is characterized as insane because he fits the definition the dictionary gives, but it is clear that he is only pretending to be foolish in order to get revenge on his uncle...

Words: 1294 - Pages: 6

Free Essay

Macbeth

...  Macbeth In William Shakespeare’s tragic play, Macbeth’s unmanageable hunger for power caused him to make menacing decisions that descended him into madness, despair and evil, just as Hitler has done in past history. According to Wikipedia, “power is the ability to influence or control the behavior of people. The term authority is often used for power perceived as legitimate by the social structure. Power can be seen as evil or unjust, but the exercise of power is accepted as endemic to humans as social beings”. I agree with this quote, because that is a statement that both Macbeth and Hitler lived by being the power hungry leaders they were. Macbeth in the beginning on Shakespeare's play was decent man, he was a noble soldier. In the first act, Macbeth is described by Duncan as a kind and brave hearted soldier.   ”Like valor’s minion carved out his passage, Till he faced the slave; Which ne'er shook hands, nor bade farewell to him, Till he unseamed him from the nave to th' chops,” (Act 1 Scene 2 19-20 ). This portrays Macbeth as a fearless, and gutsy in the face of his enemies, the Thane of Cawdor. Leader of Nazi Germany, the creator of genocides and arguably solely responsible for the European half of the Second World War, Adolf Hitler (considered to be one the most evil persons the world has ever known), probably needs no introduction. Hitler was of similar status to Macbeth. Adolf Hitler before labeled an absolute ruler had a good reputation as a political leader, who...

Words: 995 - Pages: 4

Free Essay

Shakespeare

...Shakespeare’s ‘Macbeth’ is a classic example of a Jacobean Tragedy; the appearance of the Witches, Banquo’s ghost, the settings and the Good vs Evil dichotomy all provide evidence for this. Perhaps the most distinctive feature is the inclusion of major characters with a single obsessive motive. When Malcolm refers to Macbeth as a “dead butcher” in Act Five, Scene Four, the point is clear: the events of the play have been created and undertaken by a man with a driving blood-lust and lack of respect for propriety. This would suggest Macbeth’s commitment is to status, position and power however, Shakespeare offers us a different Macbeth in the opening scenes. During the course of the play, the audience witness Macbeth dealing with various commitments – his commitment to being a soldier, his commitment to his wife, and perhaps, a commitment to evil. In addition, Shakespeare presents to the audience other characters who demonstrate adherence to, and dismissal of, their own commitments. Thus, ‘Macbeth’ can be read as a play of commitments, as each of the characters struggle to find balance among their various allegiances. At the start of the play, ‘brave Macbeth’ is clearly committed to King and country in his actions of ‘disdaining fortune’ and ‘[unseaming] him from the nave to th’ chops’. His commitment is rewarded as he is named as Thane of Cawdor. The combination of the Witches’ prophecies and his commitment to his ‘dearest partner of greatness’ offer Macbeth a new focus: his...

Words: 972 - Pages: 4

Premium Essay

Sdfsf

...tragic hero in both the plays. The relationships between men and women in Othello are remarked as lesser then men. Iago often refers to his wife as a prostitute - "A house wife that by selling her desires, Buys herself bread and clothes (iv.i.95)” showing what type of relationship women and men had during the late 16th century. Women were generally considered obedient, respectful, kind and warm. They were never outspoken nor were they meant to, for it could be seen as a lack of loyalty. When Othello accused Desdemona of cheating on him, he found himself in a position that he didn't want to face with. Othello was emasculated with the thought of a woman disobeying him. Men were easily manipulated into thinking the worst of woman because they were certain it would never happen. However, when the slightest things start to be pointed out the characters start to over analyse. Woman were not on the same level as men; men talked down to woman, they didn’t see them as equals nor think that they should be treated like one. This relates to Othello and Desdemona’s relationship – she “betrayed” their marriage by cheating so when Othello found out he reacted by saying (4.1.187-198) “I will chop her into messes: cuckold me!” for no woman would ever do that. Men and woman are a big contrast in this play as women have no say in anything and men decide what is meant by everything, it also contrasts to power and authority with men being the stronger sex. In the end of the play both the...

Words: 3593 - Pages: 15

Free Essay

Genesis

...possible that lying can further your success in life, more so than honesty? Literary evidence seems to support this. Even the Bible offers stories of lying and cheating without consequence. Three literary works–the book of Genesis, William Shakespeare’s Othello, and Sir Walter Ralegh’s poem The Lie–offer support that, perhaps, the truth is not always what it’s cracked up to be. Sir Walter Ralegh discusses lying versus telling the truth in depth in his poem The Lie. In this poem, it appears that a member of the court is telling his servant (the servant being the "Soul," or perhaps the poem itself) to visit various genres of upper-class people and expose to them the uncomfortable truths of their existence. If they begin to deny these truths, the servant is commanded to "give them the lie," and publicly accuse them of being untruthful. Ralegh is claiming that these higher members of society are living lies and should be aware of them. He says, "Say to the church, it shows / What’s good and doth no good." During Ralegh’s time, clergymen were of the most powerful men in society, and they were also considered among, if not the, most corrupt. Ralegh’s intent with these lines is to expose that the church was not practicing the goodness that they were preaching about, thus harming the congregation and society as a collective whole. However, the clergymen were not directly harmed by this hypocritical and thus untruthful way of life. Although Ralegh is claiming that he knows and is...

Words: 1134 - Pages: 5

Premium Essay

Shakespeare's Treatment Of Women In Othello

...majority of women's roles globally around the time of Shakespeare was that similar to a slave. A woman belonged to her husband, and most times she was actually bought from her father by her newly betrothed. A woman's job was to do as her husband bid her and fill the house with children. Women had different duties depending on which class they were in, but overall women had little to no rights no matter what class they were in. Educating women on matters outside the home was a frightening idea, and...

Words: 1456 - Pages: 6