I can't believe it! One minute I'm in a tree outside this college, minding my own business and doing what sparrows do. You know, hopping about, hoppity hop, a little bit of flying, bit of chirping, bit of cheeping.
The next thing I know, some bewildered teacher is asking me questions about Shakespeare. Well, I thought he had to be either mad or desperate to be asking a sparrow- Disney Land?), so I took pity and made a few enquiries. Found out quite a few interesting little facts! But first, let me introduce myself! (I mean, where is he living
I flew down to the ground to see what was going on. The first thing I found out was that it can often come as a rather unpleasant surprise to students of English Language that the study of Shakespeare makes up part of the course. In fact, I saw students running down the steps of the College screaming their heads off.
After all, what on earth has some guy born a million, no make that a zillion, years ago got to do with English as we know it today? Nothing! Besides, his plays are all full of gloom and doom and are really, really difficult to understand.
Well, I found that there are some things about Shakey that are well worth knowing! However, for, those who have only heard his name mentioned and his reputation for being a difficult playwright to understand might be quite right in thinking the above - and more. Yet he is, in this respect, a misunderstood man, rather like Phil Mitchell in Eastenders, but in a different way. Oh yes, we sparrows watch Eastenders. Haven't you ever heard the expression Cockney Sparrow before?
Think about it, for a while. Why do we watch Eastenders or any soap opera for that matter? They are accessible, entertaining, and tell the stories of ordinary people often caught up in extraordinary events. We enjoy them, go back for more several times a week, and the people who make the shows make money out of us as a consequence.
It's absolutely the same with Shakespeare. Entertaining people made him a very rich man indeed. Television wasn't even a glint in its creator's eye at the time, because the creator of TV itself wouldn't be a glint in anybody's eye for another couple of hundred years. But even in those long ago days, people yearned for entertainment, and as television wasn't an option, people turned to what was available at the time - THEATRE. And it was available in a big way. At its height....
And, once more, back to the bird....
Look, Billy Boy, I don't know how to put this but YOU'RE DEAD!! Shut up, and put up! However, in a way I suppose you're right. Let's see what you got up to back in the times of Good Queen Bess....
Shakespeare - “The Early Years”
OK, Let's fly back a few hundred years.
Yes, I know! Fly back!! There is no humour like bad humour, and that was “bad”. So bad it was “sick”. Oh dear! Language, language language!
Shakespeare was born in Stratford in 1564 - the exact date isn't known but a good guess would be 23 April, because records show he was baptised three days later. Baptisms took place very early after a child was born in those days because the rate of infant mortality was enormous.
His father was a farmer, but moved to Stratford and held numerous civil offices in the town. He was, then, quite an important man, but his fortunes had their troughs as well as their peaks. He was forced to sell land to cover debts at one time, and at another was actually deposed from public office. It wasn't until William became a success that the family fortunes were revived.
Not a lot is known about the early life of young William. He had seven brothers and sisters, two of whom died before he was born, only one outliving him. He went to a local grammar school and there are lots of arguments to suggest that he didn't finish his education because of his father's bad financial situation.
How he spent his youth is almost all pure guess work, but what evidence there is suggests he was a bit of a lad. One story has him getting riotously drunk and sleeping it off under a tree. Another has him poaching deer which belonged to the local Lord and having to run away to London to escape justice (and if you think justice can be brutal now, you wouldn't believe what they used to do to people then!). No one knows for sure if these stories are true.
