William Shakespeare

William Shakespeare was, and till this day still is, one of the best playwrights that has ever lived. Shakespeare has had the greatest literary influence in history. The reason Shakespeare is my hero is because he brought a bigger meaning and appreciation to the theatre. Had he not achieved his goals of being a master in writing plays, we would not have the same respect for theatre and performance. Though few people appreciated the theatre in Shakespeare’s time, he still brought out the best in his writing and did not let anything get in the way of his goals.

William Shakespeare was born in 1564. His father, John Shakespeare, was a businessman. His mother, Mary Arden, married John in 1557. Shakespeare was the third child born into their family. He was withdrawn from school. There aren’t many records of his school attendance. Because Shakespeare did not have a long and fulfilling education, he took up other hobbies to complete himself.

In 1582, Shakespeare married Anne Hathaway. He was only eighteen and she was twenty-six. She was pregnant when they married. Seven months later they were blessed with their first child, Susanna. Nine years later, Anne gave birth to twins. Their names were Hamnet and Judith. William finally had everything in his life that he wante, but his life was struck with tragedy when his only son, Hamnet, died at the age of eleven. This greatly affected William in a very negative way. He was so distressed that he left his family.

Shakespeare started a new life in London. He began to write plays. It was a struggle for Shakespeare. People did not respect the theatre or even care to spend their time watching it. After all of his hard work, Henry VI was performed. This was his first play and it was a huge success.

Shakespeare opened people’s minds. No one had ever written like this before. He was on his way to becoming a hero. He showed the public that theatre was a form of art. He wrote over one hundred and fifty four sonnets and over forty plays.

Shakespeare’s work is well known all over the world. Most people can recognize his work. He is one of the true entertainers. As an actress, I see his work all of the time. He was one of the first people who made performing common. If it weren’t for him, I would not be able to act. Acting is the one thing in the world that I cherish the most. It can change people’s lives and moods. If you go and watch a comedy, you will laugh and feel better. If you watch a drama, it will put you in a serious mood and you can relate to the characters.

Every person has seen a movie, been to a play, or watched a television show. That is all performing and entertainment. Shakespeare was the one who started this. He understood that there is an art form in entertainment. He has paved the way for many people. In my opinion, he was and still is, the best playwright in history.