William Shakespeare Group
Question:
hamiltonpoiuy
Student
College - Junior
For what period of time did William Shakespeare write plays? How long did he spend as an actor?
Answers:
-
bullgatortail Teacher
High School - 12th GradeeNotes Editor
Posted by bullgatortail on Sunday December 27, 2009 at 1:39 PMThe greatest of all English language writers, William Shakespeare (1564-1616) wrote most of his plays within a period of a quarter century. It is believed that he wrote his first plays (Richard III and Henry VI) during the early 1590s; at least two of his plays are documented to have been performed by 1592. Shakespeare's final plays appear to have been The Tempest (1611) and the collaborative Two Noble Kinsmen (1614). However, at least one source claims that Henry VIII was his final play, written in 1614.
Shakespeare the actor had a somewhat shorter career. He is documented to have been performing on stage in 1592, and it is probable that he played the role of Edward I (written by Edward Peele) in 1593. There is also speculation that he more than once played the Ghost of Hamlet in his famous tragedy. He is mentioned as one of The King's Men players as late as 1608.
With these dates in mind, Shakespeare wrote all of his works between 1592-1614 (22 years); and acted between 1592-1608 (16 years).
Sources:
Join eNotes
Over 3,500 study guides, question and answer forums, literature criticism, reference content, and much more!
