Family and Family Life
Marriage and Fatherhood in Shakespeare's World
In the vast tapestry of Shakespeare's works, the intricate web of family ties weaves a profound narrative. Among these, marriage and fatherhood emerge as pivotal motifs, not just in his plays but also in the insightful pages of Will in the World. Greenblatt paints a stark picture of Shakespeare's own matrimonial journey with Anne Hathaway, suggesting a union marked by discontent. Their lives unfolded largely apart, and in his final will, Shakespeare bequeathed to Anne nothing more intimate than his "second best bed," perhaps a token of their distant relationship. Within his stagecraft, the comedies may waltz toward matrimonial unions, yet an undercurrent of skepticism hints at bleak prospects for marital bliss.
Parental Influences and Themes of Restoration
Shakespeare's relationship with his father, John, adds another layer to this elaborate family portrait. A man once esteemed and affluent during Shakespeare's tender years, John's fortunes waned with time, leaving a mark on his son's formative years. This backdrop of lost eminence emerges as a recurring motif in Shakespeare’s tales through the "dream of restoration," where characters are beckoned back to their bygone joys.
Further personal sorrow struck with the untimely death of Shakespeare's son, Hamnet, at the tender age of eleven. This poignant loss is believed to have breathed life into his magnum opus, Hamlet. Moreover, late works like King Lear and The Tempest delve into the nuanced bond between fathers and daughters. Blessed with two daughters, Susannah and Judith, Shakespeare seemed to harbor a particular fondness for his eldest, Susannah. It's believed that his final years were spent in the comforting circle of Susannah and her family in Stratford, a testament to the enduring influence of his personal family ties.
Religion
The Religious Turmoil of Shakespeare's England
In Shakespeare's time, England was a cauldron of religious strife, as the Protestant Queen Elizabeth waged a relentless campaign to eradicate Catholicism from her realm. Young Shakespeare's life may have been steeped in this turbulent atmosphere, with a household caught in the schism; his mother hailed from a distinguished Catholic lineage, while his father, holding a civic position, was compelled to uphold the kingdom's anti-Catholic decrees.
Before Shakespeare embarked on his storied journey as an actor and playwright, he is believed to have ventured into the role of a school teacher in Lancashire, a bastion of those steadfastly clinging to the old faith, known as recusants. According to Greenblatt, this religious discord deeply influenced what many regard as Shakespeare's magnum opus, Hamlet.
The Influence of Religious Conflict on "Hamlet"
Greenblatt proposes that the play was born from the tension and unease that emerged with the dismantling of Catholic customs and the beliefs surrounding death, particularly the notion that souls lingered in purgatory, suffering before ascending to heaven. Protestants denounced Purgatory as a mere myth. Much like Hamlet, who is haunted by his father's restless spirit, Shakespeare himself may have been tormented by thoughts of his departed son, Hamnet, and the looming mortality of his own father.
Types of Shakespearean Plays
Shakespeare's Literary Foundations
The tapestry of literary genres weaving through Will in the World is rich and varied. From his formative years, Shakespeare was surrounded by the vibrant echoes of late medieval traditions such as morality plays and mystery cycles. Morality plays, a tapestry of allegory brought to life by traveling troupes, featured characters embodying ideals like Virtue and Pride, imparting moral lessons through their narratives. Meanwhile, mystery cycles, steeped in the essence of folk festivals and woven into the fabric of Catholic traditions targeted by the Protestant regime, dramatized biblical stories like the Crucifixion. This early exposure to folk culture unmistakably shaped Shakespeare's later masterpieces as a playwright.
Triumphant Innovations in Drama
In the realm of theatrical arts, Shakespeare carved his name with brilliance and innovation across three distinct genres: histories, comedies, and tragedies. His historical plays, including the acclaimed Henry VI trilogy, which cemented his reputation in London's theater scene, drew from chronicles of England's past and classical tales, as seen in works like Julius Caesar and Anthony and Cleopatra. These dramas introduced unforgettable characters such as the nefarious hunchback Richard III and the boisterous rogue Falstaff, ever the merry companion to the young Henry V in 1 Henry IV.
In his comedies, Shakespeare wove conventional plots where lovers triumphed over trials and misunderstandings to unite in matrimony, all while delving into profound thematic explorations. Among the comedies Greenblatt highlights are The Merchant of Venice, where Shylock, the Jewish antagonist, commands center stage, and The Tempest, Shakespeare's final solo endeavor, featuring Prospero, who orchestrates the play's events like a playwright puppeteering fate itself.
Tragedies and Poetic Mastery
Reaching a pinnacle in his illustrious career, Shakespeare penned four tragedies that remain ever scrutinized and performed: Hamlet, Othello, King Lear, and Macbeth. Characteristic of tragedy, these tales conclude with the protagonists' demise. Greenblatt notes Shakespeare's groundbreaking approach of "excising motive," leaving characters' actions and the ensuing chaos shrouded in enigmatic allure.
Eschewing mundane prose, Shakespeare and his Elizabethan contemporaries favored the majestic cadence of blank verse. This poetic style, characterized by unrhymed lines of iambic pentameter, with ten syllables per line and emphasis on the even beats, graced his plays. Alongside his theatrical exploits, Shakespeare's poetic prowess shone through his 154 sonnets, where he redefined the sonnet structure. The Shakespearean Sonnet, composed of three quatrains with alternating rhymes and a final rhyming couplet, explored the multifaceted theme of love, often directed towards enigmatic figures such as a noble youth and a mysterious "dark lady." In addition, his longer neoclassical poems, "Venus and Adonis" and "The Rape of Lucrece," captured classical myths in captivating verse, enjoying immense popularity in his time.
