Nearly 400 years after his death, William Shakespeare is still considered one of the greatest writers who ever lived. His plays are regularly produced and adapted and his poems still enjoyed by people today. At times he may seem hard to understand but the works of Shakespeare are still reaching new generations of theatre lovers and readers of verse.

LIFE – It is not known exactly when Shakespeare was born but he was christened at the church in Stratford –upon-Avon, a small village. His father John was a Glover and businessman, but some of his business dealings were illegal.

William married Ann Hathway at the age of 18 but little else is known about him until he turns up as a playwright and actor in London in the 1590s. Over the next two decades he wrote more than 30 plays and many works of poetry, including a collection of 154 sonnets.

He also acted, produced and directed and made various investments in theatre and other areas to become one of the wealthiest men in Stratford. He did in 1616.

Elizabethan Age

The era in which Shakespeare lived was known as the Elizabethan age Age, after Queen Elizabeth I who rules England from 1558 to 1603.

It is seen as a time when English art, theatre, music and literature started to blossom and when England became a powerful nation.

Theatre in the Elizabethan era was a popular entertainment, perhaps as movies or TV are today.

Language

Shakespeare wrote in a very rich kind of language, using many images and references to things such as Roman history. He also wrote in a kind of verse known as iambic pentameter, that most closely resembles normal speech.

The hundreds of years that have passes since he wrote his plays have made some words, terms and references hard for modern audiences to understand, but some of the difficulties can be overcome by familiarising yourself with the language that he used.

However, many of the people who went to performances of his plays were not educated enough to understand every part, so he always wrote the plays in a way that they can be enjoyed even if the audience does not understand all the words.

Many editions of Shakespeare come with notes to help modern audiences understand some of the more obscure words, phrases and references.