The state of
literature is affected by what is happening in that place. The history and some
important event that happen in some place have a big impact in literature and
it even could change the state of literature in that place. Some people are
very interested about English literature. There are some changes in English
literature from time to time. Because of that, English literature was divided
into several periods. One of the important periods in English literature is ‘The
Age of Elizabeth’ which happened in 1550-1630. This period was called as enlightenment
and the greatest age in the history of English literature. In Elizabethan age
poetry was blooming, drama is in a golden age, and there’s a development of
prose. There were so many great writers that evolved in this period. William
Shakespeare was one of the most famous writers in the age of Elizabeth. The were
some interesting thing that we can get about Shakespeare like his life, his
works and also how the historical background of the age can affected his works.

            William Shakespeare was very famous
writers even until now. He was an English poet, dramatist, and also an actor.
He was known as the greatest dramatist all the time and called English national
poet. Shakespeare was born at Stratford, a market town on the river Avon in
warwickshire on April 23, 1564. He was the third child of eight children of
John Shakespeare. His father, John Shakespeare, was has more than one
occupation like a butcher, a glover and a farmer. In 1565, John Shakespeare was
chosen as an alderman and bailiff (mayor) of Stratford in 1568. And Mary Arden,
his mother, was a daughter of the landowner. Shakespeare allegedly attended a
grammar school in the town. Education at Stratford school was based on Latin
grammar, rhetoric and composition. He was learned about how to to read, write,
and speak the language practically well and studying some of the Classic
history, moralists, and poets. And it was forbidden to speak English in the
upper forms.

            At fifteen years old, Shakespeare
left school. He did not go to the University. And at eighteen he married Anne
Hathaway, who was eight years older than him. So, Anne was 26 years old at that
time. They
married on November 28, 1582 in Worcester, in Canterbury Province. Anne was
from Shottery, a small village a mile west of Stratford. Their first child born on May 26, 1583, they named
her Susanna. And two years later their twins was born, Hamnet and Judith, on
February 2, 1585. But then Hamnet was died in age 11, the
cause of his death was unknown. After the born of his
twins, in the same year Shakespeare was suddenly disappear from public until
1592, the year when his works showed on the London stage for the first time.
People called his disappear in these seven years as “Shakespeare’s Lost Years”.

            William Shakespeare made his first appearance on the
London stage in 1592, but no one sure know about the date. There, his plays
were written and performed. After 1594, his plays just performed to a company that
owned by a group of actors (Lord Chamberlain’s Men), which became one of the
greatest companies in London. In 1599 Shakespeare, with the players that acted in his play, created
his own theatre on the River Thames and it was called the Globe Theatre. His
career went increasingly. Shakespeare was succeeded in acting and also as a
playwright. He worked with his team in the Globe Theatre until 1610. In the
same year Shakespeare was retired from working on the stage. After that, he
spent the most of his time in Stratford. Many sources said that William Shakespeare
was died on April 23, 1616, on his 52nd Birthday. Then, two days
later he was buried at the Holy Trinity Church in Stratford on April 25.

            William
Shakespeare was a great writer. He known wrote 37 plays in the different
categories. His plays generally divided into three categories as comedy, tragedy
and history. First is Shakespeare’s comedy. It usually has a happy ending. It
could be about two people who love each other but have many problems in their
relationship, often contain the disguise to hide someone identity and a clever
servant. His plays that categorized into comedy are: All’s Well That Ends Well,
As You Like It, The Comedy of Errors, Cymbeline, Love’s Labours Lost, Measure
for Measure, The Merry Wives of Windsor, The Merchant of Venice, A Midsummer
Night’s Dream, Much Ado About Nothing, Pericles, Prince of Tyre, Taming of the
Shrew, The Tempest, Troilus and Cressida, Twelfth Night, Two Gentlemen of
Verona, Winter’s Tale. Then, the second is Shakespeare’s tragedy. In this plays
usually contain the death of the main or the important character in the story,
the character has a bad social life or being ignore in society, believe that
destiny was has to be happen, often has a noble as central figure that has a
bad characters and causing many problem. His plays that categorized into
tragedy are: Antony and Cleopatra, Coriolanus, Hamlet, Julius Caesar, King
Lear, Macbeth, Othello, Romeo and Juliet, Timon of Athens, Titus Andronicus.
The third is Shakespeare’s history. This kind of plays is focus to tell about
the kingdom life and usually based on the true condition of the age of
Elizabeth. His plays that categorized into history are: Henry IV (parts I and
II), Henry V, Henry VI (parts I, II and III), Henry VIII, King
John, Richard II, Richard III. And there are also his poetry such as: The
Sonnets, A Lover’s Complaint, The Rape of Lucrece, Funeral Elegy by W.S., Venus
and Adonis.

            The
historical background of Elizabethan age was also affected to the works of
William Shakespeare. The age of Elizabeth is the era of settlement and
expansion. In this era the state of politics and religion were stable. Even
though there are dynastic problem, but that was not a big problem that can made
a serious trouble or chaos. The settlement in this era was gave a good impact
to the literary works of the writers, including Shakespeare. Moreover the Queen
Elizabeth also gave a big support in literature, so he has more chance to make
a good quality of literary works. And he also can develop a comedy and tragedy,
his works didn’t just about war. There was no big problem that could cause a
war in this age. Whereas in this era there a so many expansion, not only the
area but also the knowledge. An intellectual of people were increase so much,
so it gave a good effect to produce a better quality of literature.

            The conclusion is, William
Shakespeare was one of the greatest writers, not only in the age of Elizabeth
but also in the history of English literature. Shakespeare was an
English poet, dramatist, and also an actor. He and his works are still admired by many
people until now. Born in Stratford and educated in grammar school in that
town, the genius Shakespeare apparently did not continue his study to the
university. Married with Anne Hathaway, a woman who older than him by eight
year, they has three children. His career went brilliantly with many successes.
There are three categories of his plays, such as: comedy, tragedy and history.
And all of his works was also affected by the historical background of the Elizabethan
era. So, the state of literature is also depends on the condition in that
country.