The Renaissance or the Revival of Learning (another English term for it) was the period when European culture was at its height. It was a great and glorious (прославленный, знаменитый) epoch which

William Shakespeare (1564 - 1616)

The Renaissance or the Revival of Learning (another English term for it) was the period when European culture was at its height. It was a great and glorious (прославленный, знаменитый) epoch which lasted from the 14^th century till the 17^th. The most brilliant period of English literature was in the second half of the 16^th and the beginning of the 17^th century; it is usually called the Elizabethan [iֽlizə′bi׃θən] age after Queen Elizabeth I who reigned from 1558 to 1603 (but we should remember that a lot of writers of that time, including W. Shakespeare and Ben Jonson, wrote their greatest works after her death).

The English Renaissance gave birth to an amazing galaxy (поразительная, удивительная плеяда) of great writers, but William Shakespeare outshines (затмить) them all. He had a greater influence on the development of the world literature than any other author. Characters created by him remain perfect depictions (изображение, описание) of the principal human passions and psychological traits (черта, особенность). His unsurpassed (непревзойденный, неповторимый) portrayals (рисование; изображение) of human nature come as a result of his profound (глубокий) insight (проницательность; проникновение) into the most important social and philosophical problems of the period.

He wrote of the eternal things in life: love, death and high human aspirations (стремление; сильное желание к достижению ч-л.). He reflected the spirit of the Renaissance, the epoch of great discoveries, with all its contradictions and tragedies. Shakespeare taught to understand the essence (сущность) of human relations, passions and conflicts, and presented them with great dramatic depth.

Shakespeare wrote 37 plays, two poems and 154 sonnets. His works are truly immortal (бессмертный, вечный), and will retain their immortality (бессмертие, вечность) as long as the human race exists. His popularity all over the world grows from year to year.

Many periods in Shakespeare’s life remain obscure (неясный, неизвестный, загадочный)to us. William Shakespeare was born in 1564 in the town of Stratford-on-Avon, where he grew up and went to school. At the age of 18 he married Anna Hathaway, who was then 26. In 1588 he went to London, joined a theatre company as an actor and began writing plays. His plays were soon very popular and he became quite a rich man. Although there were other successful playwrights at the time, Shakespeare was recognized in his own lifetime as one of the finest playwrights of his time. In 1599 the Globe Theatre opened in London and most of his plays were performed there. In 1603, Queen Elizabeth I died and her cousin became King James I. He enjoyed watching Shakespeare's plays, and chose Shakespeare's company of actors to be his official entertainers.

Shakespeare wrote three kinds of play: comedies, tragedies and histories. The comedies had happy endings, the tragedies had sad endings (like Hamlet)and the histories told the story of the past, either in England (like Henry V) or in ancient Rome (like Julius Caesar). His creative work can be divided into four periods:

● The first period (1590-1593) may be named the period of apprenticeship(обучение, ученичество).

● In the second period (1594-1600), Shakespeare wrote plays belonging mainly to two dramatic genres: comedies and

histories. Comedies: "A Mid-summer Night's Dream", "Much Ado about Nothing", "As You Like It", "Twelfth Night". H istories: "King Richard II", "King Henry IV". Besides comedies and histories Shakespeare also wrote his first prominent (выдающийся, знаменитый) tragedies - "Romeo and Juliet" and "Julius Caesar".

In the comedies the scene is usually set (Действие происходит) in some imaginary country and the action is based on stories that are almost fairy-tales. Each comedy has a main plot and one or two sub-plots. The plays are written in easy-flowing (легкий, непринужденный) verse (стих) and light prose. The text is full of jokes and puns (игра слов; каламбур). All the comedies tell of love and harmony, at first disturbed, finally restored. In them Shakespeare tells us about the right of an individual to free choice in love, despite the conventions (условность) and customs of the time. His typical comedy heroines are brave, noble, full of initiative and free in speech. The comedies end happily, everything is brought to a harmonious conclusion.

Shakespeare’s histories are more closely related to his tragedies than to the comedies. Here he deals with themes in the historical process, with the laws of historical development and with the nature of power. In his historical plays he first puts forward the problems which are later developed in his great tragedies.

These periods of the playwright's creative activity are known mostly for optimism, joy and faith in the Renaissance.

● The third period (1601 -1608) includes the great tragedies which appear in succession: "Hamlet, Prince of Denmark", "Othello", "King Lear" and "Macbeth". These tragedies were the peak (вершина) of his achievement and made him truly immortal.

● The fourth period (1609­-1612) contains the tragicomedies: "Cymbeline", "The Winter's Tale", "The Tempest", and the history: "King Henry VIII". It suggests philosophic meditation on the eternal truths (вечные истины) of human life.

o Shakespeare wrote 154 sonnets. They occupy a unique place in the Shakespearian heritage (наследие). Critics differ in establishing the degree in which the poet’s life was reflected in the sonnets: some hold the opinion (придерживаться мнения) that literally (буквально) every line is autobiographical, while others think that they are mere variations on themes traditional in Renaissance poetry. The truth lies, probably, some place halfway. We do not know for certain who the prototypes of the sonnets’ characters were. The three main characters are: the Poet, his Friend, and the Dark Lady. The Dark Lady is the beloved of the Poet, she is false (лживая) and vicious (порочный), but the Poet, though aware of the fact, can’t help loving her. And then comes the tragedy: the Friend and the Dark Lady betray(предавать, изменять) the Poet. And so in the sonnets we may see the great misfortune (несчастье) of a genius who wasted his life and his soul for the sake of persons unworthy of him.

Ben Jonson, who lived from 1572 to 1637, and who was also a famous writer of plays, called Shakespeare 'Sweet Swan of Avon'. Shakespeare has been known as the Swan of Avon ever since.

[swan – лебедь; бард, поэт) (Swan of Avon - Эйвонский Лебедь (У.Шекспир назван так Беном Джонсоном по легенде об Аполлоне, предводителе муз, превратившемся в лебедя; Swan of Avon =Bard of Avon - бард с берегов Эйвона (У.Шекспир родился и похоронен в Стратфорд-он-Эйвон [Stratford-upon-Avon])

The Dating of Shakespeare’s Plays.

1589-92 Henry VI, part 1; Henry VI, part 2; Henry VI, part 3

1592-93 Richard III – Ричард III

The Comedy of Errors – Комедия Ошибок

1593-94 Titus Andronicus – Тит Андроник

The Taming of the Shrew – Укрощение Строптивой (shrew-сварливая женщина, мегера, ведьма)

1594-95 The Two Gentlemen of Verona – Два Веронца (shrewd-проницательный; умный, рассудительный)

Love’s Labour’s Lost – Бесплодные Усилия Любви

Romeo and Juliet – Ромео и Джульетта

1595-96 Richard II

A Midsummer Night’s Dream – Сон в Летнюю Ночь

1596-97 King John – Король Джон

The Merchant of Venice – Венецианский Купец

1597-98 Henry IV, part 1; Henry IV, part 2

1598-99 Much Ado About Nothing – Много Шума из Ничего

Henry V

1599-1600 Julius Caesar – Юлий Цезарь

As You Like It – Как Вам Это Понравится

1600-01 Hamlet – Гамлет/Трагедия о Гамлете, Принце Датском

The Merry Wives of Windsor – Виндзорские Кумушки/Насмешницы

1601-02 Twelfth Night – Двенадцатая Ночь, Или Что Угодно

Troilus and Cressida – Троил и Крессида

1602-03 All’s Well That Ends Well – Все Хорошо, Что Хорошо Кончается

1604-05 Measure For Measure – Мера за Меру

Othello – Отелло

1605-06 King Lear – Король Лир

Macbeth – Макбет

1606-07 Antony and Cleopatra – Антоний и Клеопатра

1607-08 Coriolanus – Трагедия о Кориолане

Timon of Athens – Тимон Афинский

1608-09 Pericles – Перикл, Царь Пирский

1609-10 Cymbeline – Цимбелин

1610-11 The Winter’s Tale – Зимняя Сказка

1611-12 The Tempest – Буря

1612-13 Henry VIII

The Two Noble Kinsmen – Два Знатных Родича

Comedies: 1. The Merchant of Venice 2. As You Like It 3. A Midsummer Night’s Dream 4. The Tempest 5. Measure For Measure 6. The Merry Wives of Windsor 7. Much Ado About Nothing 8. The Taming of the Shrew 9. Love’s Labour’s Lost 10. Twelfth Night 11. All’s Well That Ends Well	Tragedies: 1. Hamlet 2. Macbeth 3. Othello 4. King Lear 5. Timon of Athens 6. Romeo and Juliet 7. Coriolanus
Historical Plays: 1. Richard II 2. Henry IV 3. Richard III 4. Julius Caesar 5. Antony and Cleopatra 6. Coriolanus	Tragicomedies: 1. Pericles 2. Cymbeline 3. The Winter’s Tale 4. The Tempest 5. Troilus and Cressida

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