William Shakespeare and The Twelfth Night.
Known for his tragedies, comedies, sonnets and love stories, William Shakespeare is argued to be one of the best writers of his time. Throughout his plays, including The Twelfth Night, he uses disguise and deceit to fool the other characters to benefit another. Shakespeare was born in April of 1564 in the town Stratford-upon-Avon. Although the exact date of his birth is not known, historians traditionally celebrate it on the 23rd. He was one of eight children born to John Shakespeare, a well-known merchant in his community. Not much is known about his Mother, or of his schooling. It is said that Shakespeare probably attended the King's New School in Stratford, but had no further university education. .
In November of 1582 at the age of 18, Shakespeare and Anne Hathaway wed. Their daughter Susanna was born of May 26, 1583 and then later twins in 1585; Hamnet and Judith. After much struggling with illnesses, his only son Hamnet died at the age of 11. .
After grieving the loss of his son, Shakespeare left his family to make something of his writings. In 1592 he moved to London where he worked as an actor and playwright. While in London he was part of the acting group, Lord Chamberlain's Men. (Later to be named "King's Men" under James the first.) It was while he was with this acting group that he conceived the idea for the Globe. This would be a theater in Southwark, near the Thames River. The Globe would soon be one of the most famous and be home to many famous actors such as Richard Burbage, Will Kempe, and Robert Armin, and also one of the most talked about theaters. A visitor to London in 1599 attended a play at the playhouse and later described it:.
The playhouses are so constructed that they play on a raised platform, so everyone has a good view. There are different galleries and places (orchestra, sedillia, porticus) however where the seating is better and more comfortable and therefore more expensive.
