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Shakespeare: A Life
In the last ten years, virtually every previously known fact about Shakespeare has been modified by new research. Park Honan draws on this new information to dramatically alter our perceptions of the actor, poet, and playwright.
Here is virtually all that can be factually known or reasonably speculated about Shakespeare's life. Readers will find a vivid picture of what Shakespeare's childhood might have been like in the small English town of Stratford, which had but a dozen streets in 1560. We meet his father, John Shakespeare, the glovemaker of Henley Street, who rose to the office of High Bailiff and Justice of the Peace before he was beset by financial difficulties. There is a fascinating portrait of London and of the life of an Elizabethan actor (a neophyte Shakespeare may have had to learn as many as a hundred small parts per season). Honan casts new light on the young poet's relationships--his early courtship of Anne Hathaway, their marriage, his attitudes to women such as Jennet Davenant, Marie Mountjoy, and his own daughters--illuminating Shakespeare's needs, habits, passions, and concerns. The author shows in fresh detail that Shakespeare was well acquainted with violent crime and murder in
daily life. And he also examines the world of the playing companies--the power of patronage, theatrical conditions, and personal rivalries--to reveal the relationship between the man and the writing.
Park Honan's Shakespeare casts new light on a complex and fascinating life, illuminating Shakespeare's extraordinary development into the greatest dramatist of his or any age.
Here is virtually all that can be factually known or reasonably speculated about Shakespeare's life. Readers will find a vivid picture of what Shakespeare's childhood might have been like in the small English town of Stratford, which had but a dozen streets in 1560. We meet his father, John Shakespeare, the glovemaker of Henley Street, who rose to the office of High Bailiff and Justice of the Peace before he was beset by financial difficulties. There is a fascinating portrait of London and of the life of an Elizabethan actor (a neophyte Shakespeare may have had to learn as many as a hundred small parts per season). Honan casts new light on the young poet's relationships--his early courtship of Anne Hathaway, their marriage, his attitudes to women such as Jennet Davenant, Marie Mountjoy, and his own daughters--illuminating Shakespeare's needs, habits, passions, and concerns. The author shows in fresh detail that Shakespeare was well acquainted with violent crime and murder in
daily life. And he also examines the world of the playing companies--the power of patronage, theatrical conditions, and personal rivalries--to reveal the relationship between the man and the writing.
Park Honan's Shakespeare casts new light on a complex and fascinating life, illuminating Shakespeare's extraordinary development into the greatest dramatist of his or any age.
496 pages, Paperback
First published October 29, 1998
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396 people want to read
About the author
Park Honan
14 books7 followersLeonard Hobart Park Honan (17 September 1928 – 27 September 2014) was an American academic and author who spent most of his career in the UK. He wrote widely on the lives of authors and poets and published important biographies of such writers as Robert Browning, Matthew Arnold, Jane Austen, William Shakespeare and Christopher Marlowe.
Honan began his career specializing in Victorian literature but later broadened his scope, becoming an expert in the Elizabethan period. From 1959, he taught at Connecticut College and then Brown University before relocating permanently to England in 1968, where he taught at the University of Birmingham until becoming Professor of English and American Literature at the University of Leeds in 1984. He was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society of Literature.
Honan began his career specializing in Victorian literature but later broadened his scope, becoming an expert in the Elizabethan period. From 1959, he taught at Connecticut College and then Brown University before relocating permanently to England in 1968, where he taught at the University of Birmingham until becoming Professor of English and American Literature at the University of Leeds in 1984. He was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society of Literature.
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Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews
March 13, 2017
Multiple biographies of Shakespeare come and go. Most have agendas: some revise Shakespeare's benevolent image, some argue for his religious affiliation, some try to speculate about personal items we will never be able to recover, all with agendas, and even worse is the subculture of conspiracy theories into "who wrote Shakespeare" which are delusional and utter nonsense.
This is the best biography out there that focuses purely on the facts of his life. It doesn't delve too far into the details of the plays but purely tries to trace what we can know of the biographical data of his life. Where Honan speculates, he does so responsibly, and in the case of the cause of Shakespeare's rather sudden death, quite convincingly with new research. The bet sections are those on his death, the wooing of Anne Hathaway (it appears Shakes was quite the social climber), the poaching of deer in Charlecote Park, the theatrical world of London, and the New Place documents. If you want a fun and compelling read about the facts of his life without the writings taking too much precedence, in the style of Sam Schoenbaum, with responsible speculation grounded in facts without an agenda, this is your book. I read it compulsively when I lived in Stratford-upon-Avon.
This is the best biography out there that focuses purely on the facts of his life. It doesn't delve too far into the details of the plays but purely tries to trace what we can know of the biographical data of his life. Where Honan speculates, he does so responsibly, and in the case of the cause of Shakespeare's rather sudden death, quite convincingly with new research. The bet sections are those on his death, the wooing of Anne Hathaway (it appears Shakes was quite the social climber), the poaching of deer in Charlecote Park, the theatrical world of London, and the New Place documents. If you want a fun and compelling read about the facts of his life without the writings taking too much precedence, in the style of Sam Schoenbaum, with responsible speculation grounded in facts without an agenda, this is your book. I read it compulsively when I lived in Stratford-upon-Avon.
April 30, 2023
A very interesting book in which Honan has given more than a simple glimpse of the Bard of Avon, whose life and mind have, by many, been misrepresented and misjudged.
I should not, however, claim that the author has successfully debunked all wrong notions but she has, to a certain extent, done a good job.
Although she said she would steer clear of many hypotheses about the protagonist, one cannot say that her present work is altogether without conjectures and postulates. I reckon, given the scarcity of information on some aspects of the bard's life, the author cannot help but rely on some reasonable surmise.
On the whole, it is an accessible read.
I should not, however, claim that the author has successfully debunked all wrong notions but she has, to a certain extent, done a good job.
Although she said she would steer clear of many hypotheses about the protagonist, one cannot say that her present work is altogether without conjectures and postulates. I reckon, given the scarcity of information on some aspects of the bard's life, the author cannot help but rely on some reasonable surmise.
On the whole, it is an accessible read.
June 28, 2020
I enjoyed this book. It is the final book on Shakespeare I shall ever read. This work by an eminent scholar seems to be so concise and so thorough as to leave little doubt as to Shakespeare's life and works authorship . I have read many alternative theories . This book returned my mind to the true Author.
September 3, 2014
I wanted a nice introductory bio for people unacquainted with Shakespeare generally. The book gave me too much credit, I'm afraid. The larger problem was the author's wandering organization. I never felt like there was any set reason or rhyme to why he brought up a particular topic at any given time. There were parts where the sunshine came through the clouds, but I don't recommend this book for near-Philistines like me. I had to dig deep to get the general thrust of Shakespeare's life as depicted by the author. I needed more babysitting.
December 3, 2008
One of the best biographies I've read. Right up there with Oscar Wilde by Richard Ellman, which I guess I should list. But my daughter gave me this book. Thanks, Laura.
February 2, 2021
Super easy to read. A lot of good Shakespeare information. Perhaps his life during a plague means a lot more to me now that it did when I was first learning about him in middle school.
Mary Shakespeare gave birth to her son William in one of the worse plagues in our history. Mary most likely could read and write, her mark being on a Shakespeare deed seemed to prove she was literate. Williams early life was most likely stuck indoors with windows closed, no visitors and fires roaring. the emotional pressure of Mary's concern for her son, his need to live seemed to be upmost in her mind during his infancy years. A pattern of Mary's special care for her son was set in his early months. William's confidence cannot be dissociated from the emotional support he received at home. One of Williams greatest gifts is his understanding of feeling which had to be nourished by his mother.
William's dad, John, was a celebrated town servant but between Williams 12th and 13th birthday a change seemed to take place in his dad. William watched his father rise to bailiff robes only to then be exposed for usury and illegal dealing. John became an absentee, plagued by creditors and informers, needing more help rather than giving it.
At the age of 18 William married Anne Hathaway. Anne was 26 or 27 at the time, she was 8 years older than William. He was young for marriage, even during those times, but Anne was already pregnant with their child. Anne was quite welcomed by his family. Anne lived with his parents for about 14 years before moving into their new home. After their daughter Susanna the couple also had twins. The birth of their twins, Judith and Hamnet, seemed to assure Shakespeare that his future would be more problematic, he was concerned about making up for loss time. The couple was to have no more children after the twins, possibly due to the damage of having twins on Anne's body.
A third of all children in England never reached the age of 10. Hamnet Shakespeare died at age 11 in early August. The death changed William, what evolved from his grief was an intelligent complication of his view of suffering. His son's death deepen his thinking. The loss would help him avoid the last lingering drawbacks of his technical facility and would gather his strength for the most complex and powerful dramas the English stage has ever known.
During Shakespeare's time there was a belief in the sacredness of marriage. He had a lot to benefit from a happy home life. In his dramas it is interesting to note that there seems to be less opposition between husband and wife but more with a son coming to terms with the image of a parent. Shakespeare himself spent long absences away from home, which complicated his relationships with his daughters. The father-daughter bond becomes an almost obsessive theme in his work. His daughter Susanna seemed difficult for Shakespeare to deal with, one can see her in Cordelia in King Lear.
Shakespeare welcomed a granddaughter and lost his mother in a few short months in 1608. Shakespeare kept his sonnets out of print until the death of his mother, eight short months after her death they were released to the public. The most tangled and contradictory of his relationships has always been with his mother. His troubled attitudes towards women are too deep to be of anything but early origin. In relationship to female sexuality he had become fastidiously self-protective. The difference between his troubled views of sexuality and the love he felt for his own daughters has a bearing tension in his late plays where he sketches women in new light and on occasion mocks himself.
April 21 1616 William Shakespeare died most likely from typhoid. He fell ill in March of that year. He was unfortunately nursed so well that he suffered longer than necessary.
The only 2 plays that I remember reading in middle school:
Romeo and Juliet was prepared during a very tense time in the city and the tragedy reflects the civic tension.
Macbeth is interesting in that it conveys Williams political realism, his concern for history, psychology and the truth are upmost in his mind.
Mary Shakespeare gave birth to her son William in one of the worse plagues in our history. Mary most likely could read and write, her mark being on a Shakespeare deed seemed to prove she was literate. Williams early life was most likely stuck indoors with windows closed, no visitors and fires roaring. the emotional pressure of Mary's concern for her son, his need to live seemed to be upmost in her mind during his infancy years. A pattern of Mary's special care for her son was set in his early months. William's confidence cannot be dissociated from the emotional support he received at home. One of Williams greatest gifts is his understanding of feeling which had to be nourished by his mother.
William's dad, John, was a celebrated town servant but between Williams 12th and 13th birthday a change seemed to take place in his dad. William watched his father rise to bailiff robes only to then be exposed for usury and illegal dealing. John became an absentee, plagued by creditors and informers, needing more help rather than giving it.
At the age of 18 William married Anne Hathaway. Anne was 26 or 27 at the time, she was 8 years older than William. He was young for marriage, even during those times, but Anne was already pregnant with their child. Anne was quite welcomed by his family. Anne lived with his parents for about 14 years before moving into their new home. After their daughter Susanna the couple also had twins. The birth of their twins, Judith and Hamnet, seemed to assure Shakespeare that his future would be more problematic, he was concerned about making up for loss time. The couple was to have no more children after the twins, possibly due to the damage of having twins on Anne's body.
A third of all children in England never reached the age of 10. Hamnet Shakespeare died at age 11 in early August. The death changed William, what evolved from his grief was an intelligent complication of his view of suffering. His son's death deepen his thinking. The loss would help him avoid the last lingering drawbacks of his technical facility and would gather his strength for the most complex and powerful dramas the English stage has ever known.
During Shakespeare's time there was a belief in the sacredness of marriage. He had a lot to benefit from a happy home life. In his dramas it is interesting to note that there seems to be less opposition between husband and wife but more with a son coming to terms with the image of a parent. Shakespeare himself spent long absences away from home, which complicated his relationships with his daughters. The father-daughter bond becomes an almost obsessive theme in his work. His daughter Susanna seemed difficult for Shakespeare to deal with, one can see her in Cordelia in King Lear.
Shakespeare welcomed a granddaughter and lost his mother in a few short months in 1608. Shakespeare kept his sonnets out of print until the death of his mother, eight short months after her death they were released to the public. The most tangled and contradictory of his relationships has always been with his mother. His troubled attitudes towards women are too deep to be of anything but early origin. In relationship to female sexuality he had become fastidiously self-protective. The difference between his troubled views of sexuality and the love he felt for his own daughters has a bearing tension in his late plays where he sketches women in new light and on occasion mocks himself.
April 21 1616 William Shakespeare died most likely from typhoid. He fell ill in March of that year. He was unfortunately nursed so well that he suffered longer than necessary.
The only 2 plays that I remember reading in middle school:
Romeo and Juliet was prepared during a very tense time in the city and the tragedy reflects the civic tension.
Macbeth is interesting in that it conveys Williams political realism, his concern for history, psychology and the truth are upmost in his mind.
June 1, 2021
I really did try to get into this book,the first one about the life of Shakespeare,but I found it too detailed for a beginner and like an old school way of teaching very dry and uninteresting.on the plus side it was probably aimed at people who are more familiar with the terrain,and are more intelligent.
December 7, 2025
This is a truly impressive bit of detective work to give us about as good a portrait of the Bard as we're likely to get, shadowy though it is. What I particularly admire is Honan's restraint in not over-reading his biography into the plays themselves.
December 21, 2016
A definitive guide that makes the reader go back a few times more to reacquaint yourself with the Bard who breathes new life in all things old and new.
October 22, 2012
In the admittedly strange world of Shakespeare biography, the only writer worth his salt is Park Honan (I might add Duncan Jones to the list, but I don't think Ungentle Shakespeare is a biography, per se). He accomplishes something that hundreds of years of pedantry and aimless speculation has got in the way of- a thoroughly fact-based biography. The often repeated claim that we only know about ten pages about the man should be finally put to rest with this dense, yet rewarding book.
July 5, 2016
An engaging look at the legend of the most famous playwright in the world. The author keeps facts flowing and is careful to be clear when the information is only an educated guess. The book has inspired me to expand my knowledge on Elizabethan England as well. I loved this book so much, I intend to purchase my own copy so I can read it again and make notes in the pages!
December 3, 2008
One of the best biographies I've read. Right up there with Oscar Wilde by Richard Ellman, which I guess I should list. But my daughter gave me this book. Thanks, Laura.
October 13, 2011
Excellent biography.
Read
December 31, 2007Helps to make the transition between WS the actor and WS the playwright...excellent
March 13, 2016
I read this book due to my studies in literature.
Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews