Shakespeare was born in Stratford-on-Avon in the family of a craftsman. At the beginning of the 1590s, he was already an actor in one of the London troupes, and a few years later he became the largest playwright of his time. Shakespeare's contemporary Ben Jonson gave him an accurate assessment: "The soul of our age... May you be glorious at all times..." (1623).

The age of Shakespeare, the English Renaissance, its inherent courage of thought, breadth of daring, painful doubts, depth of feelings, combination of the funny and the tragic are reflected in the works of Shakespeare.

In the work of a playwright, three stages are usually distinguished. 1590-1599 - the time of the creation of historical chronicles ("Richard III", "Henry VI", Henry IV", etc.), early comedies ("The Comedy of Errors", "The Taming of the Shrew", "Love's Labour's Lost", "A Midsummer Night's Dream", "As You Like It"), poems, tragedies "Romeo and Juliet", sonnets. In 1600-1608, Shakespeare wrote mainly tragedies ("Hamlet", "Othello", "King Lear", "Macbeth the Third"). period of creativity (1609-1613) - the appearance of fairy-tale or romantic dramas ("Pericles", " Winter's Tale", "The Tempest", "Cymbeline").

Historical chronicles document the feudal strife of the times of Agoy and the White Rose/1 "time of troubles" English history, the struggle for power between individuals, groups of people, classes, countries.

The action of the tragedy "Richard III" is centered around Richard of Gloucester, who, with the help of heinous crimes, wins the crown, but cannot keep it. By force artistic skill Shakespeare condemns despotism and the inhumanity it generates.

Shakespeare's comedies - a festive world of "thrills" of love and friendship, full of adventure, fun pranks, a joyful feeling of the beauty of life. Deception, deceit, slander, misunderstanding cannot disrupt its harmony for a long time and prevent lovers from uniting. Comedy characters are witty, always prone to jokes and pranks. Shakespeare knows how to see the funny in character goodies. This is the difference between his comedies and comedies, the plot of which is based on ridicule of people's vices.

In contrast to the ancient understanding of the tragic, the source of Shakespeare's tragedy is man, his character, goals and actions. Creatures of the other world (the ghost in Hamlet, the witches in Macbeth) do not determine the behavior of the heroes.

Shakespeare not only portrays tragic circumstances, but also moral torment, the power of the tragic experiences of Hamlet, Othello, Lear and other heroes. Relationships between close people (son and mother in Hamlet, father and daughters in King Lear, spouses in Othello), reflections on the purpose of a person, his place in the state and the world (Hamlet, Othello, King Lear"), about the complexity and contradictory character of a person who is characterized by good and bad qualities (Othello, Macbeth, Lear...) - these and many other questions receive a unique artistic embodiment in Shakespeare's tragedies. Shakespeare believed in mental strength and the beauty of personality. His hope for overcoming evil and social injustice is based on this faith. It is no coincidence that romantic fairy tale plays last period The playwright's works, starting with tragic upheavals in the fate of the heroes, end with a happy ending.

Shakespeare intended his plays to be performed in the theater, not for publication and reading. There were no actresses at Shakespeare's theater (it was called the Globe) ( female roles in accordance with the customs of that time, they were performed by boys) and there were no decorations. But Shakespeare's poetic word, its imagery and metaphor, had magical power. And the viewer, from the conversation on stage about the storm or the exclamations of several warriors with one sword and spear, imagined both the storm and the battle.

New and new generations of people around the world are becoming familiar with Shakespeare's legacy, perceiving it in their own way. But Shakespeare’s love of life, with the awareness of the beautiful and terrible that is inherent in it, attracts everyone.

Turgenev wrote that for Russians Shakespeare “is not just a big name, which is worshiped only occasionally and from afar: he has become our property, he has entered into our flesh and blood.”

Somewhat earlier, Dostoevsky emphasized that Shakespeare had become an important part of Russian spiritual development(“We were brought up on it, it is dear to us and in many ways affected our development”). The history of Russian literature and the history of Russian theater testify that this is indeed the case.

Sonnets (1592-1598) - a lyrical story about the poet’s feelings caused by his friendship with a beautiful young man and his love for a charming but ugly dark woman, who went down in history under the name “dark lady of the sonnets.” Real names characters unknown, but scientists still haven’t given up hope of unraveling them. It hardly matters what the name of the poet’s friend and lover was. We perceive them through his eyes.

The lyrical hero of the sonnets is a complex image of a person who acutely senses the beauty and tragedy of life, understands the meaning of poetry, and knows how to express the delights of love and suffering caused by the betrayal of both a friend and girlfriend. It would be a simplification to identify him with the author (as, indeed, are the images dramatic works).

Shakespeare used the sonnet form, traditional for European lyric poetry (Dante, Petrarch). Unlike the Italian sonnet, the English (Shakespearean) sonnet consists of three quatrains and a couplet. According to the rules, a sonnet is devoted to one topic: the first quatrain names it, the second develops it, the third prepares the denouement, and the final couplet sums it up. The sonnet does not describe an event, but expresses the feelings, reflections, and mood of the lyrical hero. Greater role in revealing state of mind Comparisons taken from the natural world play a role, for example, likening youth, maturity, old age to the corresponding seasons.

Sonnet No. 55 is one of many variations on the theme of the immortality of poetry (cf. "Monument" by Horace and others). Sonnets No. 116 and No. 130 are dedicated to love.

Sonnet No. 130 breaks centuries-old European tradition, praising not an ideal lover, but a real woman. Sonnet No. 143 shows how Shakespeare, including similes from everyday life, thereby achieving a comic effect.

Updated: 2011-03-12

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In Stratford-upon-Avon, Warwickshire in England. The parish register contains a record of his baptism on April 26. His father, John Shakespeare, was a prominent man in Stratford (according to some sources, he traded in leather goods) and held various positions in the city government, including bailiff (estate manager). Mother was the daughter of a small nobleman from Warwickshire, who came from ancient family Catholic Ardens.

By the end of the 1570s the family was broke and around 1580 William had to leave school and start working.

In November 1582 he married Anne Hathaway. In May 1583, their first child, daughter Susan, was born, and in February 1585, twins, son Hamnet and daughter Judith.

It became a popular belief that Shakespeare joined one of the London theater troupes that performed on tour in Stratford.

Until 1593, Shakespeare did not publish anything; in 1593 he published the poem “Venus and Adonis”, dedicating it to the Duke of Southampton, the patron of literature. The poem was a great success and was published eight times during the author's lifetime. That same year, Shakespeare joined Richard Burbage's Lord Chamberlain's Men, where he worked as an actor, director and playwright.

Theatrical activities under the auspices of Southampton quickly brought him wealth. His father, John Shakespeare, after several years of financial difficulties, received the right to a coat of arms from the Heraldic Chamber. The title granted gave Shakespeare the right to sign "William Shakespeare, gentleman."

In 1592-1594, London theaters were closed due to the plague epidemic. During the involuntary pause, Shakespeare created several plays - the chronicle "Richard III", "The Comedy of Errors" and "The Taming of the Shrew". In 1594, after the opening of the theaters, Shakespeare joined the new cast of the Lord Chamberlain's troupe.

In 1595-1596 he wrote the tragedy "Romeo and Juliet", the romantic comedies "A Midsummer Night's Dream" and "The Merchant of Venice".

Things were going well for the playwright - in 1597 he acquired big house with a garden in Stratford, where he moved his wife and daughters (his son died in 1596) and settled himself after leaving the London stage.

In the years 1598-1600, the peaks of Shakespeare's comedy work were created - "Much Ado About Nothing", "As You Like It" and "Twelfth Night". At the same time, he wrote the tragedy "Julius Caesar" (1599).

He became one of the owners, playwright and actor of the newly opened Globus Theater. In 1603, King James took Shakespeare's troupe under direct patronage - it began to be called "His Majesty the King's Men", and the actors were considered the same courtiers as valets. In 1608, Shakespeare became a shareholder in the profitable London theater Blackfriars.

With the appearance of the famous "Hamlet" (1600-1601), the period of great tragedies of the playwright began. In 1601-1606, Othello (1604), King Lear (1605), and Macbeth (1606) were created. Shakespeare's tragic worldview also left its mark on those works of this period that do not directly belong to the genre of tragedy - the so-called "bitter comedies" "Troilus and Cressida" (1601-1602), "All's well that ends well" (1603- 1603), "Measure for Measure" (1604).

In the years 1606-1613, Shakespeare created tragedies based on ancient plots: "Antony and Cleopatra", "Coriolanus", "Timon of Athens", as well as romantic tragicomedies, including "The Winter's Tale" and "The Tempest", and the late chronicle "Henry VIII ".

About acting Shakespeare is only known to have played the roles of the Ghost in Hamlet and Adam in As You Like It. Performed a role in Ben Jonson's play "Everyone in His Own Temper." Shakespeare's last recorded performance on stage was in his play Sejanus. In 1613 he left the stage and settled at his home in Stratford.

The playwright was buried in the Holy Trinity Church, where he had previously been baptized.

For more than two centuries after his death, no one doubted Shakespeare's authorship. Since 1850, doubts have arisen about the authorship of the playwright, which are still shared by many today. The source for Shakespeare's biographers was his will, which talks about houses and property, but not a word about books and manuscripts. There are many supporters of the negative statement - Shakespeare from Stratford could not have been the author of such works, since he was uneducated, did not travel, and did not study at the university. Many arguments have been made by Stratfordians (supporters of the traditional version) and anti-Stratfordians. More than two dozen candidates for “Shakespeare” were proposed, among the most popular candidates were the philosopher Francis Bacon and Shakespeare’s predecessor in the transformation of dramatic art, Christopher Marlowe; the Earls of Derby, Oxford, and Rutland were also named.

William Shakespeare is considered the greatest English playwright, one of the best playwrights in the world. His plays have been translated into all major languages ​​and to this day form the basis of the world theatrical repertoire. Most of them have been filmed many times.

In Russia, Shakespeare’s work has been known since the 18th century; it has become a fact of Russian culture (interpretation, translations) since the first half of the 19th century.

The material was prepared based on information from RIA Novosti and open sources

In Stratford-upon-Avon, Warwickshire in England. The parish register contains a record of his baptism on April 26. His father, John Shakespeare, was a prominent man in Stratford (according to some sources, he traded in leather goods) and held various positions in the city government, including bailiff (estate manager). Mother was the daughter of a small nobleman from Warwickshire, who came from an ancient family of Catholic Ardens.

By the end of the 1570s the family was broke and around 1580 William had to leave school and start working.

In November 1582 he married Anne Hathaway. In May 1583, their first child, daughter Susan, was born, and in February 1585, twins, son Hamnet and daughter Judith.

It became a popular belief that Shakespeare joined one of the London theater troupes that performed on tour in Stratford.

Until 1593, Shakespeare did not publish anything; in 1593 he published the poem “Venus and Adonis”, dedicating it to the Duke of Southampton, the patron of literature. The poem was a great success and was published eight times during the author's lifetime. That same year, Shakespeare joined Richard Burbage's Lord Chamberlain's Men, where he worked as an actor, director and playwright.

Theatrical activities under the auspices of Southampton quickly brought him wealth. His father, John Shakespeare, after several years of financial difficulties, received the right to a coat of arms from the Heraldic Chamber. The title granted gave Shakespeare the right to sign "William Shakespeare, gentleman."

In 1592-1594, London theaters were closed due to the plague epidemic. During the involuntary pause, Shakespeare created several plays - the chronicle "Richard III", "The Comedy of Errors" and "The Taming of the Shrew". In 1594, after the opening of the theaters, Shakespeare joined the new cast of the Lord Chamberlain's troupe.

In 1595-1596 he wrote the tragedy "Romeo and Juliet", the romantic comedies "A Midsummer Night's Dream" and "The Merchant of Venice".

Things were going well for the playwright - in 1597 he purchased a large house with a garden in Stratford, where he moved his wife and daughters (his son died in 1596) and settled himself after leaving the London stage.

In the years 1598-1600, the peaks of Shakespeare's comedy work were created - "Much Ado About Nothing", "As You Like It" and "Twelfth Night". At the same time, he wrote the tragedy "Julius Caesar" (1599).

He became one of the owners, playwright and actor of the newly opened Globus Theater. In 1603, King James took Shakespeare's troupe under direct patronage - it began to be called "His Majesty the King's Men", and the actors were considered the same courtiers as valets. In 1608, Shakespeare became a shareholder in the profitable London theater Blackfriars.

With the appearance of the famous "Hamlet" (1600-1601), the period of great tragedies of the playwright began. In 1601-1606, Othello (1604), King Lear (1605), and Macbeth (1606) were created. Shakespeare's tragic worldview also left its mark on those works of this period that do not directly belong to the genre of tragedy - the so-called "bitter comedies" "Troilus and Cressida" (1601-1602), "All's well that ends well" (1603- 1603), "Measure for Measure" (1604).

In the years 1606-1613, Shakespeare created tragedies based on ancient plots: "Antony and Cleopatra", "Coriolanus", "Timon of Athens", as well as romantic tragicomedies, including "The Winter's Tale" and "The Tempest", and the late chronicle "Henry VIII ".

All that is known about Shakespeare's acting career is that he played the roles of the Ghost in Hamlet and Adam in the play As You Like It. Performed a role in Ben Jonson's play "Everyone in His Own Temper." Shakespeare's last recorded performance on stage was in his play Sejanus. In 1613 he left the stage and settled at his home in Stratford.

The playwright was buried in the Holy Trinity Church, where he had previously been baptized.

For more than two centuries after his death, no one doubted Shakespeare's authorship. Since 1850, doubts have arisen about the authorship of the playwright, which are still shared by many today. The source for Shakespeare's biographers was his will, which talks about houses and property, but not a word about books and manuscripts. There are many supporters of the negative statement - Shakespeare from Stratford could not have been the author of such works, since he was uneducated, did not travel, and did not study at the university. Many arguments have been made by Stratfordians (supporters of the traditional version) and anti-Stratfordians. More than two dozen candidates for “Shakespeare” were proposed, among the most popular candidates were the philosopher Francis Bacon and Shakespeare’s predecessor in the transformation of dramatic art, Christopher Marlowe; the Earls of Derby, Oxford, and Rutland were also named.

William Shakespeare is considered the greatest English playwright, one of the best playwrights in the world. His plays have been translated into all major languages ​​and to this day form the basis of the world theatrical repertoire. Most of them have been filmed many times.

In Russia, Shakespeare’s work has been known since the 18th century; it has become a fact of Russian culture (interpretation, translations) since the first half of the 19th century.

The material was prepared based on information from RIA Novosti and open sources

The theme of almost all of Shakespeare's comedies is love, its emergence and development, the resistance and intrigues of others and the victory of a bright young feeling. The action of the works takes place against the backdrop of beautiful landscapes, flooded with lunar or sunlight. This is how it appears before us Magic world Shakespeare's comedies, it would seem, are far from fun. Shakespeare has a great ability to talentedly combine the comic (the duels of wit between Benedick and Beatrice in Much Ado About Nothing, Petruchio and Catharina from The Taming of the Shrew) with the lyrical and even tragic (the betrayals of Proteus in The Two Gentlemen of Verona, the machinations of Shylock in "The Merchant of Venice"). Shakespeare's characters are amazingly multifaceted; their images embody traits characteristic of people of the Renaissance: will, desire for independence, and love of life. The female characters of these comedies are especially interesting - they are equal to men, free, energetic, active and infinitely charming. Shakespeare's comedies are varied. Shakespeare uses various genres comedies - romantic comedy ("A Midsummer Night's Dream"), comedy of characters ("The Taming of the Shrew"), sitcom ("Comedy of Errors").

During the same period (1590-1600) Shakespeare wrote a number of historical chronicles. Each of which covers one of the periods of English history.

About the time of the struggle between the Scarlet and White Roses:

About the previous period of struggle between the feudal barons and the absolute monarchy:

The genre of dramatic chronicle is characteristic only of the English Renaissance. Most likely, this happened because the favorite theatrical genre of the early English Middle Ages were mysteries with secular motives. The dramaturgy of the mature Renaissance was formed under their influence; and in dramatic chronicles many mysterious features are preserved: a wide coverage of events, many characters, a free alternation of episodes. However, unlike the mysteries, the chronicles do not present biblical history, but the history of the state. Here, in essence, he also turns to the ideals of harmony - but specifically state harmony, which he sees in the victory of the monarchy over medieval feudal civil strife. At the end of the plays, good triumphs; evil, no matter how terrible and bloody its path was, has been overthrown. Thus, in the first period of Shakespeare's work different levels- personal and state - the main Renaissance idea is interpreted: achieving harmony and humanistic ideals.

During the same period, Shakespeare wrote two tragedies:

II (tragic) period (1601-1607)

It is considered the tragic period of Shakespeare's work. Dedicated mainly to tragedy. It was during this period that the playwright reached the pinnacle of his creativity:

There is no longer a trace of a harmonious sense of the world in them; eternal and insoluble conflicts are revealed here. Here the tragedy lies not only in the clash between the individual and society, but also in the internal contradictions in the soul of the hero. The problem is brought to a general philosophical level, and the characters remain unusually multifaceted and psychologically voluminous. At the same time, it is very important that in Shakespeare’s great tragedies there is a complete absence of a fatalistic attitude towards fate, which predetermines tragedy. The main emphasis, as before, is placed on the personality of the hero, who shapes his own destiny and the destinies of those around him.

During the same period, Shakespeare wrote two comedies:

III (romantic) period (1608-1612)

Counts romantic period Shakespeare's works.

Works of the last period of his work:

These are poetic tales that lead away from reality into the world of dreams. A complete conscious rejection of realism and a retreat into romantic fantasy is naturally interpreted by Shakespeare scholars as the playwright’s disappointment in humanistic ideals and recognition of the impossibility of achieving harmony. This path - from a triumphantly jubilant faith in harmony to tired disappointment - was actually followed by the entire worldview of the Renaissance.

Shakespeare's Globe Theater

The incomparable worldwide popularity of Shakespeare's plays was facilitated by the playwright's excellent knowledge of the theater from the inside. Almost all of Shakespeare's London life was in one way or another connected with the theater, and from 1599 - with the Globe Theater, which was one of the most important centers of cultural life in England. It was here that R. Burbage’s troupe of “The Lord Chamberlain’s Men” moved into the newly rebuilt building, just at the time when Shakespeare became one of the shareholders of the troupe. Shakespeare played on stage until about 1603 - in any case, after this time there is no mention of his participation in performances. Apparently, as an actor, Shakespeare was not particularly popular - there is information that he performed minor and cameo roles. Nevertheless, he completed stage school - working on stage undoubtedly helped Shakespeare more accurately understand the mechanisms of interaction between the actor and the audience and the secrets of audience success. Audience success was very important for Shakespeare both as a theater shareholder and as a playwright - and after 1603 he remained closely associated with the Globe, on whose stage almost all the plays he wrote were staged. The design of the Globus hall predetermined the combination of spectators from a variety of social and property classes at one performance, while the theater could accommodate at least 1,500 spectators. The playwright and actors faced the most difficult task of holding the attention of a diverse audience. Shakespeare's plays met this task to the maximum extent, enjoying success with audiences of all categories.

The mobile architectonics of Shakespeare's plays were largely determined by the peculiarities of theatrical technology of the 16th century. - an open stage without a curtain, a minimum of props, extremely conventional stage design. This forced one to concentrate attention on the actor and his stagecraft. Each role in Shakespeare's plays (often written for a specific actor) is psychologically voluminous and provides enormous opportunities for its stage interpretation; the lexical structure of speech changes not only from play to play and from character to character, but also transforms depending on internal development and stage circumstances (Hamlet, Othello, Richard III, etc.). It is not without reason that many world-famous actors shone in the roles of Shakespeare’s repertoire.

The glorious history of Shakespeare's Globe Theater began in 1599, when in London, which was distinguished great love To theater arts, one after another, public theater buildings were built. During the construction of the Globe, building materials were used that were left over from the dismantled building of the very first public theater in London (it was called “Theatre”). The owners of the building, a troupe of famous English actors, the Burbages, had their land lease expired; So they decided to rebuild the theater in a new location. The leading playwright of the troupe, William Shakespeare, who by 1599 had become one of the shareholders of Burbage's "Lord Chamberlain's Men" theater, was undoubtedly involved in this decision.

Theaters for the general public were built in London mainly outside the City, i.e. - outside the jurisdiction of the City of London. This was explained by the puritanical spirit of the city authorities, who were hostile to the theater in general. The Globe was a typical public theater building of the early 17th century: an oval room in the shape of a Roman amphitheater, enclosed by a high wall, without a roof. The theater received its name from the statue of Atlas, supporting Earth. This globe (“globe”) was surrounded by a ribbon with the famous inscription: “The whole world is acting” (lat. Totus mundus agit histrionem; more famous translation: “The whole world is a theater”).

The stage was adjacent to the back of the building; above its deep part rose the upper stage area, the so-called. "gallery"; even higher there was a “house” - a building with one or two windows. Thus, there were four places of action in the theater: the proscenium, which jutted deep into the hall and was surrounded by the public on three sides, on which the main part of the action was played out; the deep part of the stage under the gallery, where interior scenes were played out; a gallery that was used to depict a fortress wall or balcony (the ghost of Hamlet's father appeared here or the famous scene on the balcony in Romeo and Juliet took place); and a “house”, in the windows of which actors could also appear. This made it possible to build a dynamic spectacle, incorporating various locations of action into the dramaturgy and changing points of audience attention, which helped maintain interest in what was happening on the set. This was extremely important: we must not forget that the attention of the auditorium was not supported by any auxiliary means - the performances were performed in daylight, without a curtain, under the continuous roar of the audience, animatedly exchanging impressions in full voice.

The Globe auditorium accommodated, according to various sources, from 1200 to 3000 spectators. It is impossible to establish the exact capacity of the hall - there were no seats provided for the bulk of commoners; They were crowded into the stalls, standing on the dirt floor. Privileged spectators were accommodated with some amenities: inside the walls were boxes for the aristocracy, above them there was a gallery for the wealthy. The richest and most noble sat on the sides of the stage, on portable three-legged stools. There were no additional amenities for spectators (including toilets); physiological needs, if necessary, were dealt with easily, during the course of the performance - right in auditorium. Therefore, the lack of a roof could be regarded as a benefit rather than a disadvantage - an influx fresh air did not allow devoted fans of theatrical art to suffocate.

However, such simplicity of morals fully corresponded to the rules of etiquette of that time, and the Globe Theater very soon became one of the main cultural centers of England: all the plays of William Shakespeare and other outstanding playwrights of the Renaissance were staged on its stage.

However, in 1613, during the premiere of Shakespeare's Henry VIII, a fire broke out in the theater: a spark from a stage cannon shot hit the thatched roof above the back of the stage. Historical evidence states that there were no casualties in the fire, but the building burned to the ground. The end of the “first Globe” symbolically marked a change in literary and theatrical eras: around this time, William Shakespeare stopped writing plays.

"And now I will entertain you with the story of what happened this week at Bankside. His Majesty's actors were performing a new play called All is True (Henry VIII), representing the highlights of the reign of Henry VIII. The production was decorated with extraordinary pomp, and even the covering on the stage was amazingly beautiful. The Knights of the Order of George and the Garter, the guards in embroidered uniforms, and so on - there was more than enough to make the greatness recognizable, if not ridiculous. So, King Henry arranges a mask in the house of Cardinal Wolsey: he appears on the stage. , several welcoming shots are heard. One of the bullets apparently got stuck in the scenery - and then everything happened. At first, only a small smoke was visible, to which the audience, captivated by what was happening on the stage, did not pay any attention; -in a split second the fire spread to the roof and began to spread rapidly, destroying the entire building to the ground in less than an hour. Yes, those were disastrous moments for this solid building, where only wood, straw and a few rags burned. True, one of the men’s trousers caught fire, and he could easily have been fried, but he (thank heavens!) guessed in time to put out the flames with ale from a bottle.”

Sir Henry Wotton

Soon the building was rebuilt, this time from stone; the thatched ceiling above the deep part of the stage was replaced with tiled ones. Burbage's troupe continued to play at the "second Globe" until 1642, when the Puritan Parliament and Lord Protector Cromwell issued a decree closing all theaters and prohibiting all theatrical entertainment. In 1644, the empty “second Globe” was rebuilt into premises for rent. The history of the theater was interrupted for more than three centuries.

The idea of ​​modern reconstruction of the Globe Theater belongs, oddly enough, not to the British, but American actor, directed and produced by Sam Wanamaker. He came to London for the first time in 1949, and for about twenty years, together with his like-minded people, he collected materials about the theaters of the Elizabethan era bit by bit. By 1970, Wanamaker had founded the Shakespeare Globe Trust to rebuild the lost theater and create an educational center and permanent exhibition space. Work on this project continued for more than 25 years; Wanamaker himself died in 1993, almost four years before the opening of the reconstructed Globe. The guideline for the reconstruction of the theater was the excavated fragments of the foundation of the old Globe, as well as the nearby Rose Theater, where Shakespeare’s plays were staged in “pre-Globe” times. The new building was built from green oak wood, processed in accordance with the traditions of the 16th century. and is located almost in the same place as before - the new one is 300 meters away from the old Globus. Careful reconstruction appearance combines with modern technical equipment building.

The new Globe opened in 1997 under the name Shakespeare's Globe Theatre. Since, according to historical realities, the new building was built without a roof, performances are held in it only in spring and summer. However, tours of London's oldest theater, the Globe, are conducted daily. Already in this century A theme park museum dedicated to Shakespeare has opened next to the restored Globe. It houses the world's largest exhibition dedicated to the great playwright; A variety of themed entertainment events are organized for visitors: here you can try to write a sonnet yourself; watch a sword fight, and even take part in a production of a Shakespeare play.

Shakespeare's language and stage devices

In general, the language of Shakespeare's dramatic works is unusually rich: according to research by philologists and literary scholars, his vocabulary contains more than 15,000 words. The characters' speech is replete with all sorts of tropes - metaphors, allegories, periphrases, etc. The playwright used many forms in his plays lyric poetry XVI century - sonnet, canzone, album, epithalam, etc. Blank verse, which is mainly used to write his plays, is flexible and natural. This explains the enormous appeal of Shakespeare's work for translators. In particular, in Russia many masters turned to translations of Shakespeare’s plays literary text- from N. Karamzin to A. Radlova, V. Nabokov, B. Pasternak, M. Donskoy and others.

The minimalism of the stage means of the Renaissance allowed Shakespeare's dramaturgy to organically merge into a new stage in the development of world theater, dating back to the beginning of the 20th century. - director's theater, focused not on individual actor's work, but on the overall conceptual solution of the performance. It's impossible to even list general principles all numerous Shakespearean productions - from detailed everyday interpretation to extreme conditional symbolic; from farcical-comedy to elegiac-philosophical or mystery-tragedy. It is curious that Shakespeare's plays are still aimed at audiences of almost any level - from aesthetic intellectuals to undemanding audiences. This, along with the complex philosophical issues, contribute to the intricate intrigue, and the kaleidoscope of various stage episodes, alternating pathetic scenes with comedic ones, and the inclusion of fights in the main action, musical numbers etc.

Shakespeare's dramatic works became the basis for many musical theater performances (the operas Othello, Falstaff (based on The Merry Wives of Windsor) and Macbeth by D. Verdi; the ballet Romeo and Juliet by S. Prokofiev and many others).

Shakespeare's departure

Around 1610 Shakespeare left London and returned to Stratford-upon-Avon. Until 1612 he did not lose touch with the theater: in 1611 the Winter's Tale was written, in 1612 - the last dramatic work, The Tempest. The last years of his life he retired from literary activity, and lived quietly and unnoticed with his family. This was probably due to a serious illness - this is indicated by Shakespeare's surviving will, clearly drawn up hastily on March 15, 1616 and signed in a changed handwriting. On April 23, 1616, the most famous playwright of all times died in Stratford-upon-Avon.

The influence of Shakespeare's work on world literature

The influence of the images created by William Shakespeare on world literature and culture is difficult to overestimate. Hamlet, Macbeth, King Lear, Romeo and Juliet - these names have long become household names. They are used not only in works of art, but also in ordinary speech as a designation of any human type. For us, Othello is a jealous person, Lear is a parent deprived of the heirs whom he himself blessed, Macbeth is a usurper of power, and Hamlet is a person torn apart by internal contradictions.

Shakespeare's images had a huge influence on Russian literature of the 19th century century. The plays of the English playwright were addressed to I.S. Turgenev, F.M. Dostoevsky, L.N. Tolstoy, A.P. Chekhov and other writers. In the 20th century, interest in the inner world of man and motives and heroes increased. Shakespearean works once again worried the poets. We find them in M. Tsvetaeva, B. Pasternak, V. Vysotsky.

In the era of classicism and the Enlightenment, Shakespeare was recognized for his ability to follow “nature,” but was condemned for ignorance of the “rules”: Voltaire called him a “brilliant barbarian.” English educational criticism valued Shakespeare's life-like truthfulness. In Germany, Shakespeare was raised to an unattainable height by J. Herder and Goethe (Goethe’s sketch “Shakespeare and the End of Him,” 1813-1816). During the period of romanticism, understanding of Shakespeare’s work was deepened by G. Hegel, S. T. Coleridge, Stendhal, and V. Hugo.

In Russia, Shakespeare was first mentioned in 1748 by A.P. Sumarokov, however, even in the 2nd half of the 18th century, Shakespeare was still little known in Russia. Shakespeare became a fact of Russian culture in the 1st half of the 19th century: writers associated with the Decembrist movement (V.K. Kuchelbecker, K.F. Ryleev, A.S. Griboedov, A.A. Bestuzhev, etc.) turned to him. , A. S. Pushkin, who saw the main advantages of Shakespeare in his objectivity, truth of characters and “true depiction of time” and developed the traditions of Shakespeare in the tragedy “Boris Godunov”. In the struggle for realism in Russian literature, V. G. Belinsky also relies on Shakespeare. The importance of Shakespeare especially increased in the 30-50s of the 19th century. By projecting Shakespearean images onto modern times, A. I. Herzen, I. A. Goncharov and others helped to better understand the tragedy of the time. A notable event was the production of “Hamlet” translated by N. A. Polevoy (1837) with P. S. Mochalov (Moscow) and V. A. Karatygin (St. Petersburg) in the title role. In the tragedy of Hamlet, V. G. Belinsky and other progressive people of the era saw the tragedy of their generation. The image of Hamlet attracts the attention of I. S. Turgenev, who discerned the features in him " extra people"(Article "Hamlet and Don Quixote", 1860), F. M. Dostoevsky.

In parallel with the understanding of Shakespeare's work in Russia, familiarity with Shakespeare's works themselves deepened and expanded. In the 18th and early 19th centuries, mainly French adaptations of Shakespeare were translated. Translations of the 1st half of the 19th century were guilty of either literalism (Hamlet, translated by M. Vronchenko, 1828) or excessive freedom (Hamlet, translated by Polevoy). In 1840-1860, translations by A. V. Druzhinin, A. A. Grigoriev, P. I. Weinberg and others discovered attempts scientific approach to solving problems of literary translation (the principle of linguistic adequacy, etc.). In 1865-1868, under the editorship of N.V. Gerbel, the first " Complete collection dramatic works of Shakespeare translated by Russian writers." In 1902-1904, under the editorship of S. A. Vengerov, the second pre-revolutionary Complete Works of Shakespeare was published.

The traditions of advanced Russian thought were continued and developed by Soviet Shakespeare studies on the basis of deep generalizations made by K. Marx and F. Engels. In the early 20s, lectures on Shakespeare were given by A. V. Lunacharsky. The art historical aspect of studying Shakespeare's heritage comes to the fore (V.K. Muller, I.A. Aksyonov). Historical and literary monographs appear (A. A. Smirnov) and individual problematic works(M. M. Morozov). Significant contribution to modern science works on Shakespeare are presented by A. A. Anikst, N. Ya. Berkovsky, and a monograph by L. E. Pinsky. Film directors G. M. Kozintsev and S. I. Yutkevich interpret the nature of Shakespeare’s work in a unique way.

Criticizing allegories and lush metaphors, hyperboles and unusual comparisons, “horrors and buffoonery, reasoning and effects” - character traits style of Shakespeare's plays, Tolstoy took them as signs of exceptional art serving the needs of the “upper class” of society. Tolstoy at the same time points out many advantages of the plays of the great playwright: his remarkable “ability to lead scenes in which the movement of feelings is expressed,” the extraordinary stage quality of his plays, their genuine theatricality. The article on Shakespeare contains Tolstoy's deep judgments about dramatic conflict, characters, the development of action, the language of characters, the technique of constructing drama, etc.

He said: “So I allowed myself to blame Shakespeare. But with him, every person acts; and it is always clear why he acts that way. He had pillars with the inscription: moonlight, house. And thank God, because all attention was focused on the essence of drama, but now it’s completely the opposite.” Tolstoy, who “denied” Shakespeare, placed him above the playwrights - his contemporaries, who created ineffective plays of “moods”, “riddles”, “symbols”.

Recognizing that under the influence of Shakespeare the entire world drama developed, which did not have a “religious basis,” Tolstoy attributed his “theatrical plays” to it, noting that they were written “by chance.” Thus, the critic V.V. Stasov, who enthusiastically greeted the appearance of his folk drama“The Power of Darkness”, I found that it was written with Shakespearean power.

In 1928, based on her impressions from reading Shakespeare’s “Hamlet,” M. I. Tsvetaeva wrote three poems: “Ophelia to Hamlet,” “Ophelia in Defense of the Queen,” and “Hamlet’s Dialogue with Conscience.”

In all three poems by Marina Tsvetaeva, one can distinguish a single motive that prevails over others: the motive of passion. Moreover, the role of the bearer of the ideas of a “warm heart” is Ophelia, who in Shakespeare appears as a model of virtue, purity and innocence. She becomes an ardent defender of Queen Gertrude and is even identified with passion.

Since the mid-30s of the 19th century, Shakespeare has been great place in the repertoire of the Russian theater. P. S. Mochalov (Richard III, Othello, Lear, Hamlet), V. A. Karatygin (Hamlet, Lear) are famous performers of Shakespearean roles. The Moscow Maly Theater created its own school of theatrical embodiment - a combination of stage realism with elements of romance - in the 2nd half of the 19th - early 20th centuries, which produced such outstanding interpreters of Shakespeare as G. Fedotova, A. Lensky, A. Yuzhin, M. Ermolova . At the beginning of the 20th century, the Moscow Art Theater turned to the Shakespearean repertoire ("Julius Caesar", 1903, staged by Vl. I. Nemirovich-Danchenko with the participation of K. S. Stanislavsky; "Hamlet", 1911, staged by G. Craig; Caesar and Hamlet - V. I. Kachalov

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