Today, Saturday April 23rd 2016 is the 400th
anniversary of the death of William
Shakespeare.
Today, St. George's Day, and also possibly Shakespeare's 52nd birthday (if he was indeed born on April 23 1564) is the 400th anniversary of the Bard's death. As with the rest of his biographical details, we know very little about the circumstances of his death. For example, what did he die of? who was present when it happened - his wife? his kids? his friends?
Holy Trinity Church, Stratford, by the Avon where WS was
baptised and later buried.
One oft-quoted version says that Shakespeare and his two fellow writers and friends, Michael Drayton and Ben Jonson "had a merry meeting and it seems drank too hard for Shakespeare died of a fever there contracted." However, even though this account was written by the local vicar and family friend, John Ward, it was written up fifty years after WS's demise.
Inside Holy Trinity Church. WS's grave is straight ahead, his
bust, high up on the left.
In contrast to this, a modern ocular surgeon says that if you study WS's left eye carefully in the iconic Droeshout portrait, you will see that WS died of a form of ocular cancer.
One of the most well-known aspects of Shakespeare's death is his will. We know he made changes to it in March 1616, one month earlier. According to Bill Bryson in Shakespeare, the Bard was not well at the time and the signatures that appear in the will were obviously written with a very shaky hand. Bryson adds that the will also shows signs of confusion.
WS grave next to those of his family
This is probably the most famous will ever written, especially as it includes the clause about his leaving his 'second best bed' to his wife, Anne Hathaway. This was not because he was particularly mean, but because the first best bed was the one reserved for visitors. The second best bed was the bed in which he and Anne enjoyed their hours of marital bliss. Clearly the second best bed would have meant more to her than the visitors' bed. (We hope).
Record of WS's death in Hoy Trinity Church
In addition, no books to be bequeathed are mentioned in this will. Those who claim that WS was not the author of Macbeth, Troilus and Cressida etc, happily point to this fact. However, it should be remembered that when WS wrote his will, books and similar chattels were not mentioned in will as specific items. They were all lumped together with other 'minor' household effects.
One of WS's shaky signatures on his will
Today, this will is stored in Britain's National Archives at Kew, London. However, as part of the memorial events about WS's death, the will is on public display at Somerset House, London until May 29th 2016 at a special exhibition at Somerset House, London.
Somesrset House poster
Shakespeare left 350 pounds (about 87,000+ pounds at today's value) and four houses and their contents and much land. His major bequests were to his sister and her children. He also left ten pounds (considered generous at the time) for the poor of Stratford-upon-Avon and twenty shillings to his godson and other amounts to friends. He left 26 shillings each to three fellow actors and friends: John Heminge, Henry Condell (the compilers of the First Folio) and Richard Burbage. They were instructed to use this money to make memorial rings. The remainder of his property Will willed (I couldn't resist that one) to his two daughters, Judith and Susanna, Susanna receiving the larger share.
Bloggist & writer David Lawrence-Young with friend at Somerset
House exhibition, February 2016
The full detailed list was probably destroyed fifty years later in the Great Fire of London, 1666.
Other people who were born or died on April 23rd
BORN
1775 J.M.W.Turner, artist
1791 James Buchanan, 15th US president
1891 Sergei Prokofiev, composer
1899 Vladimir Nabokov, writer
1928 Shirley Temple, actor
1936 Roy Orbison, pop-singer & writer
1940 Lee Majors, actor
DIED
1616 Miguel Cervantes, writer (on the same day that WS died!)
1850 William Wordsworth, poet
1915 Rupert Brooke, poet
1975 William Hartnell, first 'Dr. Who' actor
1986 Otto Preminger, film director& producer
1998 James Earl Ray, assassin of Martin Luther King
2005 John Mills, actor
WS by Picasso, 1964
Finally, I think it is right to allow Shakespeare himself to have a few words to say about death. Here is a list (not complete) about what he had to day about it.
Golden lads and girls must,
As chimney-sweepers, come to dust. (Cymbeline, IV.2)
The dread of something after death -
The undiscovered country from whose bourne
No traveller returns. (Hamlet III,1)
Death as the psalmist saith, is certain to all: all shall die.
(2 Henry IV. III,2)
Death, a necessary end,
Will come when it will come. (Julius Caesar, II,2)
He that cuts off twenty years of life
Cuts off so many years of fearing death. (Julius Caesar, III,1)
Cry woe, destruction, ruin and decay;
The worst is death, and death will have his day.
(Richard II, III,2)
He that dies pays all debts. (The Tempest, III,2)
Comments and reactions will be appreciated, either on Facebook or at: wsdavidyoung@gmail.com
Next time I will continue with my regular WS ABC blog.
anniversary of the death of William
Shakespeare.
Today, St. George's Day, and also possibly Shakespeare's 52nd birthday (if he was indeed born on April 23 1564) is the 400th anniversary of the Bard's death. As with the rest of his biographical details, we know very little about the circumstances of his death. For example, what did he die of? who was present when it happened - his wife? his kids? his friends?
baptised and later buried.
One oft-quoted version says that Shakespeare and his two fellow writers and friends, Michael Drayton and Ben Jonson "had a merry meeting and it seems drank too hard for Shakespeare died of a fever there contracted." However, even though this account was written by the local vicar and family friend, John Ward, it was written up fifty years after WS's demise.
bust, high up on the left.
In contrast to this, a modern ocular surgeon says that if you study WS's left eye carefully in the iconic Droeshout portrait, you will see that WS died of a form of ocular cancer.
One of the most well-known aspects of Shakespeare's death is his will. We know he made changes to it in March 1616, one month earlier. According to Bill Bryson in Shakespeare, the Bard was not well at the time and the signatures that appear in the will were obviously written with a very shaky hand. Bryson adds that the will also shows signs of confusion.
This is probably the most famous will ever written, especially as it includes the clause about his leaving his 'second best bed' to his wife, Anne Hathaway. This was not because he was particularly mean, but because the first best bed was the one reserved for visitors. The second best bed was the bed in which he and Anne enjoyed their hours of marital bliss. Clearly the second best bed would have meant more to her than the visitors' bed. (We hope).
In addition, no books to be bequeathed are mentioned in this will. Those who claim that WS was not the author of Macbeth, Troilus and Cressida etc, happily point to this fact. However, it should be remembered that when WS wrote his will, books and similar chattels were not mentioned in will as specific items. They were all lumped together with other 'minor' household effects.
Today, this will is stored in Britain's National Archives at Kew, London. However, as part of the memorial events about WS's death, the will is on public display at Somerset House, London until May 29th 2016 at a special exhibition at Somerset House, London.
Shakespeare left 350 pounds (about 87,000+ pounds at today's value) and four houses and their contents and much land. His major bequests were to his sister and her children. He also left ten pounds (considered generous at the time) for the poor of Stratford-upon-Avon and twenty shillings to his godson and other amounts to friends. He left 26 shillings each to three fellow actors and friends: John Heminge, Henry Condell (the compilers of the First Folio) and Richard Burbage. They were instructed to use this money to make memorial rings. The remainder of his property Will willed (I couldn't resist that one) to his two daughters, Judith and Susanna, Susanna receiving the larger share.
House exhibition, February 2016
The full detailed list was probably destroyed fifty years later in the Great Fire of London, 1666.
Other people who were born or died on April 23rd
BORN
1775 J.M.W.Turner, artist
1791 James Buchanan, 15th US president
1891 Sergei Prokofiev, composer
1899 Vladimir Nabokov, writer
1928 Shirley Temple, actor
1936 Roy Orbison, pop-singer & writer
1940 Lee Majors, actor
DIED
1616 Miguel Cervantes, writer (on the same day that WS died!)
1850 William Wordsworth, poet
1915 Rupert Brooke, poet
1975 William Hartnell, first 'Dr. Who' actor
1986 Otto Preminger, film director& producer
1998 James Earl Ray, assassin of Martin Luther King
2005 John Mills, actor
Finally, I think it is right to allow Shakespeare himself to have a few words to say about death. Here is a list (not complete) about what he had to day about it.
Golden lads and girls must,
As chimney-sweepers, come to dust. (Cymbeline, IV.2)
The dread of something after death -
The undiscovered country from whose bourne
No traveller returns. (Hamlet III,1)
Death as the psalmist saith, is certain to all: all shall die.
(2 Henry IV. III,2)
Death, a necessary end,
Will come when it will come. (Julius Caesar, II,2)
He that cuts off twenty years of life
Cuts off so many years of fearing death. (Julius Caesar, III,1)
Cry woe, destruction, ruin and decay;
The worst is death, and death will have his day.
(Richard II, III,2)
He that dies pays all debts. (The Tempest, III,2)
Comments and reactions will be appreciated, either on Facebook or at: wsdavidyoung@gmail.com
Next time I will continue with my regular WS ABC blog.
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