UWilliam Shakespeare (ubhapathiza.

26 Ephreli 1564 - 23 Ephreli 1616) [a] wayengumlobi

wemidlalo waseNgilandi, imbongi, nomlingisi, owayethathwa kabanzi njengombhali omkhulu
ngolimi lwesiNgisi nomdlali wemidlalo yeshashalazi omkhulu emhlabeni. [2] [3] [4 ] Uvame
ukubizwa ngokuthi imbongi yezwe laseNgilandi kanye ne- "Bard of Avon" (noma umane athi
"uBard"). [5] [b] Imisebenzi yakhe esekhona, kufaka phakathi ukusebenzisana, inemidlalo
ethile engama-39, [c] 154 amanethi, amabili amade izinkondlo ezilandisayo, namanye amavesi
ambalwa, ezinye zokubhalwa okungaqinisekile. Imidlalo yakhe ihunyushelwe kuzo zonke izilimi
ezinkulu eziphilayo futhi yenziwa kaningi ukwedlula ezanoma yimuphi omunye umbhali
wemidlalo. [7] Ziyaqhubeka nokufundwa ziphinde zitolikwe kabusha.

UShakespeare wazalelwa futhi wakhulela eStratford-upon-Avon, eWarwickshire. Lapho

eneminyaka engu-18 ubudala, washada no-Anne Hathaway, owayenezingane ezintathu naye:
uSusanna namawele uHamnet noJudith. Ngesinye isikhathi phakathi kuka-1585 no-1592,
waqala umsebenzi ophumelelayo eLondon njengomlingisi, umbhali futhi waba ngumnikazi
wenkampani edlalayo ebizwa ngeLord Chamberlain's Men, kamuva eyaziwa ngokuthi yiKing's
Men. Lapho eneminyaka engama-49 (cishe ngo-1613), kubonakala sengathi uthathe
umhlalaphansi eStratford, lapho ashonela khona eminyakeni emithathu kamuva. Ambalwa
amarekhodi empilo yangasese kaShakespeare asindayo; lokhu kukhuthaze ukuqagela okukhulu
ngezindaba ezinjengokubukeka kwakhe ngokomzimba, ubulili bakhe, izinkolelo zakhe, nokuthi
imisebenzi enikwe yena yabhalwa ngabanye yini. [8] [9] [10]

UShakespeare wakhiqiza iningi lemisebenzi yakhe eyaziwayo phakathi kuka-1589 no-1613. [11]
[12] [d] Imidlalo yakhe yokuqala yayingamahlaya nemilando futhi athathwa njengomunye
wemisebenzi ephambili ekhiqizwa kulezi zinhlobo. Wabe esebhala ikakhulukazi izinhlekelele
kwaze kwaba ngu-1608, phakathi kwabo uHamlet, uRomeo noJuliet, u-Othello, uKing Lear,
noMacbeth, konke kuthathwa njengeminye yemisebenzi emihle ngolimi lwesiNgisi. [2] [3] [4]
Esigabeni sokugcina sempilo yakhe, wabhala izinhlekelele (ezaziwa nangokuthi ezothando)
futhi wabambisana nabanye ababhali bemidlalo.

Imidlalo eminingi kaShakespeare yashicilelwa ngezinhlobo zekhwalithi ehlukahlukene

nokunemba esikhathini sakhe sokuphila. Kodwa-ke, ngo-1623, abadlali ababili nabangane
bakaShakespeare, uJohn Heminges noHenry Condell, bashicilela umbhalo ocacile owaziwa
ngokuthi yiFirst Folio, uhlelo oluqoqiwe lwangemuva kokufa lwemisebenzi kaShakespeare
eyayihlanganisa yonke imidlalo yakhe ngaphandle kwemibili. [13] Le volumu yandulelwa
ngenkondlo kaBen Jonson, lapho uJonson ngokuncoma wababaza uShakespeare
esicaphunweni esidume manje ngokuthi "hhayi sobudala, kodwa sesikhathi sonke". [13]