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When
Shakespeare arrived in London it was a most exciting
time. The standard of living was low and a skilled
workman in the city of london would have earned 10d. (
old pence ) to 14d. a day and it cost 1d. to go to the
theatre.
Shakespeare's
first job in the theatre was that of a prompter's
attendant. Traditionally, all new members of a theatre
company would have to take this job, which simply meant
that he would call actors when they were to make an
appearance on stage.
He
and his fellow players were lucky enough to be able to
win the patronage of Lord Hunsdon, the Lord Chamberlain,
and his company came to be called the Lord Chamberlain's
Men. The company was made up of about a dozen actors.
The actors would double and treble their roles so that
in a single play they could introduce 20 or 30
characters.
When
shakespeare became a professional actor he liked living
near his work but his success in London didn't mean he
left his family for good; He would often return home to
Stratford and the pleasures of the family life.
In
1597 William bought New Place, one of the largest and
beautiful houses in Elizabethan Stratford. He paid for
it out of his share of the profits made in the Lord
Chamberlain's Company.
The
house was opposite his old school and he would have
walked past it everyday as a boy. Now, from his garden,
he could watch the boys coming and going, but it was sad
for him not to see his own son amongst them. Hamnet had
died the previous year, aged 11.
In
1603, when James I came to the throne , he recognised
Shakespeare and his company as the leading group of
actors, and from then on they were known as the King's
Men.
Shakespeare
made enough money to build a comfortable life.
In
1596, the Shakespeare family were given their coat of
arms. The motto chosen was Non sanz droict - not without
right. By 1599 Shakespeare was able to buy part of the
interest in the new Globe theatre, one of the most
important playhouses in London
Shakespeare's
father died in 1601, living just long enough to see his
son make a great success of his life.
In
an age when few men lived past 60, Shakespeare, now
nearly 52, made his will. Almost exactly a month
after spending an enjoyable evening with his
friends, Shakespeare fell ill with temperature. He did
not recover and died on 23 April 1616 - the same day as
his birth. His funeral service took place in Holy
Trinity Church where he had been christened. |
