"Young Will"
It is also possible that William traveled to the nearby town of Coventry to see the annual performances of mystery plays. These productions, which originated during the Middle Ages, were based on stories from the Bible, and were usually performed on religious holidays and at festivals.
In addition, there is evidence to suggest that at the age of eleven Shakespeare attended a spectacular "water pageant" given by the Earl of Leicester for the entertainment of Queen Elizabeth I, who was visiting his estate. This lavish production took place on the Earl's private lake. With its elaborate stage set, costumed actors, exotic animals, cannon fire, and colorful fireworks, the pageant doubtless enthralled the townspeople who were permitted to watch it! As with his school work, Shakespeare would draw on his memory of this event in at least two of his plays: A Midsummer Night's Dream and Twelfth Night.
Shakespeare also gained inspiration from other sources. One was just outside the back door of his parent's house: the flower garden. Shakespeare liked flowers, and often used them to illustrate aspects of his characters' personalities, as he did, for instance, in Hamlet andA Midsummer Night's Dream. Throughout his writing, Shakespeare referred to the trees,flowers, and herbs of his native country.
But Shakespeare did not just admire flowers for their color, beauty, and fragrance. In his plays, he frequently attributed magical qualities to flowers. Many men and women in Shakespeare's time relied on certain flowers to protect them from evil spirits, bad luck, or illness. All of these images and ideas would reappear in some fashion in many of his plays and sonnets.
These various influences enabled William Shakespeare to create a timeless art. Not only did Shakespeare forge a connection with his audiences in sixteenth-century England, but his words still resonate with meaning for twentieth-century readers around the world.
Want to Know More? Visit Shakespeare's home and other places of interest at Stratford-upon-Avon, Shakespeare Landmarks and the Shakespeare Birthplace Trust. If you are interested in learning more about the Elizabethan theater try A. History of the British Drama, and The Elizabethan Theater. For more information on Shakespeare and flowers, take a look at Shakespeare's Garden.
Check Out At Your Library: Bard of Avon (Grade 4+) by Diane Stanley and Peter Vennema.
Next Week: Shakespeare and the world of Elizabethan England
