William+Shakespeare

=**William Shakespeare (1564- 1616)**= super William Shakespeare was a well known British playwright and poet. Through about 38 plays, 154 sonnets, and two narrative poems he has gained much fame and respect as one of the most highly regarded poets. There are not many records of his life, but it has been assumed based on evidence that he was born in April of 1564 in Stratford-upon-Avon. His father was a leather merchant and glover while his mother was the daughter of a wealthy land owner and farmer. Shakespeare grew up in a family of eight children as the third child. He married the older Anne Hathaway who was twenty-six at the time when he was eighteen. Apart from his plays and narrative poems, his poetic sonnets are known to have been written in 3 phases. The phases are differentiated by the characters they are addressed to. The first phase was a collection of sonnets that were written about a deep love for a "fair youth" or an unknown young man. The "fair youth" sonnets are thought by some to be about a homosexual relationship, others think them to be about non-sexual love between men, and others believe them to be about the love between a father and son. Another phase is written in reference to an opponent-like rival poet. There is also a phase written about a married, dark skin toned woman and the relationship between her and another man. This set of poems concentrates on the physical aspect of love rather than spiritual love. Sonnet 138 is one of the poems that is placed as part of the "dark lady" sonnets.