Will in the World: How Shakespeare Became Shakespeare

Rating:
Summary: Shakespeare's life(?)
Review: Given the paucity of actual documents from him, it is extremely difficult for anyone to construct a definitive biography of William Shakespeare. That has not stopped many folks from attempting to do so, however. This book is another in that train, and I found it fairly well-written, although my attention wandered at times while reading it. The author has done his best in this book, but it is riddled with "perhaps", "possibly", "it could have", and other qualifiers of that ilk. The examination of many of the plays, however, is first-rate, and for that alone the book is worth reading.

Rating:
Summary: Remarkable
Review: Greenblatt's sharp writing style, as well as his perceptive ability to balance between academic and popular aspects of the Bard's life, are virtues that are on consistent display here.

Rating:
Summary: Will o' the Wisp
Review: How doth glover's son turn immortal Bard?

Anyone loving English must stand in atremble before Shakespeare, a man not Oxford educated or born of wealth and privilege. Instead, he seems to have had the unheralded luck of being born to times of linguistic, religious and social ferment. Stephen Greenblatt does a great turn by loosening his ivy-league imagination on the subject of the very circumstances that formed Ye Bard.

Isn't it rich? Although we have Shakespeare's astounding plays and sonnets, we know lamentably little of his actual doings, coming and goings. How indeed did a glovers' son make a living as would-be gentleman and produce a body of works that stand immortal, both in English and across the world? Why is it that we reference a man little known to us biographically, instead of Thomas Kyd, Ben Jonson or the flamboyant Christopher Marlowe?

Mr. Greenblatt recreates the boisterous Elizabethan stew that made such delectation as a Will in the World. Perhaps Will o' the Wisp is the applicable metaphor. The author stitches a highly informed patchwork of educated surmises that detract not a whit from the wonderment of a singular Shakespeare. Will in the World reminds us once again, that in the right hands, imagination unloosed is a boon to us all.

The mystery surrounding Will in his world adds to the concomitant wonderment of the Complete Works. The book is gloriously insightful, well ordered and does not pander. Chances are, even if the reader isn't a Shakespearean, he will find much of Hamlet and Lear, Ophelia and Desdemona preexistent in his subconscious, waiting to be tickled. Shakespeare is simply that vital to our language and culture: we know him without knowing him.

The spell induced by Will in the World gives us proximity to Shakespeare and his times, leaving the Bard's plain and magnificent humanity wholly accessible. The only response upon closing the book is to marvel at the willy-nilly appearance of genius.

(After reading Will in the World, do a friend, a student, a poet or player a favor: pass it on.)


Rating:
Summary: where there is will, there is a way
Review: Stephen Greenblatt a self confessed Shakespeare-o-phile has taken his love for the bearded bard one step further and produced the most scholarly, erudite and witty account of his life yet. Will in the world is not just the story of Will's life but also of 16th and 17th century England, the political upheavals, the religious intrigue and the social upheavals of the age. All of which, Greenblatt finds, have echoes in Shakespeare's works.

Stephen Greenblatt writes throughout in a light breezy and accessible style. With so little factual information to work on, and the life over four centuries behind, Greenblatt's work is part conjecture, part detective work and part fantasy. However, the joy of writing shines through in what is an eminently readable and thoroughly enjoyable book.


Rating:
Summary: You are Shakespeare
Review: Stephen Greenblatt does an outstanding job of putting the reader "in Shakespeare`s skin". The interesting conjecture pertaining to various events in Shakespeare`s life is most believeable and almost makes me think I am an acquaintance of Will Shakespeare. I love Shakespeare and Greenblatt`s book.

Rating:
Summary: Interesting but assumes a great deal of knowledge
Review: The author tentatively ties many sections of Shakespeare's plays and sonnets to life events. He does an excellent job of teasing out connections between historical events and Shakespeare's works.

But he also assumes a good knowledge of Shakespeare's plays. I've read a few of his plays, but I was often lost as he described the connection (without much background) between a character and a person in Shakespeare's life or history.

Greenblatt makes a lot of guesses (mostly intelligent ones in my opinion), but he is clear about where he is making assumptions and why.

Also, note that this is not a really a biography (more of a psycho-literary analysis), but given the lack of documentation about Shakespeare, it may not be possible to write more of a biography than what Greenblatt has done.

Rating:
Summary: A Bard's Life
Review: The first chapter focuses on Shakespeare's education and early experiences. It's speculative, but well researched and written, and it makes yet another compelling case that Shakespeare actually wrote the plays: it describes his formal training in latin; the morality plays that were performed in his hometown by wandering players (their structure may have helped Shakespeare develop the psychological introspection of Hamlet, Macbeth and Lear); and the seasonal festivals that took place in his hometown (types of these were portrayed in Midsummer, As You Like It and a Winter's Tale).

There is some educated guess-work involving Shakespeare's Catholic ties (and inclinations) and his marraige, but those chapters are well done and worth reading.

The three chapters that really stand out (and are highly suggested for any graduate student focusing on the English Renaissance) are "Shakescene," "Laughter at the Scaffold," and "Speaking with the Dead." "Shakescene" describes the London scene around 1590 and the playwrights that dominated the stage (Marlowe, Greene, Kyd, Watson, Peele and Nash.) They were his contemporaries and influences -- if Rolling Stone existed in the 16th century, it would have said that "they write hard and they party hard." Greenblatt makes a compelling case that Robert Greene (a drunken, brilliant braggart)was the model for Falstaff. "Laughter at the Scaffold" describes how Marlowe's "The Jew of Malta" changed how Londoners thought (they began to think equivically after it), and caused them to laugh at the hanging of an accused assasin (Elizabeth's Jewish physician was suspected of plotting to kill her) when he said that "I love the Queen as much as I love Jesus Christ." Greenblatt then speculates that Shakespeare made "The Merchant of Venice" a problem play because of his disgusted reaction to the crowds' laughter (Shylock is much more sympathetic than Marlowe's Barbaras). "Speaking with the Dead" starts off with the death of Shakespeare's son Hamnet. It then delves into Sir Thomas More; the Earl of Essex's rebellion; and the following plays: Richard II, Julius Caesar and Hamlet.

It's an academic book that anyone can read and Shakespearians should love. Greenblatt has a great, fluid writing style. People that are textually conservative will probably dislike it, but then they already should know that from the reviews that appeared in the New Yorker and the Times.

Rating:
Summary: Superb Effort - Aimed at Most Readers Including Experts
Review: This book manages to be both an easy read for average readers plus appeals to Shakespeare experts. It is not necessary to read Shakespeare's plays to understand the present book - although the book motivates one in the direction of seeing them again or for the for the first time - but few books combine the present level of insight with the easy to read popular writing style as found here.

I have read a few other popular biographies on Shakespeare including the popular biography by Anthony Burgess, Shakespeare, written in 1970 and the 2003 book by Frank Kermode The Age of Shakespeare. These are aimed at average readers and they are both relatively easy to read and both give some insights into the man and his times. The latter book is similar in goals to the present book but it is much shorter and has a more awkward writing style than the present book.

The present book is far above these two earlier popular books, both in detail, information, insights, and ease of reading. Also, it has a bibliography at the rear that must contain at least 200 other references. The bibliography is in a "notes" format, it is about 16 pages long, and includes many comments and opinions by the author.

The outstanding feature of the present book is that it is very rich in detail and the author is able to interpret many things in Shakespeare's personal life by working backwards from phrases, characters, religious references, school references, alcohol, etc found in his plays and other writings. Following a rough chronological sequence, the author makes the link to Shakespeare's off stage life, including his father, his childhood, religion, later his children, business, marriage, etc.

Many readers will appreciate the book for all its detail. It has a lot of detail and photographs in the almost 400 pages. But the book is a lot more than just detail. It interprets the plays and gives meaning and interpretation to the passages and presents us with ideas on how Shakespeare decided to write a certain passage or why a certain character is in the play, or why they have a certain demeanor, or phrase, or word, or line and why the actor is dressed a certain way or acts in a certain fashion, and how they are connected to external events.

For example, and this must be just one of at least one hundred or two hundred comments and connections, the author explains that lurking in Shakespeare's subconscious are likely many thoughts on his father, the former mayor and powerful Stratford figure who later in life becomes a failure eventually succumbs to financial pressures and must sell off his wife's family farm properties to stay solvent, or simply to make end meets, or to buy alcohol. The following is one of many connections to those thoughts of his father, and his failings as a person. This is typical of Greenblatt's writing and style in the book.

After the author explains the connection he quotes (sometimes two or three different plays - but here one for example):

"God save thee, my sweet boy" says the father figure Falstaff to the young Hal

Hal replies:

"Fall to thy prayers.
How ill white hairs become a fool and jester!
I have long dreamt of such a kind of man,
So surfeit-swelled, so old, and so profane;
But being awake, I do despise my dream.
(2 Henry IV, 5.5.41, 45-49).

For myself that is a clear explanation that almost anyone can understand, and it is typical of the clarity found in the book. This type of example is repeated over and over again and make up the theme of the book, that is, a series of connections and discussions and comments linking Shakespeares creative writing to the possible sources of inspiration in his background and family.

The book has received a number of outstanding book reviews from Shakespeare experts, artistic directors, professional book reviewers, etc. When you read the book you will understand the attraction of the book. It is easy to read, very easy to read, surprisingly easy to read, but it is also a complicated and well thought book that will delight a broad cross section of readers each with different levels of knowledge about the plays, the man, and his times.

5 stars


Rating:
Summary: I finished it, but I was disappointed.
Review: This book popped up on so many lists of the best books of the year, I just had to read it. It was a quick read, and I found the sections about the speculations regarding Shakespeare's family's possible hidden connections to underground Catholicism probably the most interesting part of the book. Unfortunately, this was also the most speculative part of the book, and I didn't really believe most of the things Greenblatt suggested Shakespeare did during this period of his life.

Most of the time, when I don't like a book, I don't finish reading it. There are just too many good books out there. I finished this one, but I found the analysis of both the plays and the historical background of Shakespeare facile and not compelling at all. I can't believe that so many people thought this was one of the best books of 2004. There wasn't anything terribly wrong with it. Two stars for the regret I felt after I read it that I could have spent my time better elsewhere!

Rating:
Summary: Enjoyable and Informative
Review: We all know that Shakespeare's genius for character transcends both his known individual experiences and his historical period. Nonetheless, Greenblatt's brilliant and informative book does show how actual or probable events in Shakespeare's life might have affected his treatment of character.

My favorite chapters in "Will in the World" explore: 1) how the religious persecution of Catholics in Elizabethan England manifested in Shakespeare's work; 2) how the death of Shakespeare's own son may have percolated for several years before powering the narrative development that is "Hamlet"; and 3) how Shakespeare's later work shows him thinking about retirement and his relationship with his favorite daughter. In my mind, these chapters succeed in humanizing Shakespeare, since they show why he may have been cautious in his career, was an innovator in the theater, and was, in some ways, an ordinary man who wanted recognition for his accomplishments.

I must say, though, that I still prefer "Shakespeare: The Man", the classic by A.L. Rowse, since it relies on frequent passages from Shakespeare's own work to capture themes and possible experiences in the Bard's life.