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The American actress, director and producer had her breakthrough role in 1988’s The Accused. For her part as a rape victim, she was awarded the “Oscar” for the first time. Already at the age of 13 she shone in 1976 as a precocious prostitute opposite Robert de Niro in Martin Scorsese’s “Taxi Driver”. Jodie Foster won her second Academy Award for Best Actor for her role as a young FBI agent in the thriller The Silence of the Lambs opposite Anthony Hopkins. As a cool, controlled and erotic child, Foster advanced to become an internationally acclaimed character actress. In 2013 she received the “Cecil B. DeMille Award” for her life’s work at the Golden Globe Awards. Other successful works include “Sommersby”, “Panic Room”, “Flightplan” and “Hotel Artemis”…

Jodie Foster was born on November 19, 1962 in Los Angeles (USA), the daughter of Lucius and Evelyn Foster.

Her father left the family before she was born and her mother raised her and her three siblings alone. Jodie Foster was considered highly intelligent even as a child. At the age of three she starred in her first commercials. At the age of six she signed to Disney Studios and she became a TV child star. Above all, her self-confident demeanor in front of and behind the camera surprised her producers. Jodie made her screen debut in the 1972 Disney production Napoleon and Samantha. Jodie Foster first earned recognition in 1976 opposite Robert De Niro in Martin Scorsese’s Taxi Driver. She was nominated for an Oscar for her supporting role as street prostitute Iris Steensma.

Since then she has shone in numerous roles, all of which have been successful. In the same year she played an independent living, highly talented teenager in “The Girl at the End of the Road”. From 1980 to 1985 she studied literature at Yale University. Foster graduated magna cum laude. She wrote her diploma thesis on the African-American author Toni Morrison. Foster’s bewildered suitor John Hinckley Jr., who showered her with love letters, assassinated then-US President Ronald Reagan in 1981 to prove his love for her. Reagan survived the attack with serious injuries. Since then, Jodie Foster has shied away from the public.

Jodie Foster won her first Oscar in 1988 for her role in the court drama The Accused. One of her most successful works was the psychological thriller “The Silence of the Lambs”, in which she embodies an FBI agent who hunts the insane and highly intelligent “Hannibal Lektor”, played by Sir Anthony Hopkins. For this contribution she received her second “Oscar” in 1991 as “Best Actress”. In the same year, 1991, she made her directorial debut in “Das Wunderkind Tate” and two years later she created the romantic drama “Sommersby” together with Richard Gere. In 1994, Jodie Foster founded her own production company, Egg Productions, with which she produced the film Nell. In 1997, Yale University awarded her an honorary doctorate.

In July 1998, Jodie Foster gave birth to a son. Their second son was born in September 2001. She did not make any public statements about her father. In 2002 she was in front of the camera for the action thriller “Panic Room” and in 2005 for “Flightplan”. In 2006 the production “Inside Man” followed and in 2009 “New York Mom” ​​(Motherhood). In 2011 she chaired the Cesar Awards. In 2013 she received the “Cecil B. DeMille Award” for her life’s work at the Golden Globe Awards. In 2018 she played the main role in the action film “Hotel Artemin”.

Filmography

1972 – “Napoleon and Smantha”.
1972 – “Round Up”.
1973 – “Tom Sawyer”.
1973 – “A Camel in the Wild West”.
1974 – “Alice doesn’t live here anymore”.
1976 – “Echoes of a summer”.
1976 – “Taxi Driver”.
1976 – “Bugsy Malone”.
1976 – “Taxi Driver”.
1976 – “The girl at the end of the street”.
1977 – “Casotto”.
1977 – “Moi fleur bleue”.
1977 – “Freaky Friday”.
1977 – “Adventures at Castle Candelshoe”.
1980 – “Jeanie’s Clique”.
1980 – “Funfair”.
1982 – “Haunted in the marriage bed”.
1984 – “The Hotel New Hampshire”.
1984 – “The Blood of Others”.
1984 – ‘Tales From The Darkside’ (Do Not Open This Box), directed.
1986 – “In good times and in bad”.
1987 – “Penguins in the Bronx”.
1987 – “Siesta”.
1988 – “Katie’s Longing”.
1988 – “Accused”.
1989 – “Catchfire”.
1991 – “The Silence of the Lambs”.
1991 – “The Child Prodigy Tate”, directed.
1992 – “Shadows and Fogs”.
1993 – “Summersby”.
1993 – “It Was a Wonderful Life”.
1993 – “Golden Tales”, directed.
1994 – “Nell”.
1994 – “Maverick”.
1995 – “Family Celebration and Other Troubles”, directed.
1997 – “Contact”.
1999 – “Anna and the King”.
2002 – “Lost Heaven”.
2002 – “Panic Room”.
2004 – “Mathilde – A Great Love”.
2005 – “Flight Schedule”.
2006 – “Inside Man”.
2007 – “The Stranger in You “(The Brave One).
2008 – “The Island of Adventures” (Nim’s Island).
2009 – “New York Mom”.

As a producer

1986 – “In good times and in bad”.
1994 – “Nell”.
1995 – “Family Celebration and Other Difficulties”.
1998 – “Baby Blues” (The Baby Dance).
2000 – “Waking the Dead”.
2002 – “Lost Heaven”.
2007 – “The stranger in you”.

How old is Jodie Foster?

59 years
November 19, 1962

How old was Jodie Foster in taxi driver?

At just 12 years old, Jodie Foster delivered one of the defining performances of her career as a child prostitute in Martin Scorsese’s grueling portrait of social dysfunction on the streets of 1970s New York.

Is Jodie Foster married?

Alexandra Hedison

Is Jodie Foster gay?

“Seriously, I hope that you’re not disappointed that there won’t be a big-coming-out speech tonight,” she said, “because I already did my coming out about a thousand years ago back in the Stone Age.” Foster said she had always been up front with trusted friends and family about her sexual orientation.

Who is Jodie Foster married to?

Alexandra Hedison

How tall is Jodi Foster?

1.6 m

Is Jodie Foster a lesbian?

You guys might be surprised, but I am not Honey Boo Boo child.” It has been been widely known in Hollywood circles for years that Foster, the recipient of two Academy Awards from four nominations in her career, is gay.

The Chinese-American martial artist and actor developed the Jeet Kune Do martial arts style and became a martial arts film icon. His body control, his mental strength, which he brought to technical perfection supported by Eastern philosophies, identify him as the greatest martial artist of the 20th century. His speed and precision in handling weapons, especially the nunchaku, has its own aesthetic and is legendary. He became world famous for films such as “The Death Fist of Cheng Li” (1971), “Death Greetings from Shanghai” (1972) and “The Man with the Death Claw” (1973). The commitment to his passion led to immense physical and psychological stress, which ultimately broke the exceptional athlete at the age of 32 at the height of his career and during the shooting of “My Last Fight” (Game of Death)…

Bruce Lee, real name Li Chen-fan, was born on November 27, 1940 to Chinese opera singer Lee Hoi Chuen and a Eurasian mother in San Francisco, USA.

Bruce Lee was born there while his parents were in San Francisco on tour. In 1941 he returned to Hong Kong with his family. There he grew up and also learned kung fu. As a child and teenager, he made his first appearances there under the name “Li Hsiao-lung” in Hong Kong films such as “Golden Gate Girl” or “The Beginning of a Boy”. In addition to martial arts, Bruce Lee also devoted himself to dancing. He competed in a number of dance championships and became Hong Kong Cha-Cha Master. In 1959 he returned to the United States and studied philosophy at the University of Washington. During his student days he gave kung fu lessons. There he met his future wife Lind Emery, whom he married in 1964. This union produced son Brandon Lee and daughter Shannon.

After graduating, Bruce Lee began his career as a martial arts genius in American film productions. Bruce Lee developed his own fighting style, which he called “Jeet Kune Do” and spread it in his own sports schools. Among his students were James Coburn and Steve McQueen. Bruce Lee’s first roles were appearances in TV series such as “Batman” and “The Green Hornet”. Disappointed with the American film style, Bruce Lee turned to Hong Kong. There was a collaboration with the producer Raymond Chow and in 1971 Bruce Lee’s first film “The Big Boss” in the style of Hong Kong films. The work and his film “The Fist of Fury” were a complete success. Bruce Lee founded his own film production company. In the early 1970s, the films “The Death Fist of Cheng Li” and “Death Greetings from Shanghai” were made, which made Lee a global superstar of the genre.

Bruce Lee and producer Chow paused filming of his next film, titled The Game of Death, for the English-language Hollywood production The Deathclaw Man. The interrupted film work was released in 1977 as “My Last Fight”. Bruce Lee made his directorial debut in 1973, while also writing and starring in the film Return of the Deathclaw. In the same year the film “The Deathclaw Strikes Again” was shown. In this film, Lee played the role of “Tang Long”, a Hong Kong fighter who has been ordered to Rome to deal with a ruthless gang of thugs who are terrorizing his great-uncle’s restaurant. In a showdown, there is a combative encounter between Chuck Norris in the role of the American champion “Cord” and Bruce Lee as “Tang Long”. This film was also directed and written by Lee.

Bruce Lee died an early and mysterious death in the United States on July 20, 1973.

There are numerous rumors surrounding his death. One of these targets the cause of death from taking a painkiller to which Bruce Lee was allergic; this is said to have caused brain swelling. After his death, other films of his were edited from unreleased archive material and broadcast. His son Brandon Lee (1965-1993) was also a film actor and died just as mysteriously as his father while filming “The Crow”; he was shot during filming. The film was completed with the help of computer technology. In 1993, Rob Cohen released a filmed biography of Lee entitled “The Bruce Lee Story”, starring Jason Scott Lee.

Filmography

1965 – The paw of the leopard
1968 – The raging puma
1968 – The Game of Death
1969 – The third in the ambush
1972 – The Death Fist of Cheng Li
1972 – Death Greetings from Shanghai
1973 – The man with the deathclaw
1973 – The Return of the Deathclaw
1973 – The deathclaw strikes again
1974 – The Mystery of the Green Hornet from TV series “The Green Hornet”
1974 – The Yellow Typhoon from TV series “The Green Hornet”
1977 – Bruce Lee – My Last Fight
1978 – The Mystery of the Blind Master
1980 – The Last Battle of the Deathclaw

How did bruce lee die?

On July 20, 1973, the actor and martial-arts expert Bruce Lee dies in Hong Kong at age 32 from a brain edema possibly caused by a reaction to a prescription painkiller.

How old was bruce lee when he died?

32 years

How bruce lee died?

From a brain edema possibly caused by a reaction to a prescription painkiller.

When did bruce lee die and how did he die?

Bruce Lee’s official cause of death was swelling of the brain caused by an allergic reaction to a headache medication, although some considered the circumstances of his death mysterious. He died in Hong Kong on July 20, 1973, six days before the release of his film Enter the Dragon there.

How old is bruce lee?

32 years
1940–1973

How tall is bruce lee?

1.72 m

When did bruce lee die?

July 20, 1973

When was bruce lee born?

November 27, 1940

Where is bruce lee from?

San Francisco, California, United States

Who trained bruce lee?

Ip Man, also known as Yip Man, (Chinese: 葉問 / 叶问; 1 October 1893 – 2 December 1972) was a Hong Kong-based Cantonese martial artist and a grandmaster of the martial art Wing Chun when he was 20. He had several students who later became martial arts masters in their own right, the most famous among them being Bruce Lee.

Who was bruce lee?

Bruce Lee was renowned for his martial arts prowess and helped popularize martial arts movies in the 1970s. Lee starred in films such as Tang shan da xiong (1971), Jing wu men (1972), and Enter the Dragon (1973). Lee is often credited with changing the way Asian people were presented in American films.

What year did bruce lee die?

1973

Is bruce lee dead?

Date of death: July 20, 1973
Place of death: Kowloon Tong, Hong Kong

Who killed bruce lee?

Cerebral edema

How has bruce lee changed the world?

He introduced ancient martial arts to the modern world with a style that he developed called Jeet Kune Do, and with just five mainstream films under his belt subsequently went on to influence popular culture all over the world.

Who taught bruce lee?

Ip Man

How strong was bruce lee?

Standing at 1.7 metres and weighing 61kg, he was clocked delivering a punch at 190km/h. That is equivalent to a high-speed train hitting you in an area no larger than the knuckles of his fist. Lee’s ability to deliver such an immense amount of energy so rapidly made his fists deadly weapons.

How did bruce lee jr die?

Brandon Lee, the son of Bruce Lee, died in March 1993 at age 28 after he was accidentally wounded by a prop gun on the film set of “The Crow.” Lee’s fiancee Eliza Hutton broke her silence on Lee’s fatal accident for the first time on Monday following Hutchins’ death, describing both accidents as an “avoidable tragedy.”

Where is bruce lee buried?

Lake View Cemetery, Seattle, Washington, United States

Is bruce lee still alive?

Lee died on July 20, 1973, at the age of 32.

The English-born actor, director, screenwriter, composer, film producer and comedian is one of the pioneers and trailblazers of humorous cinematic acting. As the typical “tramp” with bowler hat, walking stick, brush beard and a frock coat with trousers that were too wide and too short, he became the most popular character in film history. However, he celebrated his greatest successes in tragic comedies, in which he embodied the little man who defies fate in the style of a gentleman. Against all the hurdles of modernity, he embodied this character in the ominous world of a vagabond to perfection, without ever losing his dignity. As one of the fathers of the Hollywood dream factory, he founded the film company United Artists in 1919 together with Mary Pickford, Douglas Fairbanks and David Wark Griffith. Sir Charlie Chaplin created film classics with films such as “The Great Dictator” (1938), “Monsieur Verdpux” (1947) and “Limelight” (1952). In 1929 and 1972 he received an honorary Oscar for his “invaluable services to the art of film”. ..

Charlie Chaplin, actually Charles Spencer Chaplin, was born in London on April 16, 1889 to the impoverished couple Charles and Hannah Chaplin.

Charlie Chaplin began an apprenticeship as a hairdresser at an early age and also appeared in variety shows. From 1906 to 1912 he played the role of pantomime with the London Comedians. With this troupe he traveled through England, France and the USA. After a performance in New York he got an engagement with the Keystone Company. Chaplin’s first two films “Making a Living” and “Kid Auto Races at Venice” were released in 1914. In them he was seen in his famous outfit, big pants, frock coat, bowler hat, cane and brushed beard. At the end of the same year he switched to the film production company Essanay. In the tragic-comic roles of the little man, he worked with pantomime and psychological effects. In 1915 Chaplin went to Hollywood. Since then he has written and directed the screenplays for his own films.

Chaplin produced a total of twelve films that year. His love affair with his film partner Edna Purviance also began during this time. Chaplin became one of the most famous actors in the world. In 1917 the USA entered the First World War. Chaplin refused to enlist in the army. His stance sparked a political campaign against him. In 1918 the Chaplin Studios in Hollywood were inaugurated. That same year he married seventeen-year-old Mildred Harris. Two years later he divorced her again. This started another campaign against him. As one of the fathers of the Hollywood dream factory, he founded the film company United Artists in 1919 together with Mary Pickford, Douglas Fairbanks and David Wark Griffith. This was followed by the premiere of his first feature film “The Kid”. He then went on a tour of Europe, which was also mentioned in his novel “My Trip Abroad”. In 1924, Chaplin married Lita Gray in Mexico. Two sons were born of this marriage. But this marriage also failed four years later. Chaplin retired to New York.

This was followed by trips to Europe, Japan and India. It was not until 1932 that he returned to Hollywood and married Paulette Goddard for the third time. This was followed by the 1936 film Modern Times, which denounced the alienation of people in industrial society. This was banned in Italy and Germany because of communist tendencies. The premiere of his first talkie “The Great Dictator” took place in 1940. The anti-Hitler film, which parodied the German Nazi leader, initially failed to pass American censorship. In 1941 her marriage to Paulette Goddard was divorced again. Two years later he married Oona O’Neill, with whom he had four children. One of these children was the famous actress Geraldine Chaplin. In 1948, the front against supposedly left-wing actors and directors worsened. Charlie Chaplin was also affected. Four years later, a case was opened against him while he was on a European tour. He was denied re-entry into the United States.

Chaplin then settled with his family in Corsier-sur-Vevey, Switzerland. The 1952 film Limelight was one of Chaplin’s most touching and popular works. He was awarded the Oscar for Best Original Music. Five years later, the cinematic answer to the political agitation in the USA was created. In the comedy “A King in New York,” Charlie Chaplin parodied, in his inimitable way, American life and the persecution of being a communist alien. This work triggered further attacks against him – because of alleged communist attitudes and activities. In 1964 Chaplin’s autobiography was published. The film “A Countess from Hong Kong” with Sophia Loren and Marlon Brando followed two years later. In 1972, Chaplin received the “Oscar” for his life’s work. In the USA he was rehabilitated. In 1975 the English royal family bestowed on him the aristocratic title “Sir”.

Sir Charlie Chaplin died on December 25, 1977 in Corsier-sur-Vevey, Switzerland.

In the summer of 2005, the entertainer’s acting and film skills were celebrated in a glittering exhibition “Chaplin et les Images” at Paris’s Jeu de Paume exhibition hall.

Filmography

1916 – “The Fireman”.

1917 – “The Tram;p”.

1917 – “A stormy night”.

1917 – “The Adventurer”.

1921 – “The Tramp and the Child”.

1927 – “The Circus”.

1923 – “A Dog’s Life”.

1925 – “Gold Rush”.

1931 – “Big City Lights”.

1936 – “Modern Times”.

1940 – “The Great Dictator”.

1947 – “Monsieur Verdoux”.

1952 – “Limelight”.

1960 – “When laughter was king”.

Who was Charlie Chaplin?

Charlie Chaplin was one of the greatest and widely loved silent movie stars. From “Easy Street” (1917) to “Modern Times” (1936), he made many of the funniest and most popular films of his time. He was best known for his character, the naive and lovable Little Tramp.

When did Charlie Chaplin die?

Chaplin died on Christmas on 25 December 1977, in Vevey, Vaud, Switzerland. He died of a stroke in his sleep, at the age of 88.

How tall was Charlie Chaplin?

1.65 m

What were Charlie Chaplin’s last words?

Charlie Chaplin — His last words after a priest read him his rites, “May the Lord have mercy on your soul.”

What made Charlie Chaplin famous?

Sir Charles Spencer Chaplin Jr. KBE (16 April 1889 – 25 December 1977) was an English comic actor, filmmaker, and composer who rose to fame in the era of silent film. He became a worldwide icon through his screen persona, the Tramp, and is considered one of the film industry’s most important figures.

The American actor Richard Chamberlain had a storybook career from a small TV actor to a celebrated superstar. His most famous film titles include “The Flaming Inferno” and “The Count of Monte Cristo”. Richard Chamberlain became known to a broad TV audience in Germany in the role of the priest in the feature films “Shogun” (1980) and “The Thorn Birds”. The paintings of the studied artist are exhibited worldwide and fetch prices of up to 50,000 dollars…

George Richard Chamberlain was born on March 31, 1935, the son of a manufacturer and a singer, in Los Angeles, California.

Chamberlain spent his childhood in prosperous circumstances in Beverly Hills. After high school he went to Panoma College in Claremont to study art and design. He then fought in the Korean War for two years until 1958. Upon his return, Chamberlain resumed painting and studied singing. In 1961 he became a TV star with the feature film “Dr. Kildare”. At the age of 33 he moved to England to study acting. After that, Richard Chamberlain was successful on theater stages, played “Hamlet” and inspired in English film productions such as “Tchaikovsky – Genius or Madness” and “The Three Musketeers”. The actor returned to America and became a world star there. He played on Broadway, chose his TV and film roles conscientiously and accepted engagements in world hits such as “The Flaming Inferno” or “The Count of Monte Cristo”.

However, the great and rapid success also brought problems. Chamberlain had mental disorders and attempted suicide several times. Chamberlain lived a secluded life from the jet set. Although he was said to have had many affairs, he has remained unmarried and childless to this day. He is also said to have had a relationship with his acting partner from the internationally acclaimed TV series “The Thorn Birds” (1983), Rachel Ward. With this series, Chamberlain made a furious comeback in the 1980s. Around 21 million viewers saw him as “Pater de Bricassart” in Germany when it was first broadcast. Chamberlain won a Golden Globe for his role as a loving pastor. In 1985 he starred in the action film Quartermain: In Search of the Kings Treasure. The sequel, Quartermain II: In Search of the Mysterious City, followed two years later.

In 1997, the continuation of the success of “The Thorn Birds” came on television. The series “The Thorn Birds: The Lost Years” was filmed together with Rachel Ward, Bryan Brown and other members of the original cast. Now living in Hawaii, Richard Chamberlain then devoted himself to the musical “My Fair Lady”. Due to its enormous success, he went on a European tour with the piece. In 1996, 1997 and 1999 he was in front of the camera for the productions “The Lost Daughter”, “Dark Moments – In the Face of Death” and “The Pavilion”. Chamberlain published his autobiography, Shattered Love, in 2003, in which he first came out as gay at the age of 69. In 2007 he was in front of the camera in the 8th episode of the 4th season “Desperate Housewives”.

Richard Chamberlain lives in seclusion with his partner in Hawaii.

Filmography

1960 – The Secret Of The Purple Reef

1961 – Massacre at dawn

1963 – character assassination

1965 – Joy In The Morning

1967 – Petulia

1968 – The madman of Chaillot

1970 – Julius Caesar

1970 – Tchaikovsky – Genius and madness

1972 – The great love of Lady Caroline

1973 – The Three Musketeers

1974 – Flaming Inferno

1974 – The Count of Monte Cristo

1974 – The Queen’s Four Scoundrels

1976 – The Man in the Iron Mask

1976 – Cinderella’s Silver Shoe

1977 – The Last Flood

1978 – The Deadly Swarm

1981 – High Current

1983 – Mission North Pole

1984 – TV: The Thorn Birds

1985 – Quatermain – In Search of the Treasure of the Kings

1986 – In search of the mysterious city

1987 – Agent with no name

1989 – Return of the Musketeers

1991 – Nightmare

1991 – The Night of the Hunter

1995 – The Godfather’s Daughter

1996 – Bird of Prey

1996 – Thorn Birds – The Lost Years

1996 – Winter Love – Late romance in the snow

1996 – The Prodigal Daughter

1997 – Dark Moments – In the face of death

1999 – The Pavilion

Is Richard Chamberlain alive?

1958–present

How old is the actor Richard Chamberlain?

88 years
March 31, 1934

What is Richard Chamberlain’s real name?

Born George Richard Chamberlain in Beverly Hills on March 31, 1934, he was the second son of Elsa Winnifred (von Benzon) (1902-1993) and Charles Axiom Chamberlain (1902-1984), a salesman. He has English and German ancestry.

How old was Richard Chamberlain when he did Thorn Birds?

WATCHING the early scenes of ”The Thorn Birds,” when Father Ralph de Bricassart was too young and dashing for his own good, it’s hard to believe that Richard Chamberlain was 48 at the time.

Where does Richard Chamberlain live now?

Beverly Hills

Honolulu

What is Richard Chamberlain famous for?

Hailed as the ‘King of the miniseries’, Richard Chamberlain is one of Hollywood’s most versatile actors. He has starred in some iconic and powerful productions including Shogun (1980), The Thornbirds (1983), Wallenberg (1985) and the original screenplay of The Bourne Identity (1988).

Was Richard Chamberlain ever on Gunsmoke?

“Gunsmoke” The Bobsy Twins (TV Episode 1960) – Richard Chamberlain as Pete

What movie did Richard Chamberlain play a priest?

He starred in the 1980 miniseries The Thorn Birds, playing a priest who struggles to keep his vows because of his love for a young woman (played by Rachel Ward).

William Shakespeare

Vital dates: April 23, 1564 to April 23, 1616 in Stratford
Nationality: English
Quote: “In itself nothing is neither good nor bad, thinking makes it so.” (Into Hamlet)

William Shakespeare is probably the most famous playwright in the world. He wrote famous plays like “Hamlet” and “Romeo and Juliet”.

The English writer is one of the greatest poets of all time, especially as a playwright. His creative language power, his masterful psychological design in the characterization of characters and his further development in the literary form justify his timeless importance and his world reputation as a playwright. The characters in his later plays are characterized by a psychologizing way of representation, which is made clear in a pictorial language as well as poetic genius. His literary characters and stories often follow contemporary or historical models. His historical dramas like “King John” (1595/96), his comedies like “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” (1595/96) or “The Merchant of Venice” (1596), his romances like “A Winter’s Tale” (1609) and his tragedies ” Romeo and Juliet” (1595), “Othello” (1604) or “King Lear” (1605) mark highlights of world literature…

According to the church register, he was baptized on 26 April 1564 in Stratford-on-Avon, Warwickshire. His father, John Shakespeare, was a farmer and trader who was elected councilor in 1565 and later city manager. The mother, Mary Arden of Wilmcote, came from an old but impoverished nobility. Shakespeare attended the Latin School in Stratford, which was free because the upkeep was funded by the county. His education was mainly related to Latin, as was customary at the time, poetry and history. He did not attend a university. At the age of 18 he married Anne Hathaway (1556-1623). On May 26, 1583, his daughter Susanna was baptized in Stratford. On February 2, 1585, his twins Hamnad and Judith. His only son Hamnad died at the age of 11. Shakespeare went to London, but the exact date of his move is not known. It is not certain what activity he initially pursued there. Records state that he hired himself out as a schoolmaster and with other ancillary services. In 1592 he is mentioned there as an actor. In the same year the playwright Graham Green mentions him as “a crow that adorns itself with our feathers”.

Already at this time Shakespeare was stirring up envy in these circles by his rise as a poet. In central London, he knows how to make important connections. In 1593 and 1594 he dedicated the first published poems to his friend Henry Wriothesley, the 3rd Earl of Southhampton, such as the erotic little epic “Venus and Adonice” and “The Rape of Lucrecia”. They are the first sign of his mastery of the poetic form of the Renaissance. Most of his sonnets, printed in 1609, also came into being during this period, and their striking characteristics are their emotional strength and bold mode of expression, the pinnacle of English sonnet art. In the years 1591/92 he created what is probably his earliest drama, the three-part historical play “Henry VI.”, in which he still follows the tradition of the Elizabethan atrocity and revenge tragedies with the character type of the criminal and scheming villain. Already in the 1592/93 work “Richard II.” it can be seen that Shakespeare left this line of tradition and no longer realized the type characterization in atrocities, but in the cynicism and sarcastic irony of their language. Shakespeare goes beyond the Elizabethan historical drama in that he no longer presents a basic political and moral point of view, but allows his characters to tragically fail.

From 1594, William Shakespeare was an actor in the “Lord Chamberlain’s Men” troupe, which was allowed to call itself “King’s Men” from 1603. As a dramatist, he brought the acting troupe great fame, and their “Globe” theater, of which there were five or six “playhouses” as permanent venues in London at the time, became the most important venue. Plays began in 1599. Shakespeare was also a private partner in this playhouse, which proves his economic skill. His prosperity is documented by his own family coat of arms, which was approved in 1596. In his plays such as dramas, tragedies, comedies and fairytale plays, he proves his unique genius in terms of pictorial expressiveness, linguistic diversity, psychological depth, poetic imagination and, above all, the stage-effective processing of human and historical conflicts. The pieces excitingly combine the range of literary elements from tragic pathos to grotesque comedy to the finest character drawings. Following the example of the fable, Shakespeare develops the plot and the characters, to which he realistically adapts the language and situation. In the two parts of “Henry IV.” Shakespeare’s further achievement is revealed in the development of the drama, which he makes open by adding elements of comedy.

His dramatic work is divided into three sections, although the dates are uncertain. The first section up to 1594 contains, among other things, “Henry VI.” and Richard III. The second section lasts until 1601 with the pieces “A Midsummer Night’s Dream”, “Much Ado About Nothing”, “As You Like It” or “What You Want”. The third section mainly includes tragedies, ends in 1609 and contains works such as ” Hamlet”, “All’s Well That Ends Well”, “King Lear”, “Macbeth” or “Pericles”. The last section extends to 1613 with “Cymbeline”, “Winter’s Tale”, “The Tempest” and “Henry VIII.”. He also developed his own style in the form of comedy, as the example “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” shows. Not only is the scene of action shifted from the courtly environment to the world of fantasy, but the emotional and psychological depth is also precisely worked out. In romantic features, reality is only mirrored, moral instructions are intentionally missing. Nevertheless, the games show the threat and dangers of failure. The “Merchant of Venice” is also an example of the comedic Shakespearean theme of the contradictions and contradictions of life. As a writer of tragedies he also creates unrivaled achievements in changing genres.

The well-known love drama “Romeo and Juliet” (1595/96) is part of the development series, in which the protagonists no longer die through revenge and intrigue, but perish as a result of fate, determined by blind chance. The series of great tragedies begins in 1599 with “Julius Caesar” or “Antonius and Cleopatra”. “Hamlet” (1600/01) and “Othello” (1603/04) are among the later tragedies with their human tragedy in subject-oriented depictions such as melancholy world despair, contempt or rigorous delusion. His tragic heroes are at the mercy of an incomprehensible power that points beyond human life to an insurmountable cosmic order. Some of Shakespeare’s late dramas, such as “The Tempest” from 1611/12, are referred to as romances. In 1611 he returned to Stratford-on-Avon, where he had bought a house. He lived there until his death.

William Shakespeare died in Stratford-on-Avon on April 23, 1616.

His works have been translated many times, for example the well-known edition by Christoph Martin Wieland (1762 to 1766), by A.W. Schlegel (1797–1810), continued by Dorothea Tiek and W.H. by Baudissin, or more recently by E. Fried (1952). His works have often been filmed, such as “What you want”, “Romeo and Juliet”, “Othello”, “The Merchant of Venice” or “Hamlet”.

How William Shakespeare lived

William Shakespeare’s date of birth is not certain. Church records say he was born in Stratford, England, on April 23, 1564, and was baptized three days later. His parents, John Shakespeare and Mary Arden, were wealthy, so they could pay for their son to get a reasonably good education at a Latin school.

But Shakespeare never went to university. At the age of 18, as was customary at the time, the young Englishman married Anne Hathaway, a farmer’s daughter he was a friend of. The couple had three children together: daughter Susanna and twins Judith and Hamnet.

Researchers call the following years between 1584 and 1592 “Shakespeare’s lost years”. Nowhere is it written down what he did during this time. But it is assumed that he worked in the theater. He is said to have started his career there as an actor and playwright. The theater of his time was different from today. Those who went to the theater primarily wanted to be well entertained – and they paid a lot for it.

How William Shakespeare changed the world

Shakespeare’s first official work, Venus and Adonis, appeared in 1593. By then he had already moved to London and was appearing as an actor and poet in the drama group Chamberlains Men, later King’s Men. His dramatic works gained increasing recognition around the world and the famous tragedies “Hamlet” and “Macbeth” had a major impact on contemporary theatre. Shakespeare has received several awards for his variety of topics and is highly praised as a linguistic genius.

He possessed the ability to write down his stories in poetic images. He also turned to poetry. His most famous, the sonnets (sound poems), were later published as a volume. From 1599 Shakespeare worked as a co-owner at the London Globe Theater and earned a lot of money there. He was now famous and not infrequently played at the court of the then Queen Elizabeth.

At the age of 46, in 1610, the already famous poet and actor returned to his native city. He now had enough of the theater life and increasingly turned to his family. He spent the years leading up to his death at his home, New Place, the second tallest building in Stratford. William Shakespeare died unexpectedly at the age of 52 and probably on his own birthday. The cause of death is still a mystery today.

His works first appeared in a complete edition in 1623. To this day, they are recognized on theater stages around the world.

“The power of fire is beneficent when man tames and guards it,” says Schiller’s “Song of the Bell”. A piece of wisdom that has stood the test of time to this day.

Mastery of Fire

Even a little carelessness in handling fire can endanger human life and cause terrible devastation.

Man did not invent fire, but discovered it as a useful tool. Thousands of years ago, it helped him to make a huge evolutionary leap.

Man learned to deal with fire and recognized its benefits: it illuminated the darkness for him, protected him from cold and animals, helped him to prepare his food edible and digestible, destroyed disease-causing waste. With the help of fire, he was able to live in regions where he would otherwise have had difficulty surviving.

Some finds indicate that our ancestors – more precisely: Homo erectus – already used the power of fire around 1.5 million years ago. But the question of when humans were able to ignite fire on their own is still being hotly debated among researchers. Many assume that the Neanderthals were able to do this with the help of flints 40,000 years ago.

What is fire and how is it created?

Three things are needed for a fire: fuel, heat and oxygen. In the heat, the fuel reacts with the oxygen in the air, oxidation occurs. This means that the molecules of the fuel combine with the oxygen and heat is released in the process. Fire is what is known as an exothermic reaction: it produces more heat than is needed to start the reaction.

In order to start a fire, you need an initial ignition or starting heat, at which the chemical combustion process of the fuel starts and continues in a kind of chain reaction. In nature, an initial spark can be, for example, lightning that strikes a tree.

The initial heat causes the flame, and the heat generated sets a chain reaction in motion: The fire now burns out of its own accord until one of the three things – fuel, heat or oxygen – is no longer there.

Erasure methods

Once a fire has started, it can quickly get out of control and reach life-threatening proportions within a few minutes. In order to put out a fire, one has to remove either the heat, the fuel or the oxygen from it. Sounds very easy.

But the extinguishing method depends on the burning materials. The best extinguishing agent is still water: it is cheap, environmentally friendly and available almost everywhere in unlimited quantities. In the case of fires, it is used either as a thick extinguishing jet or as a rain of droplets.

Spraying water on something that’s burning drains energy from the flame—so much so that there’s not enough energy left to combine with the fuel and oxygen to fuel the fire. For example, if water is sprayed onto a piece of glowing charcoal, the charcoal fuel cools down more and more.

In addition, steam is created that rises – another extinguishing effect: the steam becomes a barrier that reduces the oxygen supply. The flame gets smaller until it finally goes out. That is, water extinguishes because it’s cool, not because it’s wet.

But there are also fires that should never be extinguished with water: liquid fires, for example. Small or large explosions can occur here. Grease fires can cause jets of flame several meters high: the water droplets penetrate the hot liquid and evaporate in fractions of a second, expanding considerably in the process.

This ejects fuel particles into the air, which explode immediately upon contact with the oxygen in the air. Liquid fires are extinguished with foam. This separates the fuel from the oxygen. Extinguishing gas should be used where materials such as computers stand. A fat fire in the pan can be extinguished simply by putting a lid on the pan. This takes the air out of the fire.

Fire protection in the home

A fire in the home is quick to ignite. A burning cigarette falls to the ground, children light matches, an outdated electrical appliance causes a smoldering or cable fire. But despite the high risk of fire in the home, fire extinguishers are not always to hand. They are often missing, outdated or poorly maintained.

Existing devices should be checked by a specialist every two years, and devices that are more than 20 years old should be replaced with new ones. The fire extinguisher should be mounted in such a way that it is quickly to hand, for example in the hallway or entrance area. Pictograms printed on the bottle provide information about the fire classes for which the fire extinguisher is suitable.

Class A fires are solid materials such as wood, paper, or textiles, Class D fires are metals such as aluminum or lithium. It is important to be familiar with how to use a fire extinguisher before an emergency occurs. Only small fires can be completely extinguished with it, so timely use is important.

Fires often break out at night and the victims of the fire are surprised while they are sleeping. Those affected often become unconscious from the carbon monoxide before they wake up from the urge to cough and die not from the flames but from the effects of smoke inhalation. Smoke detectors can therefore become lifesavers.

Most of the commercially available smoke detectors work optically and emit a shrill signal tone as soon as smoke particles enter their measuring chambers. In order to be protected even in the event of a power failure, the devices should be battery-operated. There are special thermal detectors for the kitchen that react to heat instead of steam in order to avoid frequent false alarms.

About Fire…

A burnt child shuns fire. – Anyone who has had a bad experience does not want to repeat it and is particularly careful next time.

A message spreads like wildfire. – Originally, a bush fire was probably not meant here, but a military term: the gunfire of several shooters who fired a shot in quick succession, or a burning trail of black powder.

Pour oil on the fire. – In earlier times, people knew that they definitely didn’t want to do something like that. The exploding fat-water mixture can cause serious injuries.

Fire in the heart gives smoke to the head.- Too much unreflected devotion can cloud the mind.

Stoke the Fire – Drawing a poker through the fire improves oxygenation and combustion. Similarly, one can fuel a smoldering argument between people.

Don’t touch something with the tongs. – In the past, glowing charcoal was taken out of a fireplace with tongs. Anyone who doesn’t even want to touch something with such dirty pliers obviously has a great deal of reluctance.

Be on fire for something. – Probably a very old proverb with Germanic roots. “Fire and Flame” described one’s own household with a hearth. Today a metaphor for passionate love or great enthusiasm.

Being fired from the job. – Casual term for dismissals, especially for dishonorable terminations.

Burning your fingers. Everyone knows that and how painful it is. Both the symbolic damage and the real injury.

Giving Tinder to Someone – Tinder is actually a highly combustible tree fungus that has been used to make fire, believed to have been used for thousands of years.

This is a straw fire. – The straw catches fire very quickly and burns brightly. But the dry fuel is quickly used up. So it is with hectic and insubstantial activities that end abruptly when the energy is exhausted.

Fire starts with sparks. Even a fire starts small and can become huge, intentionally or unintentionally.

Having several irons in the fire. – The origin of this expression is probably the traditional way a blacksmith works. A blacksmith has several red-hot workpieces in the fire at the same time in order to be able to process them quickly.

Light a fire under someone’s buttocks. – Whoever has it burning under their buttocks will finally hurry up.

Playing with fire. – Of course, you should never take such a risk…

To put one’s hand in the fire for someone. The Dark Ages were the inspiration for this saying: anyone who wanted to prove their innocence could sometimes put their hand in the fire as a “divine judgment”. The more severely she was burned, the greater the guilt supposedly.

Crooked wood also makes straight fire.– Top quality is not required for some profane purposes.

Get the chestnuts (or potatoes) out of the fire. The proverb has a literary basis: in the story “The Monkey and the Cat” by Jean de la Fontaine, the monkey Bertrand persuades the cat Raton to eat delicious chestnuts out of a fire steal.

Get the irons out of the fire.– Perhaps wrought iron is meant here. They may not be as tasty as chestnuts or potatoes, but they are incandescent at around 1200 degrees.

To walk through fire for someone. Sometimes you have to risk a lot – for a person or for an important ideal.

There is no smoke without fire. This is where the assumption is hidden that there is always a grain of truth behind rumors and suspicions. If that’s true…

Maulana Jalaluddin Rumi was born on September 30, 1207 in Balkh (now Afghanistan) and died on December 17, 1273 in Konya (Turkey). He is considered by many to be “the greatest mystical poet of all time”.

At the age of 12 he and his family had to leave Afghanistan to escape from the Mongols. On the long journey via Baghdad to Meekka and Damascus, Rumi was taught by the best Islamic scholars. His father, also a famous scholar with a strong penchant for Sufi mysticism, was called to a chair at the Seljuk seat of government in Konya. When his father died shortly thereafter, Rumi took over his chair at the age of 22.

Rumi was an extremely popular teacher when his life took a dramatic turn in 1244: the wandering dervish Shams from Tabriz crossed his path and became his spiritual teacher and beloved friend. Konya society was shocked, as wandering dervishes did not have a good reputation. For Rumi, Shams was the face of God personified. For his sake, he dropped everything and neglected his duties as a father, teacher and judge. So it came about that jealous students and Rumi’s relatives put pressure on Shams and drove him out. First Rumi managed to find him again, but one day Shams disappeared forever, probably he was murdered by a son of Rumi.

Rumi suffered terribly at this loss, his soul burned in the fire of his love. From then on he wrote poems for Shams and even began to sign them with his name (this is also the name of his most famous collection of poems Diwan-i-Shamsi Tabrizi). More and more he became Shams, overcoming the great illusion of separation and death. From now on, Rumi’s joy knew no bounds. He had realized the Fanafillah – the un-becoming, the Islamic confession of unity.

if you feel
How your lips become infinite
And sweet as the moon in the sky
when you feel this vastness inside you,
Shams of Tabriz is there too.

He had become a finder of God, and in his joy I twirled, just as Shams had done. Meanwhile, he came up with thousands of poems and stories that ultimately resulted in one of the most important works of world literature (e.g. the so-called Persian Koran: The Mesnevi).

But far beyond his work, Maulana (the master) Rumi is still revered as a saint today. When he died in Konya on December 17, 1273, the celebrations lasted 3 days with music and whirling dance. Members of all religious communities are said to have taken part in the festival. Rumi himself had wished his death to be celebrated like a wedding: “…for at God’s feast no sorrow is appropriate!”

His tomb in Konya is still an internationally visited place of pilgrimage today. His eternal word is written on his grave:

Come, come, whoever you are!
Come, even if you have broken your promises a thousand times!
Come, come, whether you are a Jew, a Christian, or a Muslim. Come!

Rumi and al-Andalus

A very interesting connection exists between the two most important masters of Sufism, between Maulana Rumi and ibn Arabi. These “two oceans of wisdom” met in Damascus, creating a bridge between the free spirit of al-Andalus and the path of universal love of Rumi.

The Rumi researcher and Sufi master Dr. Seyed Mostafa Azmayesh tells of this connection in Rumi’s life: “After the death of Rumi’s father, the Sufi master Tarmazi Borhan took over his education and spiritual training. He soon made it clear to Rumi that although he was the heir to his father’s physical possessions, he was far from mature enough to become his father’s spiritual successor. He convinced him that mastery is not to be attained through inheritance, but is formed through one’s own disciplined and orderly work and many tests of inner maturity. Rumi accepted Borhan’s advice to first go to school in Damascus with Ibn Arabi for seven years. He left his family in Konya and immersed himself in the methods and teachings of Ibn Arabi, who had previously learned, taught and worked in Andalusia.

After seven years, Rumi came back from Damascus and Borhan now accepted him as his disciple. Rumi was 38 years old then. Borhan died and Rumi was now ready to take over. Ultimately, three streams of oriental mysticism met in Rumi and formed a new method. From the north-east the Khorasan style with points of contact from shamanism, Hinduism and Buddhism. From the west, the Andalusian style with references to Christianity. Lastly, Rumi’s spiritual master Shams brought the Azerian style from northwestern Persia, from Azerbaijan, where the cradle of Zoroastrians and the Mithraic cult was found, where the magicians had their headquarters.

Through Rumi, Sufism achieved a balance between detachment through solitary meditation and semah, which means musical gathering to celebrate the spiritual side of life. The music got a very high status in mysticism through Rumi. Important Sufi masters were also music researchers. This has to do with the effect of music on the human soul in general and the vibrations behind the rhythms in particular. Since time immemorial, these rhythms have been used at different levels as a means of developing the deep human substance. Rumi can be considered the founder of a new Sufi style in which music (and poetry IE) is used in a very elaborate and subtle way as a spiritual training tool.

Rumi’s legacy for humanity is precisely this: to break the narrow limits of a supposed superiority of a single religion or belief or its fundamentalist restrictions. He was a bridge between individual cultures… Through Rumi, the theoretical aspect of Sufism as a social impulse to open up to foreign worlds was put into practice.”

Rumi about life

Tie two birds together; they will not be able to fly, although they now have four wings.

Gratitude is wine for the soul, come get drunk!

A wound is a place through which the light enters you.

It is your path – some can walk it with you, but no one can walk it for you.

Go and find yourself – that’s how you can find me too.

Yesterday I was smart and wanted to change the world. Today I am wise and I want to change.

There is a voice that uses no words – listen to it.

Forget security. Live where you fear to live. Destroy your reputation. be notorious

Your task is not to seek love, but only to seek and find all the obstacles within you that you have built up against it.

Show yourself as you are or be as you show yourself.

Maulana Jalaluddin Rumi was born on September 30, 1207 in Balkh (then Persia, now Afghanistan) and died on December 17, 1273 in Konya (now Turkey). He is considered by many to be “the greatest mystical poet of all time”. At the age of 12 he and his family had to leave Afghanistan to escape from the Mongols. On the long journey via Baghdad to Mecca and Damascus, Rumi was taught by the best Islamic scholars. His father, also a famous scholar with a strong penchant for Sufi mysticism, was called to a chair at the Seljuk seat of government in Konya. When his father died shortly thereafter, Rumi took over his chair at the age of 22.

Rumi was an extremely popular teacher when his life took a dramatic turn in 1244: the wandering dervish Shams from Tabriz crossed his path and became his spiritual teacher and beloved friend. Konya society was shocked, as wandering dervishes did not have a good reputation. For Rumi, Shams was the face of God personified. For his sake, he dropped everything and neglected his duties as a father, teacher and judge. So it came about that jealous students and Rumi’s relatives put pressure on Shams and drove him out. First Rumi managed to find him again, but one day Shams disappeared forever, probably he was murdered by a son of Rumi.

Rumi suffered terribly at this loss, his soul burned in the fire of his love. From then on he wrote poems for Shams and even began to sign them with his name (this is also the name of his most famous collection of poems Diwan – i – Shamsi Tabrizi). More and more he became Shams, overcoming the great illusion of separation and death. From now on, Rumi’s joy knew no bounds. He had realized the Fanafillah – the un-becoming, the Islamic confession of unity.

if you feel
How your lips become infinite
And sweet as the moon in the sky
when you feel this vastness inside you,
Shams of Tabriz is there too.

He had become a finder of God, and twirled in his joy just as Shams had done. Meanwhile, he came up with thousands of poems and stories that ultimately resulted in one of the most important works of world literature (e.g. the so-called Persian Koran: The Mesnevi).

But far beyond his work, Maulana (the master) Rumi is still revered as a saint today. When he died in Konya on December 17, 1273, the celebrations lasted 3 days with music and whirling dance. Members of all religious communities are said to have taken part in the festival. Rumi himself had wished to celebrate his death like a wedding: “…for at God’s feast no sorrow is fitting!”

His tomb in Konya is still an internationally visited place of pilgrimage today. His eternal word is written on his grave:

Come, come, whoever you are!
Come, even if you have broken your promises a thousand times!
Come, come, whether you are a Jew, a Christian, or a Muslim. Come!

About Sufism

Sufism – is not a uniform size and is not bound by external preconditions. Its core, however, is always the same: the knowledge of the absolute Oneness of God, the Only One who has true existence.

Sufism has historically evolved from the religious foundations of Islam, meditation of the Qur’an, and early shamanic tribal cultures. However, Sufism has also become a collective term for movements that no longer have anything to do with its Islamic foundations, as in Europe and North America.

The nickname as-Sufi appears as early as the 8th century AD. Some of the early ascetics wore woolen robes, and after this they were called Sufi (from suf “wool”). The Sufis themselves liked to derive their name from safa, “purity”: the sufi is the safi, the purified, the chosen.

The element of pure, joyful love of God was introduced into this austere ascetic world by a woman, Rabi’a (d. 801). She spoke for the first time of absolute love, which turns directly to God without thinking of fear of hell or hope for paradise. Rabi’a’s thoughts deeply influenced the following generations. The love between God and man was expressed in ever finer terms by the Sufi masters, although they knew that “there is nothing more subtle than love, and since concepts can only be expressed in terms of something more subtle than the concept one cannot express love.” (Sumnun the Lover, c.900)

The language in which Sufi thoughts have been most poetically expressed is Persian, with its profuse literature. The Turks took over the inheritance and continued literary activity on various levels – folk poetry is particularly attractive. We also find the same phenomena on the Indian subcontinent – here not only as an Arabic-Persian component. Rather, the Sufi thoughts are pronounced in the regional languages. So the seals in Sindhi, Punjabi, Siraiki, Kashmiri, Gujarati, Bengali, or Pashto, as well as the classic Urdu; even in Tamil there is Sufi-influenced poetry. The same applies to Africa (Swahili).

Jonathan Star, the American translator Rumis, describes Sufism as an undogmatic “way of love”:

“The Sufis seek the hidden mysteries of life; it craves them for direct experience of God, whom they call the “beloved.” They do not see in him a stern master or an unattainable absolute, but someone to be approached with perfect love… This fearless love of God made the Sufis dance and sing and party all night long. “Normal” people often saw them as crazy – but at the same time they were respected as great artists, poets, and mystics of Islam…”

What does Rumi say about love?

Sow the love of the saints within your spirit; do not give your heart to anything, except to the love of those with cheerful hearts. We must love those who bring us more happiness to our lives, those who add positively with their own love for us.

Who was Rumi in Spanish?

The youngest man was 37 years old and his name was Djalâl al-dîn Mohammad Balkhî or Rûmî. In Turkey he is now known simply by the title Mevlânâ, meaning “our master” or “our lord”, and in the West by the name Rumi, referring to the Seljuk sultanate of Rûm, of which Konya was the capital.

Where did Jalal ad Din Muhammad Rumi die?

Iconium is a Turkish city in the Central Anatolia region, capital of the homonymous province. It has 1,304,209 inhabitants.

Who invented the Rumi?

The original game was created in the 1940s by Ephraim Hertzano, a Romanian inventor, who later emigrated to Israel.

When was Rumi born?

Full name: Jalāl ad-Dīn Muhammad Balkhī
Place of birth: Balkh, Afghanistan

What was Rumi like?

Muslim mystic poet from Persia, whose full name is Jalal al-Din Rumi. Although he was born in Balkh (Korasan), his life was linked to the city of Iconium (now Konya), in Turkey.

What is Sufism?

Sufism is spiritual courtesy (adab): courtesy with every instant, in all circumstances and at all times.

No other lyricist and poet has shaped world literature as significantly as William Shakespeare. We get to know some of his works at school, others we encounter in the theater as newly interpreted pieces. Romeo and Juliet, Hamlet and Macbeth are just a few of his most famous creations.

William Shakespeare (1564-1616) was arguably the best-known playwright and poet in the English-speaking world. His works made the writer immortal.

Because Shakespeare’s success, which he had already built up during his lifetime, outlasted his death. Shakespeare’s dramas, including Romeo and Juliet (1597), Hamlet (1602) and Macbeth (1606), are still very successful today.

But Shakespeare not only wrote sonnets and plays, but also worked as an actor on the stages of London. His works dealt with everyday themes such as love, death and conflict, which is why they are still very successful today.

In this short William Shakespeare profile you will find out the most important information:

Surname William Shakespeare
Life dates Birth: circa April 23, 1564 in Stratford-upon-Avon, England
Death: circa April 23, 1616 in Stratford-upon-Avon, England
Family Wife: Anne Hathaway

Children: Judith, Hamnet and Susanne

Known as writer and actor
Most Famous Works Macbeth (tragedy, 1606)

Romeo and Juliet (tragedy, 1597)

Othello (tragedy, 1603)

A Midsummer Night’s Dream (comedy, 1605)

Epoch Elizabethan Era (1558-1603)

William Shakespeare as an important writer

William Shakespeare wrote far more, including comedies, romances, tragedies, historical dramas and sonnets. His diverse use of imagery is characteristic of him. This is how he managed to write many of his plays very vividly. The vocabulary he used was just as varied. Over 17,500 different words can be found in his works.

The English playwright was born in Stratford-upon-Avon in April 1564 and attended a respected grammar school in England as a young pupil. There he acquired knowledge of poetics and rhetoric. He also learned the art of poetry and writing there. Later he began to write his own small plays for his theater group. He tried himself as an actor and participated financially in the acting group. Many years later, William Shakespeare moved to London and gained increasing admiration for his literary work. By 1599 he was already co-owner of the Globe Theater in London, thereby acquiring wealth and influence. He himself was a member of the drama troupe “Lord Chamberlain’s Men”, later called “King’s Men”. They made frequent appearances at Queen Elizabeth’s court, where they enjoyed the reputation of being the best acting group in London.

William Shakespeare enjoyed a certain prosperity as he aged. This was confirmed by the granting of a family crest and the possession of a large house on the outskirts of Stratford. He retired there around 1611 and enjoyed the last years of his life until he died in the spring of 1616. Not much is known about his private life. At the young age of 18 he married the farmer’s daughter Anne Hathaway, with whom he had three children. He was known in the city as a proficient businessman, which enabled him to become financially involved in many drama and theater organizations.

William Shakespeare’s works

Many of his works are still part of German and literature classes. They are often also a topic in class work, for example in poetry interpretations or essays. The well-known plays A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Julius Caesar, Romeo and Juliet, Hamlet and Macbeth are often included. We give you a brief insight into his five most famous pieces.

A Midsummer Night’s Dream

Shakespeare probably wrote this comedy in 1595 or 1596, an exact date is not known. A Midsummer Night’s Dream has five acts and is set in ancient Athens and an adjacent enchanted forest. It tells the story of the marriage of a ruling couple who have to deal with craftsmen and elves. The comedy has been performed many times and is also a popular play in school theatres.

Julius Caesar

The playwright dedicated one of his works to the Roman statesman Gaius Iulius Caesar and completed it in 1599. The tragedy consists of five acts. The play essentially deals with the conspiracy of Brutus and Cassius against the Roman ruler and his assassination. The theme of the play and its historical reference make it particularly popular with audiences.

Romeo and Juliet

Romeo and Juliet is probably Shakespeare’s best known and most popular work and was written between 1594 and 1596, exact details are not known. This story is a tragedy that tells the misfortune of two lovers, namely Romeo and Juliet. The lovers belong to two hostile families, which is why their love relationship is doomed to fail. Verona, where the play is set, remains a place of magical attraction for tourists to this day and is dotted with all sorts of romantic doodles. The work has often served as a screenplay and film template and is the title of many pieces of music. Romeo and Juliet enjoys strong and enduring popularity to this day. In the classroom, too, students continue to read and reflect on Shakespeare’s famous tragedy.

Hamlets

At least as well-known and above all important play by Shakespeare is the tragedy Hamlet, which was composed around 1602. The story is set in the Kingdom of Denmark and deals with the intrigues in the royal family. After King Hamlet is murdered by his own brother, Prince Hamlet decides to avenge his father. In doing so, he tears everyone involved into misfortune and the tragedy takes its course. Characteristic of the play are Hamlet’s long monologues, from which some idioms such as “To be or not to be” and “The rest is silence” come from. Hamlet is also one of Shakespeare’s most performed plays.

Macbeth

Macbeth, in English “The Tragedy of Macbeth”, is also a tragedy and was written around 1606, probably in London. The play, consisting of five acts, deals with the rise and fall of the king of Scotland Macbeth after his royal reign was prophesied to him. Shakespeare describes his transformation into a tyrant, which is supported by his equally power-hungry wife, and the downfall. The work allows for many interpretations, but at its core deals with the greed for power and domination. Like Hamlet, Macbeth is one of Shakespeare’s strong literary works and has been performed countless times. A remake of the Shakespearean classic will be released in 2015.

Shakespeare’s Biography

William Shakespeare was born in Stratford-upon-Avon, England in 1564. However, his exact date of birth is not known. Although he received a good education in a Latin school, Shakespeare left at the age of 15 and pursued his dream of becoming a writer. For this reason he did not go to university.

Shortly thereafter, at the age of 18, he married the elderly Anne Hathaway, the daughter of a farmer friend. With Anne he had three children, twins Judith and Hamnet and a daughter, Susanne. What events then took place in Shakespeare’s life can only be guessed at today. That is why this gap in Shakespeare’s life is also known as “Shakespeare’s lost years”.

Shakespeare in London

But Shakespeare soon left his family idyll to establish himself as a writer. He therefore went to London, where he worked at various theaters. There he began to work as an actor and at the same time wrote his first sonnets (sound poems). The poems from this period were later among his most successful poems.

As a member of the drama group “Chamberlain’s Men”, later “King’s Men”, he celebrated double success: both as an actor and as a playwright. People knew and appreciated his first plays, including Hamlet and Macbeth, even then beyond the borders of London.

From 1599 he led the London Globe Theater as a co-owner. The Globe Theater was the most famous theater in the metropolis of London in Shakespeare’s time. Shakespeare’s notoriety even enabled him to act a few times at the court of Queen Elizabeth I herself.

Despite his achievements in the English capital, he returned to his family in Stratford-upon-Avon at the age of 46. The reason for this was that he no longer wanted to work as an actor. He died in his native town in 1616 at the age of 52.

The hard-to-decipher signature on his will suggests that Shakespeare was seriously ill before his death. He could only write with a trembling hand. It was not until seven years after William Shakespeare’s death that his plays were published as a complete work under the name First Folio.

Shakespeare’s influence on today

You may already know some of William Shakespeare’s works, but why is he so successful with them to this day? This was partly because he lived in the Elizabethan era. During this time, more and more people got access to literature, so that it could flourish.

The Elizabethan Age

The period between 1558 and 1603 is referred to as the Elizabethan Age. The name comes from the British Queen Elizabeth I, who ruled at the time. It was marked by economic success, the expansion of the British Empire and a heyday for literature. The age ended with the death of Elizabeth.

The type of poem favored by William Shakespeare was the sonnet. It is characterized by his strong emotional emphasis. The author wrote more than 154 of these poems during his lifetime.

Shakespeare’s plays are known today for their richness and complexity of characters. They skilfully combine pictorial language with everyday human conflicts.

Shakespeare was able, despite his high literary art, to integrate comic elements and at the same time to write realistically. His best-known tragedies include the tragic love story “Romeo and Juliet” (1597) or the rise and fall of a general in “Macbeth” (1606).

But Shakespeare could do things differently, as evidenced by his comedy A Midsummer Night’s Dream (1605), about a wedding in ancient Athens. Another wedding, but this time in Florence, wreaks havoc in the comedy Much Ado About Nothing (1599).

Good to know: Shakespeare’s works also provide material for modern film adaptations such as the youth drama “10 Things I Hate About You” (1999), which is based on the comedy “The Taming of the Shrew” (1592).

Bessemer, Sir Henry (Charlton, Hertfordshire, 1813-London, 1898) British inventor, born in Charlton, Hertfordshire, and largely self-taught.

He was a prolific inventor, but is best known for his innovations in steelmaking which greatly increased the annual production of steel in England, making high-quality steel available at very low cost.

He also invented a method to reduce the graphite used in the manufacture of pens, a printing machine, another to polish diamonds, a solar furnace, bronze paints.

His motto: “The idea for a business should be concentrated in a single business in which a man embarks totally.”

What did Henry Bessemer invent?

NEW ENGINEERING

The Bessemer converter made it possible to obtain cheap steel and, with it, the construction of amazing engineering works for the time.

FRAUD

At the age of 20, Bessemer designed a procedure that prevented forgeries of stamps printed on official documents that was adopted by the Casa del Timbre.

OTHER INVENTIONS:

He patented more than 117 inventions: among them, a device for obtaining typographical characters, a new type of projectile, brakes for railways, machines for the glass industry.

GOLD DUST

He designed a machine for the factory. tion of bronze powder intended for coating surfaces with gold effects, which invaded the market and was used throughout England for decoration.

FAILED ATTEMPT

He announced the details of the method. Iron and steel industrialists invested fortunes in blast furnaces to manufacture steel using the new system, but the product turned out to be of poor quality and Bessemer lost prestige and credibility.

RESTRICT SUCCESS

He went back to experiments to perfect his method. Since they no longer believed in him, he set up his own steel mills in Sheffield, England. He imported phosphorous-free ore from Sweden and sold high-quality steel at a much lower cost than his competitors.

The Bessemer process uses a Bessemer converter, a pear-shaped container that can rotate around an axis to facilitate loading and unloading, lined on the inside with refractory clay.

Once filled with molten iron, pressurized air is injected through openings, whose oxygen combines with carbon and other impurities, increasing the temperature of the mixture. Once all the carbon has been removed, soft iron is obtained. If you want to obtain steel, just add carbonated iron in known proportions.

Henry Bessemer had invented a new type of projectile which, by spinning in flight, gave artillery pieces greater range and hitherto unknown accuracy.

Napoleon III, the new emperor of France, showed interest in the invention and offered to finance further experiments.

Bessemer (who was English, though the son of a Frenchman) agreed, but warned that the new projectile would require barrels of a better material than the cast iron then known: a cast iron barrel would burst under the great explosive pressure required to shoot the new projectile.

Bessemer knew nothing about iron making, but he decided to learn it.

Thus it was that in 1854 an era ended and a new one began.

Henry Bessemer, who was born in England on January 19, 1813, already had a number of inventions to his credit; but next to the company he was about to attack they were mere trifles.

For more than two thousand years, man had used iron as the hardest and most resistant base metal he knew.

It was obtained by heating iron ore with coke and limestone.

The resulting product contained a large amount of carbon (from coke) and was called ‘cast iron’ or ‘cast iron’.

It was cheap and hard, but also brittle; a strong blow was enough to break it.

Carbon could be removed from molten iron by mixing it with more iron ore.

The oxygen in the ore combined with the carbon in the molten iron to form carbon monoxide gas, which bubbled up and burned.

Gone is the almost pure iron, coming from ore and cast iron: it is what was called “wrought iron” or “puddled iron”.

This form of iron was strong and could withstand heavy blows without breaking. But it was quite soft and also expensive.

In 1850 the production of steel in Brittany was approximately 50,000 tons. Of this total, 85% was produced in Sheffield. By 1880, steel production with the Bessemer system was over one million tons out of an approximate total country steel production of 1,300,000 tons.

However, there was another form of iron that was halfway between pig iron and wrought iron: steel.

Steel could be made stronger than pig iron and harder than wrought iron, thus combining the virtues of both.

Before Bessemer, you had to first convert pig iron into wrought iron and then add the necessary ingredients to make steel.

If wrought iron was already expensive, steel was twice as expensive.

Fairly rare metal, it was mainly used to make swords.

Bessemer’s task was to remove carbon from pig iron at moderate prices.

He thought that the cheapest and easiest way to add oxygen to molten iron to burn carbon was to use an air blast instead of adding iron ore.

But wouldn’t the air cool the molten iron and solidify it?

Bessemer began to experiment and soon showed that the jet of air served his purpose.

The air burned off the carbon and most other impurities, and the heat of combustion raised the temperature of the iron.

By controlling the jet of air, Bessemer was able to make steel at a much lower cost than previous methods.

In 1856 he announced the details of the method.

Iron and steel industrialists were enthusiastic and invested fortunes in “blast furnaces” to manufacture steel by the new system.

Imagine their horror when they discovered that the product was of poor quality; Bessemer, accused of having taken them for a ride, returned to the experiments.

It turned out that ore containing phosphorous could not be used in this method; the phosphorus remained in the final product and made the iron brittle.

And it had happened that Bessemer used phosphorus-free iron ore in his experiments.

He announced this discovery, but the industrialists were no longer listening: they were fed up with the Bessemer furnaces.

So he borrowed money and set up his own steel mills in Sheffield, England, in 1860.

He imported phosphorus-free ore from Sweden and began selling high-quality steel for $100 less a ton than any of his competitors.

That ended with all reluctance.

By 1870, methods were found to solve the phosphorus problem, making it possible to tap America’s vast iron ore resources.

Bessemer was ennobled in 1879 and died in London, rich and famous, in 1898.

Cheap steel made it possible to build engineering works that until then had not even been dreamed of.

The steel beams could now be used as skeletons to support anything imaginable.

Railroads began to span entire continents on steel rails, and large steel ships began to ply the oceans.
Suspension bridges spanned rivers, skyscrapers began their climb to heights, tractors were now stronger, and it didn’t take long for automobiles with steel frames to appear.

And in the world of war, more powerful cannons began to thunder, putting new, more resistant armor to the test.

Thus the Iron Age died and the Steel Age began.

Today aluminium, glass and plastic have imposed their law where lightness matters more than resistance.

But when what matters is this factor, we continue to live in the Age of Steel.

EXPANSION ON THE BESSEMER PROCESS

The Bessemer Method for Making Steel: In the production of steel, most of the pig iron that comes out of the blast furnaces is used.

The year of 1856 is possibly the most important in the history of steel. Previously, steel was made by cementation and crucible.

In both methods, the iron bars covered with powdered charcoal had to be placed inside airtight containers called crucibles.

These were introduced into a brick oven that generated a high temperature, which burned the impurities of the metal.

In addition, the heat caused the iron to absorb the carbon from the charcoal, thus becoming steel.

Since the production of steel by these methods was slow and expensive, many attempts were made to improve them.

In the mid-19th century, the Englishman Henry Bessemer and the American William Kelly discovered that it was possible to burn the impurities in pig iron by injecting pressurized air through the molten metal.

Both obtained patents for the method: Bessemer in 1856 and Kelly in 1857. The latter was unable to continue his research due to lack of money; but Bessemer, who had the necessary means, managed to do it.

He built a furnace that is known as the Bessemer converter, and obtained a patent in 1856.

Said converter consists of a pear-shaped incunabulum container made of steel plates, and lined on the inside with clay and refractory bricks.

It is provided with a double bottom, and has two compartments.

The lower one is an air chamber connected to a blower.

At the bottom of the upper container there are numerous perforations.

To load the converter, it is tilted, and then the molten pig iron is poured through the opening at the top.

The air is then released and passes through the mass of molten iron. Only when the air current reaches its maximum intensity, the converter is put back in the vertical position. Otherwise, the molten metal would plug the holes in the bottom, preventing air from entering the furnace.

When fully operational, it releases bright sparks, dense brown smoke, and deep red flames into the air.

After a few minutes, the flames grow larger and brighter, indicating that the carbon is burning.

After about 15 minutes, the flames quickly die down and all impurities are removed.

Then, the converter is tilted again and the air passage is closed.

This action must be done at the right time. If it proceeds prematurely, some impurities remain in the metal, and if, on the contrary, the operation is delayed, the metal burns, rendering it useless.

The necessary elements, such as carbon and manganese, are then added and the final product is obtained.

Although the Bessemer converter has been very successful, it has the serious disadvantage that it only works well with high grade, low phosphorus ore.

For this reason, it is currently only used to make a small part of total steel production.