How Famous Was Shakespeare in His Time?
When we think of William Shakespeare today, we picture a literary colossus who is widely regarded as the greatest dramatist — and arguably the greatest writer — who ever lived. His works have shaped not only the literary world for centuries, but also the English language itself. But how famous was the “Bard of Avon” during his own lifetime, from 1564 to 1616? The answer is perhaps not as straightforward as one would expect, considering his truly monumental status today. Shakespeare’s rise to enduring renown was certainly not immediate, and reflects the nature of fame in Elizabethan and Jacobean England.
An Early Rise to Recognition
Shakespeare was born in 1564 in the English town of Stratford-upon-Avon. At the age of 18, he married Anne Hathaway, and the couple had three children. It’s hard to say, however, exactly when Shakespeare’s career began or when he emerged on the London theater scene. The Taming of the Shrew is considered to be one of his earliest works, generally believed to have been written before 1592. It was in the mid-1590s that the playwright’s name started to become known, at least in literary circles. In 1593, he had an overnight sensation with his narrative poem Venus and Adonis. The witty, at times erotic poem was such a success that it remained, during his lifetime, Shakespeare’s most popular published work, and was widely commented upon and quoted in many journals, letters, and plays of the period.
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The Lord Chamberlain’s Men
Despite the success of Venus and Adonis, a single popular work wasn’t enough to make Shakespeare a household name. In reality, he was likely known among London’s theater set, and not far beyond. His reputation within this circle would have been bolstered by his role in the Lord Chamberlain’s Men, later known as the King’s Men under James I. This acting company was the most important and successful troupe of players in England’s Elizabethan era (Queen Elizabeth I’s reign from 1558 to 1603) and Jacobean era (King James I’s reign from 1603 to 1625). The troupe played almost continuously in London from 1594 to 1603, including performances at the royal court. Shakespeare wrote many of his plays during this period, producing an average of two a year, and these works formed the bulk of the company’s repertory. He also acted with them.
The Limits of Fame in Shakespeare’s Time
Venues such as the Globe Theatre in London — built by the Lord Chamberlain’s Men — could hold up to 3,000 people. Shakespeare’s plays, therefore, certainly drew large crowds during his time, and were popular with audiences across social classes. The success of his plays, however, didn’t necessarily translate into fame. In Shakespeare’s time, there was no mass media, and the concept of celebrity was not the same as we know it today. What’s more, even if he was well-known in London, Shakespeare wouldn’t have been a national celebrity — and certainly not an international celebrity — because back then there wasn’t nearly as much communication between cities, or even a city and its surrounding region, as there is today.
Other Prominent Playwrights of the Day
Shakespeare also wasn’t the only popular dramatist writing in the late 16th century, and he had significant competition — and in some cases rivalries — with various writers. Critics and theatergoers didn’t necessarily consider him superior to his contemporaries. He was respected in literary circles, but no more so than other prominent playwrights of the time, such as Christopher Marlowe, Ben Jonson, Thomas Middleton, and Thomas Kyd. So, while Shakespeare was certainly well known and respected in the theatrical world of his time, he was far from the only act in town — and his contemporary fame was not comparable to his posthumous legacy.
A Legacy Like No Other
Shakespeare’s enduring reputation owes much to developments that took place after his death in 1616, perhaps most notably the publication of the First Folio in 1623. This lavish book was the first published collection of Shakespeare’s plays. At the time, about half of Shakespeare’s plays had never previously appeared in print, including As You Like It, Julius Caesar, Macbeth, and The Tempest. Were it not for the First Folio, 18 of his plays might well have been lost forever. Not only did the collection preserve much of Shakespeare’s work, but it also helped ensure that Shakespeare became the universally revered cultural and literary icon — and household name — that he is today. As Ben Jonson wrote in his introduction to the First Folio, “The applause! Delight! The wonder of our Stage... He was not of an age, but for all time!”
