William Shakespeare

uWilliam Shakespeare (waaphehlelelwa ngomhla wama-26 kuTshazimpuzi ka-1564 – wabhubha ngowama-23 kuTshazimpuzi ka-1616) wayengummi waseNgilane owayengumbhali wemidlalo yeqonga, eyimbongi, kwaye ekwanguye nomlinganisi-qongeni. Hlabathini-banzi, kunanamhla oku, uShakespeare lo waziwa kakhulu kwaye uhlonitshwa njengoyena mbhali ubalaseleyo nowayephume izandla kulwimi lwesiNgesi; ingakumbi kwimidlalo yeqonga. Maxa wambi ude emana echazwa njengembongi yesizwe saseNgilani, kunjalonje abizwe "iNyange lase-Avon" (okanye ke "iNyange"). Imisebenzi-mibhalo yakhe eyaziwayo, kuquka imisebenzi yokuncedisana, xa iyonke ibalelwa kumashumi amathathu anesithoba (39) yemidlalo-qongeni, ikhulu elinamashumi amahlanu anesine (154) ezibongo eziziisonethi, izibongo-ntetho/mbaliso ezintathu, kunye neminye imihlathi embalwa, kunye nemibhalo nje ethile engagqamanga. Imidlalo-qongeni yakhe iye yaguqulelwa kuninzi lweelwimi eziphilayo/ezithethwayo ezinkulu kwaye idlalwa jikelele emaqongeni rhoqo ngaphezu kwemidlalo-qonga yakhe nawuphi na umbhali-midlalo-qongeni ehlabathini. Kunanamhla oku, usaziwa engoyena mbhali ungumzekelo/usisisele senyathi kubabhali kunye nenyange lolwimi lwesiNgesi. Imisebenzi yakhe isaqhubeka ngokufundwa kwaye isaqhuba nokwenziwa iinguqulelo zeenguqulelo, ezihlelwa ngokuhlelwa.

uWilliam Shakespeare

U-Mzobo ka-Chandos obonisa u-Shakespeare (ugcinwe yi-National Portrait Gallery, e-London)
Uzelwe	Stratford-upon-Avon, England
Uphehlelelwe	26 April 1564
Ubhubhe	23 April 1616 (ubudala 52) Stratford-upon-Avon, England
Indawo yokuphumla/angcwatyelwe kuyo	Church of the Holy Trinity, Stratford-upon-Avon
Umsebenzi wakhe	* umbhali-midlalo-qongeni * imbongi * umlinganisi-qongeni
Iminyaka yokusenza	c. 1585–1613
Ixesha/ixa lokuphila	* iXa lika-Elizabhethe * iXa lamaJekhobhini
Intshukumo	iNguqu yamaNgesi
Umlingane wobomi	Anne Hathaway(m. 1582)
Abantwana	* Susanna Hall * Hamnet Shakespeare * Judith Quiney
Abazali	* John Shakespeare (uyise) * Mary Arden (unina)
Utyikityo

Lo ka-Shakespeare wazalelwa wakhulela e-Stratford-upon-Avon, e-Warwickshire, e-Ngilane. Uthe xa ekwiminyaka elishumi elinesibhoso ebudaleni (18) wazeka/watshata u-Anne Hathaway, owathi wamzalela isithathu sabantwana: u-Susanna kunye namawele, u-Hamnet no-Judith. Xeshikweni lithile phambili phayaa phakathi kweminyaka yewaka elinesihlanu samakhulu nesibhozo samashumi anantlanu (1585) ukuya kunyaka wewaka elinamakhulu amahlanu anesithoba samashumi anambini (1592), waaqalisa isakhono sakhe esiqaqambileyo e-London njengomlinganisi-qongeni, umbhali, kunye nombandakanywa-mnini/ilungu lequmrhu lemidlalo-qongeni elalibizwa Amadoda eNkosi uTshembaleni, nelathi kamva labizwa Amadoda eKumkani. Waathi xa wayeminyaka imashumi-mane anesithoba (49) (kwizithuba zeminyaka yama-1613), wabonakala ethabatha umhlalaphantsi e-Stratford, apho ke wabhubhela khona emva kwesithathu seminyaka ekuloo mhlalaphantsi. Ke kaloku zimbalwa kakhulu izishicilelo ezikhoyo ezimalunga nobomi babucala buka-Shakespeare; ngexa yaloonto ke, kuye kwakho iintshukumo, imibuzo, iminqweno kunye neenjongo-ngqwalasela ezivisayo malunga nemiba yembonakalo yakhe, isini sakhe, nezimvo zakhe ngenkolo kunye nokuzama ukugrumba ngelithi ingaba imisebenzi-mibhalo ebizwa ngaye yeyakhe ngokwenene kusini na okanye yaabhalwa ngabanye abantu.

U-Shakespeare waqulunqa eyona misebenzi-mibhalo yakhe yaziwa kakhulu phakathi kweminyaka yama-1589 kunye nama-1613. Imidlao-qongeni yakhe yokuqala yayivame ukuba z-izonwabiso/iziyolisi kunye nee-mbali kwaye nanamhla oku isathatyathwa njengeyona misebenzi-mibhalo ibalaseleyo ngobungcono nokugqibelela eyathi yaqulunqwa kwezintlobo zemibhalo zombini. Waza ke emva koko wakholisa ukubhala izehlo/iziganeko ukuya kunyaka wama-1608, phakathi kwayo loo misebenzi singabalula u-Hamlet, u-Romeo and Juliet, u-Othello, u-King Lear, kunye no-Macbeth; mibhalo leyo ke yathi yathatyathwa njengeyona ikrelekrele kakhulu phakathi kwemibhalo jikelele ezimbalini zemibhalo kulwimi lwesiNgesi. Kwisigaba sokugqibela sobomi bakhe, u-Shakespeare waabhala iintlekele-ziyolisi (ezaziwa maxa wambi njenge-mibhalo-luthando) kwaye ke wasebenzisana ngokuncedisana nabanye ababhali-midlalo-qongeni.

Uninzi lwemidlalo-qongeni ka-Shakespeare yayisasazwa/yayisaziswa/yayipapashwa ngokwezihlaziyo nemihlalutyo ngemihlalutyo, ngokuxhomekeke ekushiyaneni komongo, undoqo, nangokwexabiso lwembalasela yomdlalo ngamnye, kunye nokungqamana kwexesha lobomi bakhe. Kodwa ke, ngonyaka wama-1623, abafo ababini ababengabalingane baseqongeni nababengabahlobo baka-Shakespeare, u-John Heminges kunye no-Henry Condell, baashicilela/baapapasha eyona mibhalo icacileyo eyaziwa njenge-First Folio, eyimibhalo-mbaliso eyingqokelela yohlaziyo lwemisebenzi ka-Shakespeare eyayiquka yonke imibhalo-qongeni yakhe ngaphandle nje kwemibini kuphela. Ingabula-zigcawu yayo yayingumbongo ka-Ben Jonson; mhobe lowo wawubonga u-Shakespeare ngamazwi agqame nanamhla oku athi: "not of an age, but for all time" ("ayikokwengugo oku, kodwa kokwanaphakade").