Unit2KingLear教材背景链接WilliamShakespeare(1564～1616)isoneofthemostremarkableplaywrightsandpoetstheworldhaseverknown.Withhis38plays，154sonnetsand2longpoems，hehasestablishedhisgiantpositioninworldliterature.Hehasalsobeengiventhehighestpraisesbyvariousscholarsandcriticstheworldover.Inthepast400yearsorso，booksandessaysonShakespeareandhisworkshavekeptcomingoutinlargequantities.ShakespearewenttoaLondonwhichaffordedawonderfulenvironmentforthedevelopmentofdrama.Fromabout1591toabout1611，Shakespearewasintheprimeofhisdramaticcareerandhisplayscameoutoneafteranother.Shakespearedidnotconfinehisgeniusmerelytothetheater.In1593and1594，hepublishedtwonarrativepoems(叙事诗)．Healsowrotesonnets，whichwerepublishedin1609.By1597，ShakespearewassoprosperousthatheboughtthelargesthouseinStratford，knownasNewPlace.About1610ShakespeareleftLondonandretiredtoStratford.HediedonApril23，1616.Generallyhisdramaticcareerisdividedintofourperiods.Thefirstperiodwasoneofapprenticeship.Hewrotefivehistoryplays：HenryⅥ，artsⅠ，ⅡandⅢ，RichardⅢ，andTitusAndronicus；andfourcomedies：ThecomedyofErrors，TheTwoGentlemenofVerona，TheTamingoftheShrew，andLove’sLabour’sLost.Inthesecondperiod，Shakespeare’sstyleandapproachbecamehighlyindividualized.InthisPeriodhewrotefivehistories：RichardⅡ，KingJohn，HenryⅣ，PartsⅠandⅡ，andHenryⅤ；sixcomedies：AMidsummerNight’sDream,TheMerchantofVenice，MuchAdoAboutNothing，AsyouLikeIt，TwelfthNight，andTheMerryWivesofWindsor；andTwotragedies：RomeoandJulietandJuliusCaesar.Shakespeare’sthirdperiodincludeshisgreatesttragediesandhissocalleddarkcomedies.ThetragediesofthisperiodareHamlet，Othello，KingLear，Macbeth，AntonyandCleopatra，TroilusandCressida，andCoriolanus.ThetwocomediesareAll’sWellThatEndsWellandMeasureforMeasure.ThelastperiodofShakespeare’sworkincludeshisprincipleromantictragicomedies；Pericles，Cymbeline，TheWinter’sTaleandTheTempest；andhistwofinalplays：HenryⅦandTheTwoNobleKinsmenTrue(T)orFalse(F)：1.Shakespearewroteonly38playsandtwolongpoemsinhislife.()2.RomeoandJulietisafamouscomedyaswellasAll’sWellThatEndsWell.()3.TheMerchantofVeniceisoneofShakespeare’sworkswritteninthesecondperiod.()FFT
