Some Account of the Life of Mr. William Shakespear (1709)

In Short

This pioneering biographical essay, published in 1709, represents the first systematic attempt to document the life of England’s most famous poet. By gathering local Warwickshire traditions and blending them with a critical appreciation of the plays, the text effectively launched modern Shakespearean scholarship. It has endured not for the absolute accuracy of its anecdotal history, but because it established the enduring image of the playwright as a "natural" genius—a figure of untutored, magnificent spontaneity who rose above the rigid, rule-bound expectations of his critics.

The Story

The narrative begins in the provincial setting of Stratford-upon-Avon in April 1564, where a young man of "good figure and fashion" is born into a family of modest means. His early life is shaped by the pressures of economic necessity; the father, a wool dealer, withdraws his son from school to assist in the family business, thereby limiting the boy’s formal education. This lack of academic training is central to the account, as it frames the playwright not as a product of classical pedantry, but as a vessel of innate, explosive talent. He ventures to London, enters the playhouse in a humble capacity, and swiftly transforms from a minor performer—notably remembered only for playing the Ghost in Hamlet—into a writer whose vivid imagination and mastery of human passion command the stage.

As his career flourishes, the narrative tracks his rise among the literary circles of his time. He earns the admiration of peers like Edmund Spenser, who recognizes a "gentle spirit" in the face of the era's vulgarity. The account navigates the tension between his public success and the critical friction caused by his disregard for the rigid dramatic rules favored by later theorists. Rather than defending the plays against these accusations of structural irregularity, the account dismisses the critics as pedants, arguing that the playwright’s "beautiful extravagance" is far more valuable than the stale correctness of the ancients.

The story proceeds to his final years, marked by a dignified return to his native Stratford. His life concludes in retirement, surrounded by friends and the local gentry. The narrative lingers on the character of the man as revealed through his interactions with contemporaries, such as the anecdote of a stinging, improvised epitaph composed for a local usurer. It ends with a somber look at his final resting place, noting the famous protective curse inscribed upon his grave. The account serves as a final, quiet testament to a man whose legacy is defined not by documented events, but by the "large streams of honey and sweet nectar" that flowed from his pen.

How It Unfolds

The provincial origins The account opens in Stratford, detailing the family’s social standing and the limited schooling that prevented the poet from mastering Latin or the classics. This scarcity of formal training is positioned as his greatest advantage, allowing his "natural genius" to operate without the constraints of academic imitation.

The rise in London The focus shifts to the theater, where a young, ambitious writer enters the company in a lowly rank. His talent for drama quickly eclipses his modest skills as an actor, and he begins to produce works that capture the imagination of the public.

The creative independence The middle section argues that the playwright exists outside the rules of the Grecian stage. He is presented as a singular force who requires no defense from the "tyranny of pedants," as his ability to command terror and comedy proves his authority is as sacred as a king's.

The retirement and legacy The final movement follows the aging poet back to Stratford, where he spends his later years in comfortable ease. The account concludes with his death, his burial in the local church, and a reflection on his family, ultimately deferring to the plays themselves as the only true record of his character.

The People

William Shakespear is the central figure, portrayed as a man of "exceeding candor and good nature" whose genius is entirely intuitive. He is contrasted with the "pedants" of the critical world, specifically those who would restrain his "fire and impetuosity" with the rigid, learned rules of classical structure.

Ben Jonson appears as a complex, begrudging friend and contemporary. While he acknowledges the playwright’s genius, he is also the source of the criticism that he lacked "Art" and occasionally fell into bombast. Jonson acts as the representative of the learned tradition, providing a foil that highlights the playwright’s more natural, spontaneous style.

Thomas Betterton, the celebrated actor, serves as the vital bridge between the playwright’s lifetime and the eighteenth century. He is the authority who traveled to Warwickshire to preserve the fading memories and local tales that form the core of this biography. His deep, lifelong study of the plays allows him to perform them as if he were in direct communion with the author.

Finally, the critic Rymer represents the "ungrateful province" of fault-finding. He is the antagonist of the account, representing the narrow, rule-bound thinking that the text seeks to overcome. By focusing on the "beauties" of the plays rather than the faults Rymer emphasizes, the author secures the playwright's place as the greatest of the English poets.

In Its Own Voice

"His Father, who was a considerable Dealer in Wool, had so large a Family, ten Children in all, that tho' he was his eldest Son, he could give him no better Education than his own Employment."

This passage introduces the humble, practical beginnings that the author credits with shielding the poet from the stifling influence of classical imitation.

"If he had a Pique against the Man, and wrote on purpose to ruin a Reputation so well establish'd, he has had the Mortification to fail altogether in his Attempt, and to see the World at least as fond of Shakespear as of his Critique."

This defense addresses the critical attacks of the time, asserting that the public's love for the work far outweighs the negative judgments of scholarly critics.

What It's Really About

The central theme is the triumph of natural genius over the prescriptive rules of art. The book argues that the playwright’s greatness is precisely what makes him difficult to analyze through traditional, rigid frameworks. It asks whether a writer who has no knowledge of classical "regularity" can be judged by the laws of others, ultimately concluding that his "beautiful extravagance" creates its own standards. It is a work of celebration, attempting to map the personality of a man who was already becoming a cultural monument, while acknowledging that the man himself—the "pleasant Willy"—remains largely elusive, hidden behind the "mimick shade" of his own creations.

Why Read It Today

Readers interested in the history of ideas will find this book fascinating as a relic of how the modern understanding of the playwright was forged. It provides a window into the eighteenth-century mind, showing us a version of the past where local folklore and hearsay were still considered legitimate biographical evidence. It is a warm, unpretentious read, devoid of the complex jargon that characterizes modern literary analysis, and it captures a sense of wonder at the plays that feels surprisingly contemporary.

However, the modern reader should be prepared for the realities of the period’s scholarship. Much of what is presented here has been debunked by centuries of subsequent research, and the author is candid about the "narrowness of his circumstances" in recovering true facts. The prose reflects the ornate, slightly formal style of the early 1700s, and the text includes occasional Latin phrases and archaic spelling. It is not a textbook of facts, but a narrative of reverence. If you appreciate the history of literature and want to see how the myth of the "natural genius" was built, this book offers a deeply personal and engaging look at the birth of the Shakespeare legend.