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I"m done with Intro through Summary

alot of this you can remove just try taking the main facts about his life and cut the rest

William Shakespeare was born in April of 1564. There is no specific date of birth because at that time the only date of importance was the date of baptism, though infants often were baptized when they were three days old. Shakespeare's baptismal date was April 26, 1564.

Shakespeare was born in the village of Stratford-upon-Avon in Warwickshire. At the time of his birth, the village had a population of 1500 people, and only 200 houses. Shakespeare's father, John Shakespeare, came from a family of yeomen, and he gained many prestigious positions in the community. Shakespeare's mother, Mary Arden, came from an ancient family of landed gentry. The whole family was Anglican. The family's financial situation was well off. Not much information is known about Shakespeare's youth, although undoubtedly he was educated in the local school, where he studied Latin and Greek, among other subjects, during a school day that often lasted from dawn to dusk.


Shakespeare was married to Anne Hathaway in 1582, when he was 18; she was 26, eight years his senior. The exact wedding date is uncertain, but the marriage certificate was issued on November 27,1582. Anne was the daughter of a respected yeoman farmer. William and Anne had their first child, Susanna, in May of 1583. This was followed by the birth of twins, Hamnet and Judith, in January of 1585. Most historians believe that Shakespeare was not often around his family in Stratford after that because historical records show him in London during the following years.

The first written reference to Shakespeare's existence in London occurred in 1592, when Shakespeare was in his late twenties. He seems to have been fairly well established in the theatre by that point, since the reference, written by another playwright, hints of jealousy at Shakespeare's success.

With his two patrons, the Earls of South Hampton and Pembrooke, Shakespeare rose quickly in the theater as both an actor and an author. He joined the Lord Chamberlin's Men, an acting company which was protected by the Queen, becoming a shareholder and senior member in 1595. Because of his success in London, he was able to purchase New Place, the largest and most elegant house in his home town of Stratford, when he was in his early thirties (1597).

In addition to his popularity as both an actor and playwright, Shakespeare became joint owner of the famous Globe theater when it opened in 1599. His share of the company's management added heavily to his wealth.

WHoa..its huge...but i got it down now...now a paragraph about foreshadowing of the play

try bits and pieces of these but be careful and use your own wording for this because this is more collegian level writing

Shakespeare uses foreshadowing in Romeo and Juliet to warn the reader that danger or a perilous situation is near. As the play opens in the city of Verona, and the audience settles down to hear the tale of the star-crossed lovers, it is evident that things are not going to turn out well for the pair. The story of Romeo and Juliet progresses and the foreshadowing becomes heavier. The witty word play that Shakespeare so often employs serves as a double entendre for the impending events, such as Mercutio’s admittance that the next day will find him a “grave man”.

Although the marriage about to take place in Act 2, scene 6 is a peaceful scene, it does contain elements that foreshadow future sorrow. First, the Friar, upon blessing the marriage, asks the heavens to smile on the couple no matter what hardships may befall them. This is a common wish at a wedding, yet Romeo accepts his statement with bravado. He challenges "love-devouring death" to "do what he dare." Romeo believes that if he is with Juliet, all will be fine. Of course, love-devouring death rises to Romeo's challenge. When Friar Lawrence scolds Romeo for his ego, his words also foreshadow the tragedy to follow. He says, "These violent delights have violent ends/ And in their triumph die, like fire and powder,/ Which as they kiss, consume." This basically means that only bad can come from having too much good. Therefore, he advices Romeo to "love moderately." Despite his good advice, however, the Friar still marries the couple that afternoon.

this I stole from a website so again rewrite and cut as much as you can.


POISON
Starting form Act II, scene ii, poison in it's many forms takes the stage. The most direct comment that we have that begins to create this symbol is that from Friar Lawrence when he states that every plant, herb, and stone has its own special properties and that nothing is intrinsically evilly, that it is only made so by human hands. From this stems the idea that it is not the drug that induces Juliet's drug-induced coma that causes Romeo to kill himself, but in fact it is Juliet's use of the drug. A death stemming from human hands. Along these same lines, there is the claim that it is society that is to blame the apothecary for selling such poison since society will not allow laws that would help him bring in money and thus society is at fault for the death. All this leads to the idea that poison is actually society and that it is society in the wrong hands that causes chaos and destruction. Just as the appropriate use of a poison can help cure, the appropriate use of society can help construct a decent living, yet either can have the adverse effect.


Death and Premonitions Thereof
Both lovers have intimations of coming death – Romeo before he even arrives at the Capulet’s party, and Juliet when she sees Romeo climbing from her window on his way to exile in Mantua. "Oh god, I have an ill-divining soul," she calls down to him. "Methinks I see thee, now thou art so low, / as one dead in the bottom of a tomb" (3.5.54-56). In the most literal possible way, Juliet’s drug-induced deathlike state foreshadows her own death. And the apothecary from whom Romeo buys the poison is described as looking like death – thin, starving, with hollow eyes. Romeo is symbolically buying his death from death.

Night
Night is also a powerful symbol in the play. The lovers’ passion appears against a backdrop of darkness, as against a background of hatred and violence. But night also shelters and protects the lovers, while the glare of day threatens to reveal them. The heat of the sun makes the young men of Verona irritable and prone to violence. The cool night, in contrast, is a haven for love. We often think of night as both a time for romance and liberation, as well as a time of danger, and the imagery of night in Romeo and Juliet carries both night’s promises and its threats. Hidden in darkness, Romeo and Juliet’s love is free from the social rules that would divide them. But danger also lurks in the darkness, and the secrecy of Romeo and Juliet’s marriage will prove fatal to them