INTRODUCTION
Were Shakespeare alive today, would he teach at a Writer’s Workshop?
Not Likely. He was far too busy. From about 1589 to 1613, Shakespeare wrote 37 plays, 154 sonnets, and five narrative poems. He was a shareholder in the Lord Chamberlain’s Men and helped oversee the operation of that acting company, along with The Globe and Blackfriars theaters. He also kept a close eye on his various properties and investments in Stratford. He had little time for organizing and moderating group discussions, much less offering advice or instruction to novice authors.
But that doesn’t mean that writers of any discipline-- from poetry to Power Point presentation-- can’t learn from the English Language’s greatest writer.
It would help, certainly, to be born a genius. Still, according the Einstein’s Formula (1/100 I + 99/100 P = G) Shakespeare must have worked very hard at his craft. He studied the Classics and History, read voraciously and borrowed (voraciously) from other writers. He experimented, made mistakes; he knew what audiences wanted and learned how to deliver it. And, all along the way, he left clues to his development as a writer.
By following his path and studying his plays in chronological order, From Henry VI Part 2 to The Two Noble Kinsmen, we can follow those clues, learn as he learned, and become Shakespeare’s Apprentice.
NEXT: Shakespeare’s Education
