A Love Affair: selected sonnets

William Shakespeare was born in Stratford-upon-Avon and baptized on April 26, 1564. Not much is precisely known about the course of his life. He was probably educated at the local grammar school but did not attend university. At the age of 18 he married Anne Hathaway with whom he had three children (in 1583 and twins in 1585). His life in the following years is obscure. But there is evidence that in 1592 Shakespeare was earning a living as an actor and playwright in London. After the plague of 1592-94, he joined Lord Chamberlain’s company of actors and in 1599 cofounded the Globe Theatre, the most famous playhouse of its time. The success of his writing and performing activity gave him the means to acquire a large estate in Stratford-upon-Avon (1597), to where he maintained close links and retired a few years before his sudden death at the age of 52, on 23 April 1616.

William Shakespeare wrote over 30 plays and is still regarded as the greatest English writer and dramatist. As Ben Jonson — writer, admirer and friend — put it, he was ‘not for an age but for all time’. Amongst his poetry, he wrote 154 famous sonnets, the majority being addressed to a fair young man with whom an intriguing and passionate love story develops, which Shakespeare dramatizes while reflecting on the ravages of the passing time. Much has been speculated about the autobiographical nature of these sonnets and on the circumstances and motivations of their publication in 1609. The questions that we raise today may never be completely answered, but the sonnets remain a masterpiece of poetic beauty of the highest written order. This edition, a selection of 52 sonnets, tries to capture the essence of a love affair lived — or just imagined — a long time ago.

Collection: Discover the Classics

Autor: William Shakespeare

Language: English

Measurements: 120×182 mm (softcover)

Pages: 128

Publisher: TEGNER-publishing, Lda

Chancela: CARRACK books

First edition: July 2024