ENGLISH LITERATURE (CBSE/UGC NET)

Detailed explanation-1: -’The Lost Years’ refers to the period of Shakespeare’s life between the baptism of his twins, Hamnet and Judith in 1585 and his apparent arrival on the London theatre scene in 1592.

Detailed explanation-2: -From 1585 until 1592, very little is known about Shakespeare. These are generally referred to as ‘The Lost Years’. But by 1592 we know that he was in London where he was singled out by a rival dramatist, Robert Greene in his bitter deathbed pamphlet, A Groats-worth of Witte.

Detailed explanation-3: -Shakespeare’s retirement was not a matter of sitting around in slippers and letting the world pass him by: he was active in monitoring his financial interests, took an interest in borough affairs, and continued to work with younger playwrights, collaborating with them on plays, and visiting London frequently.

Detailed explanation-4: -Shakespeare retired from writing around 1613, and he spent his remaining years in Stratford looking after his business interests and his family, until his death on April 23, 1616.

Detailed explanation-5: -An Introduction. William Shakespeare was a renowned English poet, playwright, and actor born in 1564 in Stratford-upon-Avon. His birthday is most commonly celebrated on 23 April (see When was Shakespeare born), which is also believed to be the date he died in 1616.