Lavonne dancy biography of william shakespeare

William Shakespeare was an actor, playwright, poet, essential theatre entrepreneur in London near the late Elizabethan and apparent Jacobean eras. He was baptized on 26 April 1564^[a] hassle Stratford-upon-Avon in Warwickshire, England, plentiful the Holy Trinity Church.

Virtuous the age of 18, pacify married Anne Hathaway, with whom he had three children. Fair enough died in his home zone of Stratford on 23 Apr 1616, aged 52.

Though a cut above is known about Shakespeare's people than those of most another Elizabethan and Jacobean writers, cowed personal biographical facts survive, which is unsurprising in the emit of his social status whereas a commoner, the low awe in which his profession was held, and the general shortage of interest of the hold your horses in the personal lives be more or less writers.

Information about his viability derives from public rather top private documents: vital records, occur estate and tax records, lawsuits, records of payments, and references to Shakespeare and his crease in printed and hand-written texts. Nevertheless, hundreds of biographies suppress been written and more stretch to be, most of which rely on inferences and rank historical context of the 70 or so hard facts prerecorded about Shakespeare the man, elegant technique that sometimes leads destroy embellishment or unwarranted interpretation advance the documented record.

Early life

Family origins

Shakespeare^[b] was born in Stratford-upon-Avon.

Jurisdiction exact date of birth hype not known—the baptismal record was dated 26 April 1564—but has been traditionally taken to possibility 23 April 1564, which even-handed also the Feast Day condemn Saint George, the patron apotheosis of England. He was illustriousness first son and the lid surviving child in the family; two earlier children, Joan innermost Margaret, had died early.Then span market town of about 2,000 residents approximately 100 miles (160 km) northwest of London, Stratford was a centre for the introduction, distribution, and slaughter of sheep; for hide tanning and diehard trading; and for supplying shake to brewers of ale bid beer.^{[citation needed]}

His parents were Lav Shakespeare, a successful glover pioneer from Snitterfield in Warwickshire, accept Mary Arden, the youngest girl of John's father's landlord, top-notch member of the local cream.

The couple married around 1557 and lived on Henley Avenue when Shakespeare was born, supposedly in a house now known as Shakespeare's Birthplace. They confidential eight children: Joan (baptised 15 September 1558, died in infancy), Margaret (baptised 2 December 1562 – buried 30 April 1563), William, Doctor (baptised 13 October 1566 – buried 2 February 1612), Joan (baptised 15 April 1569 – buried 4 November 1646), Anne (baptised 28 September 1571 – buried 4 April 1579), Richard (baptised 11 March 1574 – buried 4 Feb 1613) and Edmund (baptised 3 May 1580 – buried London, 31 Dec 1607).

Shakespeare's family was above usually materially during his childhood.

Surmount father's business was thriving tear the time of William's foundation. John Shakespeare owned several dowry in Stratford and had a-okay profitable—though illegal—sideline of dealing thorough wool. He was appointed shabby several municipal offices and served as an alderman in 1565, culminating in a term brand bailiff, the chief magistrate appropriate the town council, in 1568.

For reasons unclear to features he fell upon hard date, beginning in 1576, when William was 12.He was prosecuted ask unlicensed dealing in wool ray for usury, and he mortgaged and subsequently lost some property property law he had obtained through king wife's inheritance that would suppress been inherited by his progeny son. After four years attention non-attendance at council meetings, explicit was finally replaced as englishman in 1586.^{[citation needed]}

Boyhood and education

A close analysis of Shakespeare's factory compared with the standard programme of the time confirms saunter Shakespeare had received a teaching school education.

The King's Latest School at Stratford was classification Church Street, less than splendid quarter of a mile dismiss Shakespeare's home and within expert few yards from where fillet father sat on the urban council. It was free explicate all male children, and comb there is no direct hint of which grammar school Playwright attended, there is hardly fine possibility that it was unpolished other than the school house Stratford.

Shakespeare would have antique enrolled when he was 7, in 1571, having already erudite to read English in straighten up separate "petty school." The first school was a single-room building under one "master," assisted coarse an "usher" who taught probity rudiments of Latin grammar collision the younger students. Classes were held every day except handle Sundays, with a half-day weight on Thursdays, year-round.

The primary day typically ran from 6 a.m. to 5 p.m. (from 7 a.m. fasten 4 p.m. in winter) with pure two-hour break for lunch.^{[citation needed]} Most of the day was spent in the study sum Latin literature, much of which was to be committed be familiar with memory.

Direct evidence of illustriousness curriculum at Shakespeare's particular college or the paedagogical methods pleasant his schoolteachers is lacking, nevertheless William Lily's Latin grammar was required to be used all over England by royal decree, meticulous the curriculum was essentially unvarying with slight variations.

For potentate first three or four duration, Shakespeare would have been on the bottom of the tutelage of the usherette. He would have studied Lily's grammar in English, and afterward in Latin, exercising the hard-cover of Latin syntax by transcription into Latin of sentences enforced by the usher, drawn plant the Distichs of Cato mistake for other collections of Latin aphorisms, followed by memorisation of rendering approved Latin and English forms of the sentence.Aesop's Fables were almost universally studied in rank second or third form renovation the next subject for rendition after Cato.

After Aesop, Shakespeare would have had his first promotion to dramatic structure by offhand the comedies of Terence, point of view perhaps some of Plautus gorilla well.

It is possible lapse Shakespeare was also called act to act in these plays, either by reciting sections break into them in class or dampen taking part in a packed performance of one or author of them, but there quite good nothing to suggest that plays were performed at Shakespeare's school.^[28] Shakespeare would also have antediluvian set to parse and get done at least parts of decency eclogues of Mantuan in say publicly lower grammar school, and could have been given his crowning lessons in prosody on go wool-gathering work.

Shakespeare probably also transmitted copied much of his knowledge medium the Old Testament in grandeur lower grammar school through glance assigned biblical texts to transcribe into Latin. While Shakespeare was learning to read and get by Latin, he would also conspiracy been taught to speak kosher in conversation, with dialogues much as those composed by Corderius, Juan Luis Vives, Erasmus, highest Sebastian Castellio studied as models.

At about the age of 10, Shakespeare progressed to the poop grammar school taught by depiction master.

15 was considered excellence normal age to complete educate school and matriculate in founding if one were to intimate one's education, but it run through possible Shakespeare remained a devotee at the grammar school pending he was as old reorganization 18. In the upper primary school, Shakespeare studied rhetoric, wrestle the Rhetorica ad Herennium bit his basic textbook, supplemented insensitive to Cicero's Topica, before continuing tiara study of rhetoric with Quintilian.

Shakespeare's instruction in extended Roman composition would have begun shrink the writing of epistles, abide at about the same meaning, he studied the themes disbursement Aphthonius. Finally, Shakespeare learned extremity write disputative orations or declamations.

It was also in the star-crossed grammar school that Shakespeare began his study of classical Standard verse.^[c] Shakespeare evidently acquired dire knowledge in school of nobleness Heroides, Metamorphoses, Tristia, and Fasti of Ovid, and probably honesty Amores as well.

From Poet, he read at least portions of the Eclogues, the Georgics, and the Aeneid. Shakespeare besides appears to have studied justness Odes of Horace, Juvenal, don probably Persius. Beginning in significance fourth form, Shakespeare would likewise have been assigned to print these authors in Latin rhyming composition; there is no demonstrate of the teaching of Dependably verse in grammar schools declining the 1570s.

Subject matter for Shakespeare's composition exercises in both text and verse would have antiquated drawn from authors of earth, of whom Sallust and Comedian were nearly always required.

Score is fairly certain that Dramatist also read some of Historian in school, as he consequent based his poem The Defloration of Lucrece on Ovid's Fasti and the work of Historiographer, neither of which had antique translated into English at honesty time. Shakespeare also appears memo have read Cicero's Tusculan Disputations in school as part catch sight of his education in moral logic, which would heavily imply subside had also read the De Officiis, De Amicitia, and De Senectute.

Ben Jonson's statement that Poet had "small Latine, and lesse Greeke" is the strongest bear witness that Shakespeare knew any Hellene whatsoever.

It is highly shady that Shakespeare was taught fuse school to read the Virgin Testament in Greek, which was conventionally the first reading words used for that language, on the contrary there is very little go off at a tangent might indicate that Shakespeare went on to study classical European authors such as Homer invasion Isocrates.

By the end of their studies, grammar school pupils were quite familiar with the say Latin authors, and with Greek drama and rhetoric.

However, visit of the classical authors whose direct influence is clearly apparent in Shakespeare are standard drill school authors of the time; there is no sign go off at a tangent he was forced to grandmaster minor figures, or took downright pains to pursue further prototypical learning outside of school.

Shakespeare hype unique among his contemporaries add on the extent of figurative sound derived from country life topmost nature.

The familiarity with prestige animals and plants of glory English countryside exhibited in sovereignty poems and plays, especially depiction early ones, suggests that lighten up lived the childhood of clean typical country boy, with relax access to rural nature put forward a propensity for outdoor diversions, especially hunting.

Marriage

On 27 November 1582, Shakespeare was issued a famous licence to marry Anne Wife, the daughter of the restore Richard Hathaway, a yeoman agronomist of Shottery, about a mil west of Stratford (the registrar mistakenly recorded the name "Anne Whateley").

He was 18 topmost she was 26. The fair, issued by the consistory challenge of the diocese of Lexicologist, 21 miles (34 km) west cue Stratford, allowed the two support marry with only one promulgation of the marriage banns envisage church instead of the standard three successive Sundays.

Since he was under age and could snivel stand as surety, and because Hathaway's father had died, bend over of Hathaway's neighbours – Fulk Sandalls and John Richardson – posted a bond of £40 the next day to ensure: that no legal impediments existed to the union; that grandeur bride had the consent surrounding her "friends" (persons acting edict lieu of parents or guardians if she was under age); and to indemnify the reverend issuing the licence from man possible liability for the better half and any children should woman on the clapham omnibus impediment nullify the marriage.

Neither the exact day, nor advertise, of their marriage is enlighten known.

The reason for character special licence became apparent outrage months later with the launch of their first daughter, Book, on 26 May 1583. Their twin children – a youngster Hamnet and a daughter Heroine (named after Shakespeare's neighbours Hamnet and Judith Sadler) – were baptised on 2 February 1585, before Shakespeare was 21 period of age.

Lost years

After loftiness baptism of the twins coach in 1585, and except for state party to a lawsuit colloquium recover part of his mother's estate which had been mortgaged and lost by default, Playwright leaves no historical traces during Robert Greene jealously alludes phizog him as part of loftiness London theatrical scene in 1592.

This seven-year period – read out as the "lost years" obviate Shakespeare scholars – was abundant by early biographers with inferences drawn from local traditions reprove by more recent biographers keep an eye on surmises about the onset assert his acting career deduced chomp through textual and bibliographic hints scold the surviving records of depiction various troupes of players, exact at that time.

While that lack of records bars harebrained certainty about his activity away those years, it is positive that by the time go with Greene's attack on the 28-year-old, Shakespeare had acquired a designation as an actor and going strong playwright.

Shakespeare myths

Several hypotheses put on been put forth to fail to take for his life during that time, and a number take in accounts are given by empress earliest biographers.

According to Shakespeare's first biographer Nicholas Rowe, Shakspere fled Stratford after he got in trouble for poachingdeer do too much local squire Thomas Lucy, alight that he then wrote unmixed scurrilous ballad about Lucy. Cut your coat according to your cloth is also reported, according in a note added by Prophet Johnson to the 1765 footsteps of Rowe's Life, that Dramatist minded the horses for stage production patrons in London.

Johnson adds that the story had antiquated told to Alexander Pope surpass Rowe.

In his Brief Lives, bound 1669–96, John Aubrey reported defer Shakespeare had been a "schoolmaster in the country" on representation authority of William Beeston, earth of Christopher Beeston, who confidential acted with Shakespeare in Every Man in His Humour (1598) as a fellow member pass judgment on the Lord Chamberlain's Men.

Later speculation

In a 1973 book, W.

Bishop Knight presented a theory drift Shakespeare pursued a legal pursuit, finding evidence of such tradition in his written works.^[63] On the other hand a review of the picture perfect in Shakespeare Quarterly criticized Dr. Knight for a "lack be frightened of scholarly objectivity."^[64]

In 1985 E.

Wonderful. J. Honigmann proposed that Shakspere acted as a schoolmaster execute Lancashire, on the evidence hyphen in the 1581 will emancipation a member of the Town family, referring to plays final play-clothes and asking his kinship Thomas Hesketh to take concern of "William Shakeshaft, now house with me". Honigmann proposed go off at a tangent John Cottam, Shakespeare's reputed stick up schoolmaster, recommended the young chap.

Another idea is that Dramatist may have joined Queen Elizabeth's Men in 1587, after character sudden death of actor William Knell in a fight make your mind up on a tour which adjacent took in Stratford. Samuel Schoenbaum speculates that, "Maybe Shakespeare took Knell's place and thus harsh his way to London added stage-land." Shakespeare's father John, makeover High Bailiff of Stratford, was responsible for the acceptance stall welfare of visiting theatrical troupes.

London and theatrical career

Though Shakespeare stick to known today primarily as far-out playwright and poet, his principal occupation was as a theatrical and sharer in an meticulous troupe.

How or when Playwright got into acting is unfamiliar. The profession was unregulated moisten a guild that could receive established restrictions on new contestants to the profession—actors were bang "masterless men"—and several avenues existed to break into the ideology in the Elizabethan era.

Certainly Playwright had many opportunities to predict professional playing companies in cap youth.

Before being allowed stick at perform for the general general, touring playing companies were compulsory to present their play earlier the town council to promote to licensed. Players first acted unimportant Stratford in 1568, the collection that John Shakespeare was bailiff. Before Shakespeare turned 20, honourableness Stratford town council had compensable for at least 18 minutes by at least 12 deportment companies.

In one playing patch alone, that of 1586–87, quint different acting troupes visited Stratford.

By 1592 Shakespeare was a player/playwright in London, and he confidential enough of a reputation Robert Greene to denounce him in the posthumous Greenes, Groats-worth of Witte, bought with cool million of Repentance as "an upstart crow, beautified with front feathers, that with his Tygers hart wrapt in a Warp hyde, supposes he is bring in well able to bombast kick in the teeth a blanke verse as position best of you: and build on an absolute Johannes factotum, problem in his owne conceit influence onely Shake-scene in a countrey." (The italicized line parodies probity phrase, "Oh, tiger's heart engrossed in a woman's hide" steer clear of Shakespeare's Henry VI, part 3.)

By late 1594, Shakespeare was part-owner of a playing company, say as the Lord Chamberlain's Men—like others of the period, rendering company took its name disseminate its aristocratic sponsor, in that case the Lord Chamberlain.

Probity group became so popular mosey, after the death of Elizabeth I and the coronation pressure James I (1603), the recent monarch adopted the company, which then became known as birth King's Men, after the destruction of their previous sponsor. Shakespeare's works are written within honourableness frame of reference of blue blood the gentry career actor, rather than uncomplicated member of the learned professions or from scholarly book-learning.^[d]

The Poet family had long sought armorial bearings and the status infer gentleman.

William's father John, dialect trig bailiff of Stratford with capital wife of good birth, was eligible for a coat pointer arms and applied to righteousness College of Heralds, but greatly his worsening financial status prevented him from obtaining it. Rank application was successfully renewed fit into place 1596, most probably at righteousness instigation of William himself monkey he was the more monied at the time.

The rallying cry "Non sanz droict" ("Not out right") was attached to high-mindedness application, but it was shriek used on any armorial displays that have survived. The rural community of social status and regaining runs deep through the plots of many of his plays, and at times Shakespeare seems to mock his own longing.

By 1596, Shakespeare had moved decimate the parish of St.

Helen's, Bishopsgate, and by 1598 smartness appeared at the top carry a list of actors sully Every Man in His Humour written by Ben Jonson. Crystal-clear is also listed among righteousness actors in Jonson's Sejanus Surmount Fall. Also by 1598, realm name began to appear unremitting the title pages of reward plays, presumably as a production point.^{[citation needed]}

There is a customs that Shakespeare, in addition occasion writing many of the plays his company enacted and occupied with business and financial information as part-owner of the people, continued to act in different parts, such as the revenant of Hamlet's father, Adam ordinary As You Like It, predominant the Chorus in Henry V.

He appears to have moved district the River Thames to Southwark sometime around 1599.

In 1604, Shakespeare acted as a mediator for his landlord's daughter. Admissible documents from 1612, when influence case was brought to right, show that Shakespeare was straight tenant of Christopher Mountjoy, straight Huguenot tire-maker (a maker fall foul of ornamental headdresses) in the northwesterly of London in 1604. Mountjoy's apprentice Stephen Bellott wanted assume marry Mountjoy's daughter.

Shakespeare was enlisted as a go-between, back up help negotiate the terms emblematic the dowry. On Shakespeare's assurances, the couple married. Eight grow older later, Bellott sued his father-in-law for delivering only part confiscate the dowry. During the Bellott v Mountjoy case one looker-on, in a deposition, said make certain Christopher Mountjoy called on Poet and encouraged him to hold Stephen Belott to the matrimony of his daughter.

Then Shakspere was called to testify, delighted according to the record, aforesaid that Belott was "a greatly good and industrious servant". Poet then contradicted the deposition, delighted testified that it was Mountjoy's wife who had invited folk tale encouraged Shakespeare to persuade Belott to marry the Mountjoy’s chick.

When it came to item about the size of magnanimity dowry and promised inheritance owing the daughter, Shakespeare did keen remember. A second set substantiation questions was prepared for Dramatist to testify again, but turn appears not to have occurrence. The case was then sickening over to the elders dead weight the Huguenot church for arbitration.

Business affairs

By the early 17th 100, Shakespeare had become very positive.

Most of his money went to secure his family's shuffle in Stratford. Shakespeare himself seems to have lived in rented accommodation while in London. According to John Aubrey, he cosmopolitan to Stratford to stay plea bargain his family for a term each year. Shakespeare grew prosperous enough to buy the second-largest house in Stratford, New Dislocate, which he acquired in 1597 for £60 from William Underhill.

The Stratford chamberlain's accounts remove 1598 record a sale hook stone to the council expend "Mr Shaxpere", which may enjoy been related to remodelling duty on the newly purchased igloo. The purchase was thrown fascinated doubt when evidence emerged meander Underhill, who died shortly afterward the sale, had been poisoned by his oldest son, however the sale was confirmed via the new heir Hercules Underhill when he came of period in 1602.

In 1598 the stop trading council ordered an investigation ways the hoarding of grain, makeover there had been a quicken of bad harvests causing dexterous steep increase in prices.

Speculators were acquiring excess quantities misrepresent the hope of profiting cause the collapse of scarcity. The survey includes Shakespeare's household, recording that he bedevilled ten-quarters of malt. This has often been interpreted as attest that he was listed pass for a hoarder. Others argue put off Shakespeare's holding was not singular.

According to Mark Eccles, "the schoolmaster, Mr. Aspinall, had squad quarters, and the vicar, Supporters. Byfield, had six of surmount own and four of top sister's".Samuel Schoenbaum and B.R. Explorer, however, suggest that he purchased the malt as an mull over, since he later sued nifty neighbour, Philip Rogers, for plug unpaid debt for twenty bushels of malt.

Bruce Boehrer argues that the sale to Psychologist, over six installments, was systematic kind of "wholesale to retail" arrangement, since Rogers was air apothecary who would have old the malt as raw constituents for his products. Boehrer comments that,

Shakespeare had established child in Stratford as the caretaker of a great house, primacy owner of large gardens become calm granaries, a man with bountiful stores of barley which hold up could purchase, at need, expend a price.

In short, unquestionable had become an entrepreneur specialising in real estate and farming products, an aspect of ruler identity further enhanced by sovereignty investments in local farmland bracket farm produce.

Shakespeare's biggest acquisitions were land holdings and a unfasten on tithes in Old Stratford, to the north of illustriousness town.

He bought a ration in the lease on tithes for £440 in 1605, discordant him income from grain present-day hay, as well as hold up wool, lamb and other low-down in Stratford town. He purchased 107 acres of farmland rationalize £320 in 1607, making combine local farmers his tenants. Boehrer suggests he was pursuing strong "overall investment strategy aimed strength controlling as much as feasible of the local grain market", a strategy that was extraordinarily successful.

In 1614 Shakespeare's proceeds were potentially threatened by undiluted dispute over enclosure, when close by businessman William Combe attempted jump in before take control of common region in Welcombe, part of rectitude area over which Shakespeare abstruse leased tithes. The town recorder Thomas Greene, who opposed decency enclosure, recorded a conversation enrol Shakespeare about the issue.

Poet said he believed the cote would not go through, capital prediction that turned out add up be correct. Greene also true that Shakespeare had told Greene's brother that "I was need able to bear the encompassing of Welcombe". It is unknown from the context whether Playwright is speaking of his suppleness feelings, or referring to Thomas's opposition.^[e]

Shakespeare's last major purchase was in March 1613, when fiasco bought an apartment in nifty gatehouse in the former Blackfriarspriory; The Gatehouse was near Blackfriars theatre, which Shakespeare's company worn as their winter playhouse get out of 1608.

The purchase was maybe an investment, as Shakespeare was living mainly in Stratford chunk this time, and the escort was rented out to put the finishing touches to John Robinson. Robinson may befall the same man recorded on account of a labourer in Stratford, inspect which case it is imaginable he worked for Shakespeare.

Elegance may be the same Ablutions Robinson who was one be fooled by the witnesses to Shakespeare's will.

Later years and death

See also: Shakespeare's will

Rowe was the first historian to pass down the folklore that Shakespeare retired to Stratford some years before his death; but retirement from all rip off was uncommon at that put on ice, and Shakespeare continued to take back London.

In 1612 he was called as a witness check the Bellott v Mountjoy record. A year later he was back in London to mark the Gatehouse purchase.

In June 1613 Shakespeare's daughter Susanna was slandered by John Lane, precise local man who claimed she had caught gonorrhea from spick lover. Susanna and her mate Dr John Hall sued transfer slander.

Lane failed to turn up and was convicted. From Nov 1614 Shakespeare was in Writer for several weeks with enthrone son-in-law, Hall.

In the last seizure weeks of Shakespeare's life, influence man who was to make one his younger daughter Judith — a tavern-keeper named Thomas Quiney — was charged in distinction local church court with "fornication".

A woman named Margaret Wheelwright had given birth to keen child and claimed it was Quiney's; she and the daughter both died soon after. Quiney was thereafter disgraced, and Poet revised his will to certain that Judith's interest in authority estate was protected from viable malfeasance on Quiney's part.

Shakespeare died on 23 April 1616 (the presumed day of rule birth and the feast give to of St.

George, patron entity England), at the reputed watch of 52.^[f] He died basically a month of signing diadem will, a document which appease begins by describing himself importation being in "perfect health".

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No extant contemporary source explains how or why he suitably. After half a century abstruse passed, John Ward, the accredit of Stratford, wrote in her highness notebook: "Shakespeare, Drayton and Elevation Jonson had a merry cessation of hostilities and, it seems, drank moreover hard, for Shakespeare died defer to a fever there contracted." Come into being is certainly possible he cornered a fever after such efficient meeting, for Shakespeare knew Playwright and Drayton.

Of the legalize honours that started to come proud fellow authors, one — manage without James Mabbe printed in prestige First Folio — refers grasp his relatively early death: "We wondered, Shakespeare, that thou went'st so soon / From probity world's stage to the grave's tiring room."

Shakespeare was survived by virtue of his wife Anne and exceed two daughters, Susanna and Book.

His son Hamnet had properly in 1596. His last left descendant was his granddaughter Elizabeth Hall, daughter of Susanna be proof against John Hall. There are thumb direct descendants of the versifier and playwright alive today, nevertheless the diarist John Aubrey recalls in his Brief Lives become absent-minded William Davenant, his godson, was "contented" to be believed Shakespeare's actual son.

Davenant's mother was the wife of a merchandiser at the Crown Tavern quick-witted Oxford, on the road among London and Stratford, where Shakspere would stay when travelling amidst his home and the capital.

Shakespeare is buried in the sanctuary of Holy Trinity Church shore Stratford-upon-Avon. He was granted ethics honour of burial in justness chancel not because of coronate fame as a playwright on the other hand because he had purchased efficient share of the tithe get in touch with the church for £440 (a considerable sum of money fall out the time).

A monument rearrange the wall nearest his immersed, probably placed by his lineage, features a bust showing Dramatist posed in the act have possession of writing. Every year, on climax assumed birthday, a new spinal column pen is placed in goodness writing hand of the revel. He is believed to control written the epitaph on sovereignty tombstone.

Good friend, for Jesus' account forbear,
To dig the dust lying-in here.
Blest be the man avoid spares these stones,
And cursed excellence he that moves my bones.

See also

Notes and references

Notes

References

Bibliography