SHAKESPEARE S LIFE AND TIMES (3) WORLD HISTORY 1590 1592 1595 1596 Janssen invented the microscope. Michel de Montaigne, the French essayist, died. The biscuit, il biscotto was invented in Italy: bis coctus , from the Medieval Latin meaning twice cooked. Descartes, the great French philosopher, died. ENGLISH HISTORY 1592 1593 1595 1596 Robert Greene, a playwright and member of the University, wrote a pamphlet in which he complained about a certain William Shakespeare who thought he could write plays as well as act in them without any formal education. He mentioned Shakespeare s play Henry VI, Part I. Christopher Marlowe, another playwright, was killed in a fight in a tavern. A serious outbreak of the plague caused the closing of all the theatres in London. 10,675 people died of it in London. Sir Francis Drake died. London s authorities banned1 public performances of plays inside the limits of the city of London. SHAKESPEARE S HISTORY 1592 1594 1595 John Shakespeare sold everything except the house in Henley Street. Henry VI was performed. John Shakespeare was fined for not attending church. Venus and Adonis was published by Richard Field, followed by The Rape of Lucrece. The theatres re-opened and the group of actors The Chamberlain s Men was formed. The Comedy of Errors was put on stage. Titus Andronicus was performed. The frontispiece of Venus and Adonis, Shakespeare s first published work. 1. banned: prohibited.