Biography of William Shakespeare, Shakespeare biography

Introduction

William Shakespeare was a famous English poet, playwright, and actor born in 1564 in Stratford-on-Avon. His birthday is usually celebrated on the 23rd of April (see Shakespeare's Birthday), believed to be the date of his death in 1616.

Shakespeare was a prolific writer in the time of Elizabethan and Jacob of the British theater (sometimes called the English Renaissance or Early Modern Period). Shakespeare's plays were probably his lasting legacy, but not all of them he wrote. Shakespeare's poems are still popular today.

Shakespeare's Family Life

Surviving records relating to William Shakespeare's family provide insight into the context of Shakespeare's childhood and the health of his family members. John Shakespeare married Mary Arden, and together they had eight children. John and Mary lost two daughters as babies, so William was their first child. John Shakespeare worked as a glove maker, but he also became an important figure in the city of Stratford by performing public duties. His high position meant that he may have sent his children, including William, to a local grammar school.

William Shakespeare was to live with his family in their house on Henley Street until he was eighteen. At the age of eighteen, Shakespeare married Anne Hathaway, who was twenty-six years old. It was a quick wedding because Anne was pregnant during the event. Together they had three children. Their first daughter, Susanna, was born six months after their marriage and was later followed by twins Hamnet and Judith. Hamnet died at the age of 11.

For more information on the life of William Shakespeare, see Shakespeare's Life: A Timeline

Shakespeare in London

Shakespeare's career began in London, but when did he go there? We know that Shakespeare's twins were baptized in 1585, and that in 1592 his reputation was established in London, but middle age is considered a mystery. Scholars often refer to these years as 'Lost Years'.

While in London, Shakespeare's first books were published. It was two long poems, 'Venus and Adonis' (1593) and 'The Rape of Lucrece' (1594). He has also been a founding member of The Lord Chamberlain’s Men, an actor company. Shakespeare was a typical actor of the company, producing on average two games a year, for almost two decades.

He lived with the company throughout his career, which at that time emerged as The King’s Men under the leadership of King James I (from 1603). While in the company Shakespeare wrote his many famous tragedies, such as King Lear and Macbeth, as well as good romances, such as The Winter's Tale and Storm.

To find out more about Shakespeare's sponsors and his work in London see; Shakespeare's work

Shakespearean works

In total Shakespeare's works include 38 plays, 2 narrative poems, 154 tones, and various other poems. None of the original manuscripts of Shakespeare's plays are known to exist today. It's actually because of a team of players from Shakespeare's company that we have a part of the game at all. They collected them for publication after the death of Shakespeare, who kept the plays. These documents were incorporated into what is known as the First Folio ('Folio' means the size of the paper used). It contained his 36 plays, but none of his poetry.

Shakespeare's legacy is rich and varied as his work; his plays have caused many changes in many genres and cultures. His plays have been featured on stage and in films. His writings are compiled through various repetitions of William Shakespeare's The Complete Works, which includes all of his plays, sonnets, and other poems. William Shakespeare continues to be one of the most important writers of the English language

New Location; Accommodation in Stratford-on-Avon

Shakespeare's success in the theater of London made him very wealthy, and in 1597 he was able to purchase the New Place, the largest house in the Stratford-upon-Avon area. Although he spent most of his professional career in London, he kept in touch with his hometown.

Recent archaeological finds at Shakespeare's New Place have indicated that Shakespeare lived only in London from time to time. This suggests that he divided his time between Stratford and London (a two- or three-day commute to work). In his later years, he probably spent more time in Stratford-upon-Avon than previously thought.