Facts About William Shakespeare
was born in Stratford-upon-Avon, England, in April 1564. (The
exact date of his birth is not recorded, but it is most often
celebrated around the world on 23 April).
William Shakespeare died on the day he turned 52 years old, on
23 April 1616.
Wrote about two plays every year for 20 years.
Was married and had three children.
Wrote 37 plays and lots of poetry.
His longest play, Hamlet, has 4,042 lines.
His complete works contain 884,647 words.
Was famous for playing with words – he invented more than
1,700.
He was Married at the age of 20
Plays in Shakespeare’s time were different to the ones we have
today. There were no female actors (women’s parts were played
by men!).
Shakespeare’s plays had the royal seal of approval. Both Queen
Elizabeth I and James VI of Scotland and I of England would often
hire Shakespeare’s company to come and perform at the royal
court.
Shakespeare’s Childhood and Family Life
Shakespeare’s Childhood
Shakespeare was born in Stratford-upon-Avon, England, in April 1564.
(The exact date of his birth is not recorded, but it is most often
celebrated around the world on 23 April). His Birthplace is called the
William Shakespeare was the eldest son of John and Mary
Shakespeare. John Shakespeare was a glove-maker, who married Mary
Arden, the daughter of a farmer from the nearby village of Wilmcote.
When William was born, John and Mary were living on Henley Street,
Stratford-upon-Avon, in the house now known as Shakespeare’s
Birthplace. They had eight children in total.
At the age of eighteen, William married Anne Hathaway, a young
woman from the village of Shottery, just outside Stratford-upon-Avon.
William and Anne Shakespeare had three children. Susanna was born six
months after their marriage, followed by twins Judith and Hamnet in
1585. Hamnet died at age 11.
Shakespeare's four grandchildren all died without heirs, so there are no
direct descendants of his line today. Susanna and John Hall’s only
daughter, Elizabeth, married twice but both marriages remained
childless. His daughter Judith and her husband Thomas Quiney’s three
sons all died at an early age, either in infancy or as young adults before
having children.
William Shakespeare lived Shakespeare prospered financially from his
partnership in the Lord Chamberlain's Men (later the King's Men), as
well as from his writing and acting. He invested much of his wealth in
real-estate purchases in Stratford and bought the second-largest house
in town, New Place, in 1597. He prospered financially unlike his father.
William Shakespeare’s Occupation and
Activities
William Shakespeare was a Playwright, Poet, Writer, and Actor.
Many of his Dramas and Books gave messages about his personal life
and his beliefs.
Most of his plays were first noticed by the world, at The London Theater.
For several years after Judith and Hamnet's arrival in 1585, nothing is
known for certain of Shakespeare's activities: how he earned a living,
when he moved from Stratford, or how he got his start in the theater.
William Shakespeare’s Final Years
Among the last plays that Shakespeare worked on was The Two Noble
Kinsmen, which he wrote with a frequent collaborator, John Fletcher,
most likely in 1613. He died on April 23, 1616—the traditional date of his
birthday, though his precise birthdate is unknown. We also do not know
the cause of his death. His brother-in-law had died a week earlier, which
could imply infectious disease, but Shakespeare's health may have had a
longer decline.
The memorial bust of Shakespeare at Holy Trinity Church in Stratford is
considered one of two authentic likenesses, because it was approved by
people who knew him. (The bust in the Folger's Paster Reading Room,
shown at left, is a copy of this statue.) The other such likeness is the
engraving by Martin Droeshout in the 1623 First Folio edition of
Shakespeare's plays, produced seven years after his death by his friends
and colleagues from the King's Men.
Done By Joshua Mohammed
2 East
Assignment: William Shakespeare
Teacher: Miss Ramjohn
What William Shakespeare is Famous For?
William Shakespeare is an English playwright, poet, and actor. He is
famous for many of his Quotes and his Dramas. He is known as the
ultimate playwright. He is Most famous due to his drama “Romeo and
Juliet” and his book Julius Caesar. Besides that, he is also famous for:
‘Much Ado About Nothing’
‘Macbeth’
‘Hamlet’
‘As You Like It’
‘The Merchant of Venice’
‘The Taming of The Shrew’
‘Shakespeare’s Sonnets’
In his Drama’s, he often included flaws in his drama’s main characters.
He didn’t make them seem like they were ‘perfect humans’.
For an example: In Shakespeare’s Sonnet, he compared his mistress to
the beauty of worldly things. Although his mistress was loved, she had
flaws. He did not make his main characters seem unrealistic and
perfect. After Shakespeare became well known, he started acting in his
own dramas for an audience.
Shakespeare also had famous quotes such as:
"To be, or not to be that is the question." Found in Hamlet.
"Love all, trust a few, do wrong to none." Mentioned in Alls Well
That Ends Well.
"Good night, good night! Parting is such sweet sorrow."
Mentioned in Romeo and Juliet.
"If you can look into the seeds of time and say which grain will
grow and which will not, speak then to me." Mentioned in
Macbeth. E.C.T.
