Shakespeare's Shack

William Shakespeare was born on the 23rd of April, 1564 in Stratford-upon-Avon and was baptised on the 26th. His parents were John Shakespeare and Mary Arden. He was the third of eight children, although at least two of his siblings died of the bubonic plague.

 

He attended Stratford-upon-Avon Grammar School until he was 14 years of age. In 1852, at the age of 18, he married Anne Hathaway. They had three children: Susanna was born in 1583 and the twins Hamnet and Judith were born in 1585. For the seven years after their birth, there are no historical records of William Shakespeare. Some say this is because he went into hiding for poaching game off a local property. Others say it was becasuse he was working as an assistant schoolmaster in Lancashire. People refer to this period as his “lost years.”

 

In 1592 Shakespeare reappeared in London and became a playwright. Although he lived in London, he bought the second largest home in Stratford in 1597. Two years later he helped establish the Globe Theatre in the outskirts of London. During King James' reign he wrote many of his famous plays such as King Lear, Macbeth, and Antony and Cleopatra. His talent was recognised during his life, however Shakespeare did not live to see the first publication of his plays in 1623, as he died on April 25th, 1616  in his birthplace, Stratford-upon-Avon.

His fame lives on and Shakespeare remains arguably the greatest playwright in English history.