The Life of William Shakespeare
William Shakespeare's father, John Shakespeare, moved to the idyllic town of Stratford-upon-Avon in the mid-sixteenth century, where he became a successful landowner, moneylender, wool and agricultural goods dealer, and glover. In 1557 he married Mary Arden . John Shakespeare lived during a time when the middle class grew and became wealthier and wealthier, thus allowing its members increasing freedoms, luxuries, and voice in the local government. He took advantage of the opportunities afforded him through this social growth and in 1557 became a member of the Stratford Council, an event which marked the beginning of an illustrious political career. By 1561 he was elected one of the town's fourteen burgesses, where he served as constable, one of two chamberlains, and alderman successively. In these positions he administered borough property and revenues. In 1567 he was made bailiff, the highest elected office in Stratford, and the equivalent of a modern day mayor.
The town records indicate that William Shakespeare was John and Mary's third child. His birth is unregistered, but legend places it on April 23, 1564, partially because April 23 is the day on which he died 52 years later. In any event, his baptism was registered with the town on April 26, 1564. Not much is known about William's childhood, although it is safe to assume that he attended the local grammar school, the King's New School, which was staffed with a faculty who held Oxford degrees, and whose curriculum included mathematics, natural sciences, Latin language and rhetoric, logic, Christian ethics, and classical literature. He did not attend the university, which was not unusual at this time, since university education was reserved for prospective clergymen and was not a particularly mind-opening experience. However, the education he received at grammar school was excellent, as evidenced by the numerous classical and literary references in his plays. His early works especially drew on such Greek and Roman greats as Seneca and Plautus. What is more impressive than his formal education, however, is the wealth of general knowledge exhibited in his works, from a working knowledge of many professions to a vocabulary that is far greater than any other English writer.
In 1582, at the age of eighteen, William Shakespeare married the twenty-six year old Anne Hathaway. Their first daughter, Susanna, was baptized only six months later, which has given rise to much speculation concerning the circumstances surrounding the marriage.
William Shakespeare was born in 1564, and was one of eight children. William's father was a glove-maker, who also held a number of public offices, ranging from Borough Ale-Taster to alderman to bailiff, the highest public office in Stratford ("Shakespeare's Family", par. 1). His mother was born Mary Arden, who was the daughter of a well-to-do landowner of a lesser aristocratic family ("Shakespeare's Family", par. 3). Interestingly, the family gave its name to the nearby Forest of Arden, which turns up in As You Like It ("Shakespeare's Family", par. 3).
William Shakespeare was born in Stratford on Avon, England, in April of 1564 to Mary and John Shakespeare. He was the third child and the eldest son. His father was a tanner, glove-maker, and trader in wool and other precious commodities. William attended the Stratford Grammar school where he studied and received substantial training in Latin. He was married on November 27, 1582, to a woman named Anne Hathaway, who was eight years older than he was. In May of 1583, the couple's first daughter, Susanna was born. The couple had twins in February of 1585, Hamnet and Judith. Throughout his life, Shakespeare wrote thirty-seven plays, and several poems and sonnets. He was also an actor for a short while. Several of Shakespears plays were performed at the famous Globe Theater in England. On April 23, 1616 Shakespeare died, he was buried at the church of Stratford on April 25, 1616.
The Shakespearean world of the late 1500's and early 1600's was very, very different from our own. Though there are differences, there are also some similarities. The world of Shakespeare is a unique, and again, is much different than our own.
William Shakespeare married Anne Hathaway in late November or early December 1582 when Shakespeare was 18 and Hathaway was 26 at the Temple Grafton Church. The two did not conform to certain customs such as three “crying of the banns” ceremonies, having an arranged marriage, or marrying at their home parish. According to Wood, Hathaway became pregnant before she married Shakespeare and had to marry Shakespeare before she was visibly pregnant (Wood 89-90). The church banned marriage between Advent Sunday and the middle of January, so the two only had time for one “crying of the banns” ceremony on November 30th, 1582 (Wood 90). The two also married at Temple Grafton Church even though their home parish was Stratford-upon-Avon. After their marriage, Shakespeare and Hathaway had three children, Susanna, and twins Judith and Hamnet. After the birth of the twins, Shakespeare and Hathaway lived apart, and William Shakespeare moved to London. Even after William Shakespeare moved back to Stratford-Upon-Avon, the two lived apart (Bevington, Brown, Spencer). Despite their separation, Anne Hathaway requested to be buried next to William Shakespeare following their deaths. Through their special marriage bond, marrying outside of their home parish, and not having an arranged marriage, William Shakespeare and Anne Hathaway’s marriage defied some of the
is far from insane, but rather, "playing mad" for a purpose of his own. Madness
Due to the confusion of a minor mistake from Shakespeare’s time, his true birth date, along with where his education took place remains a mystery. The only things that biographers have to hold onto are suspicions as to where these events could’ve been observed. His suspected is birthday is observed by the public as Saint George’s Day, April 23rd. With only a day given, his exact birth year remains a questionable theory. It is believed that Shakespeare actually attended the school closest to his home in Stratford, known as the “King’s New School”, where he studies grammar. He didn’t choose to continue his studies by going forward into a university. Since there is hardly any factual information about Shakespeare, due to a slight “error”, suspicion arises. ...
William Shakespeare was educated at the local school in Stratford. Ironically, William never attended a university although virtually every English speaking universities studies his works. Bioghrapher a man educated in " the university of life." (Bender 14). His plays and other works display Shakespeare's vast knowledge of the entertainment, social mores, and culture of his native Warwickshire. William married Anne Hathaway in 1582. He was 18 and she was 26. They had twin daughters Hamnet and Judith and later their third daughter Susanna. (Bender 15). Shakespeare lived in an England that was overwhelmingly rural and had virtually no mechanized industry. It was a society very different from the one we enjoy in the U.S. today. Death and disease were the common experiences of all families during this era in England. (Andrews 67). This society was one in which a vigorous and youthful population was growing with unusual rapidity. The resulting economic development. (Andrews 72).
So to conclude, we can safely agree with most academics that William Shakespeare did exist and that he did indeed write the 37 plays and 154 sonnets credited to him.
William’s father, John Shakespeare married Mary Arden in the year 1557. “John and Mary Shakespeare’s first two children, Joan and Margaret, died as babies. Such early death was not unusual because there was no protection against childhood illnesses . It is remarkable that their next child, William, survived” (Greenhill and Wignall 5). It is estimated that William Shakespeare was born on April 23, 1564. William was born and raised in Stratford-upon-Avon. Stratford-upon-Avon is a famous tourist attraction today. Hundreds of thousands of people visit Stratford every year to view William’s birthplace, death place, and grave. “William was born when the plague was raging in Stratford. That year nearly fifteen percent of the town’s population died of the killer disease” (Greenhill and Wignall 5). When William was about six he was sent to the King’s New School. The King’s New School was a grammar school. “The school day in the 1500s was long and hard” (Greenhill and Wignall 5). School began as early as six in the morning and ended at five in the afternoon. There were eight hours of teaching in a day and the school day began and ended with prayers. “Schoolwork at the g...
“William Shakespeare (26 April 1564 – 23 April 1616) was and English poet and playwright, widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and the world’s preeminent dramatist” (vodppl.upm.edu 2). He was born in Stratford-Upon-Avon, UK, he also passed away in his hometown. “When Shakespeare died in 1616 the event was barely noticed” (Epstein 7). “Shakespeare’s family was initially prosperous but began having financial difficulties in the 1570’s” (Allen 325). “Shakespeare gained his education by attending the local grammar school, King’s New School, where the curriculum stressed a classic education of Greek mythology and roman comedy”(shakespeareinamericancomunites.org 1). He never carried his educational career to a higher level as in a university. “William Shakespeare was not recognized as an actor, poet, and playwright until 1592” (Allen 346).
the law he brought back for the sake of lust. Angelo is an immoral and
In November 1582 he married Anne Hathaway. He was 18 and she was 26. They had 3 children. May 1583 they had Susanna then two years later had twins, Hamnet and Judith. Hamnet died at the age of 11. Susanna married a physician in 1607, and Shakespeare's other daughter married to a vintner in 1616.
William Shakespeare was a very talented man known for his various works of literature. His works include poems, plays, and sonnets. His works are then broken down into tragedies, comedies, and histories. Shakespeare left this world centuries ago, but his writings continue to live throughout the world today. He has greatly impacted the world of literature and his existence will forever be remembered.
Shakespeare’s childhood impacted him greatly into becoming who he was. Shakespeare’s childhood was neither exceptional nor dreadful; therefore, he had an uneventful childhood. William Shakespeare was evidently born on April 23, 1564, which is commonly known as St. George’s Day. The records from Holy Trinity Church attested that he was baptized there on April 26, 1564 (Pressley). Traditionally in the Elizabethan era, three days after birth of a child it would be baptized. This led many people to believe that Shakespeare was born on the 23 of April due to his baptism date. Shakespeare was born to Mary Arden and John Shakespeare in the quaint yet wealthy town of Stratford. His father was a glove maker, and Mary was from a higher social class; she was a daughter of a landowner (“Shakespeare, William.” 197-207). Shakespeare’s parents were well respected in the town, even though the family was not royalty. Shakespeare’s home in Stratford was no...
He was born in Stratford-on-Avon on April 23rd, 1564. Shakespeare never attended a university and was thought to have been educated at a local school in Stratford. The purpose of this minor school was to prepare scholars for the hard toil of the grammar school. No history, geography, music, handicrafts or physical training was taught. It is evident no doubt that William gained something from the Latin texts he read at school. He loved Ovid and was overjoyed when towards the end of the century Francis Meres wrote: ‘As the soule of Euphorbus was thought to live in Pythagoras: so the sweete wittie soule of Ovis lives in mellifluous an...