Biography
Altogether Shakespeare's works include 38 plays, 2 narrative poems, sonnets, and a variety of other poems. No original manuscripts of Shakespeare's plays are known to exist today. It is actually thanks to a group of actors from Shakespeare's company that we have about half of the plays at all. They collected them for publication after Shakespeare died, preserving the plays.
These writings were brought together in what is known as the First Folio 'Folio' refers to the size of the paper used. It contained 36 of his plays, but none of his poetry. His plays have had an enduring presence on stage and film. His writings have been compiled in various iterations of The Complete Works of William Shakespeare, which include all of his plays, sonnets, and other poems.
William Shakespeare continues to be one of the most important literary figures of the English language.
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Although his professional career was spent in London, he maintained close links with his native town. His ability to blend history, tragedy, and comedy has left a lasting imprint on both English literature and global theater. Shakespeare's innovations in storytelling, character development, and language have transformed the landscape of drama.
By using blank verse and crafting intricate plots, he set new standards for narrative complexity and emotional depth. His ability to write in various genres allowed him to appeal to diverse audiences, establishing a theatrical legacy that persists today.
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Plays such as "Hamlet," "Othello," and "A Midsummer Night's Dream" continue to be performed worldwide, adapted into countless films and productions. Through his enduring contributions, Shakespeare has cemented his status as one of history's greatest playwrights, whose works continue to resonate with and inspire generations. In the later years of his life, William Shakespeare became increasingly focused on property investments in Stratford-upon-Avon.
Following the death of his father in , he inherited the family home, and in , he bought approximately acres of land for a substantial sum. By , he had also acquired leases for real estate near Stratford that proved to be profitable, suggesting that Shakespeare was not only a gifted playwright but also a shrewd entrepreneur.
These ventures likely allowed him the leisure and financial security necessary to dedicate more of his time to writing, leading to some of his most acclaimed works. Tradition holds that Shakespeare died on April 23, , which interestingly falls on the same date as his birth. However, while church records confirm he was interred at Holy Trinity Church on April 25, the exact cause of his death remains uncertain, with speculation ranging from a sudden illness to other unforeseen health issues.
In his will, Shakespeare bequeathed the bulk of his estate to his eldest daughter, Susanna, while notably leaving his wife, Anne Hathaway, his "second-best bed. William Shakespeare married Anne Hathaway on November 28, , in Worcester, while she was already pregnant. At the time, Shakespeare was just 18 years old, and Anne was John held official positions as alderman and bailiff, an office resembling a mayor.
Eventually, he recovered somewhat and was granted a coat of arms in , which made him and his sons official gentleman. John and Mary had eight children together, though three of them did not live past childhood. Their first two children—daughters Joan and Margaret—died in infancy, so William was the oldest surviving offspring.
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Anne died at age 7, and Joan was the only sibling to outlive William. He attended until he was 14 or 15 and did not continue to university. The uncertainty regarding his education has led some people question the authorship of his work. Hathaway was from Shottery, a small village a mile west of Stratford. Shakespeare was 18, and Anne was 26 and, as it turns out, pregnant.
Their first child, a daughter they named Susanna, was born on May 26, Two years later, on February 2, , twins Hamnet and Judith were born. Hamnet died of unknown causes at age One theory is that he might have gone into hiding for poaching game from local landlord Sir Thomas Lucy.
Another possibility is that he might have been working as an assistant schoolmaster in Lancashire. By , there is evidence Shakespeare earned a living as an actor and a playwright in London and possibly had several plays produced. Early in his career, Shakespeare was able to attract the attention and patronage of Henry Wriothesley, the Earl of Southampton, to whom he dedicated his first and second published poems: Venus and Adonis and The Rape of Lucrece Scholars broadly categorize the sonnets in groups based on two unknown subjects that Shakespeare addresses: the Fair Youth sonnets the first and the Dark Lady sonnets the last The identities of the aristocratic young man and vexing woman continue to be a source of speculation.
Some sources describe Shakespeare as a founding member of the company, but whatever the case, he became central to its success.
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Initially, he was an actor and eventually devoted more and more time to writing. Records show that Shakespeare, who was also a company shareholder, had works published and sold as popular literature. They were printed in in quarto, an eight-page pamphlet-like book. By the end of , Shakespeare had likely written 16 of his 37 plays and amassed some wealth.
At this time, civil records show Shakespeare purchased one of the largest houses in Stratford, called New Place, for his family. However, Shakespeare expert and professor Sir Stanley Wells posits that the playwright might have spent more time at home in Stratford than previously believed, only commuting to London when he needed to for work.
William was the third of eight Shakespeare children, of whom three died in childhood.
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Though no records of his education survive, it is likely that he attended the well-regarded local grammar school, where he would have studied Latin grammar and classics. It is unknown whether he completed his studies or abandoned them as an adolescent to apprentice with his father. At 18 Shakespeare married Anne Hathaway , a woman eight years his senior, in a ceremony thought to have been hastily arranged due to her pregnancy.
A daughter, Susanna, was born less than seven months later in May Twins Hamnet and Judith followed in February As for William and Anne, it is believed that the couple lived apart for most of the year while the bard pursued his writing and theater career in London.