Background on William Shakespeare Ringgold School District Miss Baertsch

The Shakespeare Family William Shakespeare was born April 23, 1564 During this time in England, records of people and families were almost nonexistent. Shakespeare’s father, John, came to Stratford as an apprentice glover and tanner of leathers. He soon became a prosperous man.

The Shakespeare Family Neither of William’s parents could read or write. The couple had three children before William was born. All three children died within one year of their birth due to the plague. The actual date of Shakespeare’s birth is uncertain. Through various church records, we can come to an almost certain conclusion that he was born on April 23, 1564.

The Shakespeare Family William Shakespeare was very lucky to survive during this time. The plague swept across the countryside and killed thousands of children during the summer months. In all, William was one of eight children to the Shakespeare family. Only one sibling, Joan Shakespeare, lived longer than William Shakespeare.

Shakespeare’s Education William probably started school around six or seven at the Stratford grammar school. Although he likely learned some English, the study of Latin would have been the focus of his education. The times between when he left school and when he became an actor in London are impossible to trace. We have no records of this time period and this is known as the “lost period” in Shakespeare’s life.

Shakespeare’s Marriage An interesting bit of history is about Shakespeare’s marriage to Anne Hathaway in November 1582. Anne was an orphan and 26 years old. When the two were married, Anne was seven months pregnant. Shakespeare himself was only 18 years old.

Shakespeare’s Marriage Shakespeare’s first child was Susanna, born in 1583. The couple also had twins in 1585. Their names were Hamnet and Judith. At the age of eleven, Hamnet died tragically. This event caused William great grief because it was his only son. At the time of Hamnet’s death, William was already in London pursuing his career as an actor. We are not even sure if he was present for Hamnet’s funeral.

Shakespeare: Actor and Playwright Click here for a map of Shakespeare’s England In his twenties, Shakespeare traveled to London to be an actor. Around 1594, he became a shareholder of a company of actors known as Lord Chamberlain’s Men. It was with this company that Shakespeare wrote Romeo and Juliet. This group was the most successful acting group of the area and Shakespeare as an actor became famous in a short amount of time.

Shakespeare: Actor and Playwright In 1599, the troupe lost the lease of the theatre where they performed, (appropriately called The Theatre). They were wealthy enough to build their own theatre across the Thames, south of London, which they called "The Globe." The new theatre opened in July of 1599, built from the timbers of The Theatre. When James I came to the throne (1603) the troupe was designated by the new king as the King's Men (or King's Company).

Shakespeare: Actor and Playwright Shakespeare entertained the king and the people for another ten years until June 19, 1613, when a canon fired from the roof of the theatre for a gala performance of Henry VIII. This set fire to the thatch roof and burned the theatre to the ground. Amazingly there were no casualties, and the next spring the company had the theatre built again.

Shakespeare: Actor and Playwright Although Shakespeare invested in the rebuilding, he retired from the stage in 1597 to the house he had purchased in Stratford, where he continued to write until his death in 1616 on the day of his 52nd birthday. In his time William wrote 37 plays, as well as many sonnets (154).

Shakespeare’s death Shakespeare died April 23, 1616, 52 years to the day after he was believed to be born. It is believed he died from a chill after a night of hard drinking. However, some scholars believe he died of the plague. He is buried at Holy Trinity Church in Stratford.

Shakespeare’s death Shakespeare’s tombstone reads: Good friend for Jesus sake forbear To dig the dust enclosed here! Blest be the man that spares these stones, And curst be he that moves my bones In his will, the only thing he left to his wife, Anne, was his “second-best bed.”