What are 10 facts about Shakespeare?
May 14, 2020 · Where did Shakespeare live most of his life? In Stratford-upon-Avon, he built a large house for his family. After he semi-retired, Shakespeare spent most of his time in Stratford-upon-Avon until his death. Click to see full answer.
Does Shakespeare have any living descendants?
For much of his life, however, Shakespeare worked and lived in London, making visits back to Stratford to see his family. His living places in London …
How many kids did Shakespeare have?
Shakespeare’s basic home throughout his life was Stratford-upon-Avon. That’s where he was born, that’s where he bought a big house for his wife and family when he was relatively young (he was only 33 years old when he bought New Place), and he died there pretty certainly in 1616.
Why is William Shakespeare so famous?
We do know that Shakespeare's life revolved around two locations: Stratford and London. He grew up, had a family, and bought property in Stratford, but he worked in London, the center of English theater. As an actor, a playwright, and a partner in a leading acting company, he became both prosperous and well-known.
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Nov 28, 2018 · Born in Stratford-upon-Avon in 1564, William Shakespeare spent most of his working life in London, but also did a fair bit of traipsing around the provinces while on tour with his various theatre companies.
Where did Shakespeare live the most?
Born in Stratford-upon-Avon in 1564, William Shakespeare spent most of his working life in London, but also did a fair bit of traipsing around the provinces while on tour with his various theatre companies.Nov 28, 2018
Where did Shakespeare grow up & live most of his life?
StratfordWe do know that Shakespeare's life revolved around two locations: Stratford and London. He grew up, had a family, and bought property in Stratford, but he worked in London, the center of English theater. As an actor, a playwright, and a partner in a leading acting company, he became both prosperous and well-known.
Where did Shakespeare lived?
Stratford-upon-AvonWilliam Shakespeare / Places lived (1564–1616)
Where did Shakespeare live at the end of his life?
Stratford-upon-AvonWhen Shakespeare retired from London around 1610, he returned to Stratford-upon-Avon, the market town in which he was born that's about 100 miles west of London on the River Avon. He spent the last few years of his life in New Place, the town's largest house, which he had purchased in 1597.Mar 12, 2020
Where and when did Shakespeare live?
William ShakespeareBornStratford-upon-Avon, EnglandBaptised26 April 1564Died23 April 1616 (aged 52) Stratford-upon-Avon, EnglandResting placeChurch of the Holy Trinity, Stratford-upon-Avon10 more rows
Where did Shakespeare live in Stratford?
Shakespeare's Birthplace is a restored 16th-century half-timbered house situated in Henley Street, Stratford-upon-Avon, Warwickshire, England, where it is believed that William Shakespeare was born in 1564 and spent his childhood years.
Where is the birthplace of Shakespeare?
Stratford-upon-Avon, United KingdomWilliam Shakespeare / Place of birth
Where did Shakespeare live in London?
Evidence suggests the Bard lived at what is now known as 35 Great St Helen's - a site next to St Helen's Church occupied by an office block.Apr 13, 2019
How was Shakespeare's life in London?
It seems that Shakespeare lived a simple life in London. While he owned at least one house there he did not maintain a London household but lived in lodgings with landlords and other lodgers. He was always within walking distance of the theatre zone so we can imagine him walking to work every day.
Where was Shakespeare buried?
April 25, 1616William Shakespeare / Date of burial
Where was Shakespeare during the lost years?
It was said that he fled to London in order to escape punishment. John Aubrey wrote in 1681 that William Shakespeare 'had been in his younger years a schoolmaster in the country' (which might well refer to Stratford, since Aubrey was writing from a London perspective).
What was William Shakespeare's real name?
William Shakespeare, Shakespeare also spelled Shakspere, byname Bard of Avon or Swan of Avon, (baptized April 26, 1564, Stratford-upon-Avon, Warwickshire, England—died April 23, 1616, Stratford-upon-Avon), English poet, dramatist, and actor often called the English national poet and considered by many to be the ...
Where did Shakespeare live?
Shakespeare’s basic home throughout his life was Stratford-upon-Avon. That’s where he was born, that’s where he bought a big house for his wife and family when he was relatively young (he was only 33 years old when he bought New Place), and he died there pretty certainly in 1616.
Where was Shakespeare's birthplace?
So obviously at the Shakespeare Birthplace Trust, we have Shakespeare’s Birthplace in Henley Street, and this has been long associated with the place of Shakespeare’s birth, and we know that John Shakespeare owned property in Henley Street, so it’s all consistent.
When was Shakespeare born?
Birth and childhood. William Shakespeare was probably born on about April 23, 1564, the date that is traditionally given for his birth. He was John and Mary Shakespeare's oldest surviving child; their first two children, both girls, did not live beyond infancy.
How many brothers did William Shakespeare have?
Growing up as the big brother of the family, William had three younger brothers, Gilbert, Richard, and Edmund, and two younger sisters: Anne, who died at seven, and Joan. Their father, John Shakespeare, was a leatherworker who specialized in the soft white leather used for gloves and similar items.
What was Shakespeare's first play?
The same writer alludes to one of Shakespeare's earliest history plays, Henry VI, Part 3, which must already have been performed. The next year, in 1593, Shakespeare published a long poem, Venus and Adonis. The first quarto editions of his early plays appeared in 1594.
Where was Shakespeare baptized?
For example, we know that he was baptized in Stratford-upon-Avon, 100 miles northwest of London, on April 26, 1564. But we don't know his exact birthdate, which must have ...
Who was William Shakespeare's first wife?
A few years after he left school, in late 1582, William Shakespeare married Anne Hathaway. She was already expecting their first-born child, Susanna, which was a fairly common situation at the time. When they married, Anne was 26 and William was 18. Anne grew up just outside Stratford in the village of Shottery.
What company did Shakespeare play in?
For more than two decades, Shakespeare had multiple roles in the London theater as an actor, playwright, and, in time, a business partner in a major acting company, the Lord Chamberlain's Men (renamed the King's Men in 1603).
How did Shakespeare prosper financially?
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.
Where was Shakespeare's birthplace?
His parents were John Shakespeare, a successful glover originally from Snitterfield in Warwickshire, and Mary Arden, the youngest daughter of John's father's landlord, a member of the local gentry.
Where was Shakespeare born?
William Shakespeare was born in Stratford-upon-Avon. His exact date of birth is not known—the baptismal record was dated 26 April 1564—but has been traditionally taken to be 23 April 1564, which is also the Feast Day of Saint George, the patron saint of England.
What was Shakespeare's main occupation?
Though Shakespeare is known today primarily as a playwright and poet, his main occupation was as a player and sharer in an acting troupe. How or when Shakespeare got into acting is unknown. The profession was unregulated by a guild that could have established restrictions on new entrants to the profession—actors were literally "masterless men"—and several avenues existed to break into the field in the Elizabethan era.
How did Shakespeare become rich?
Shakespeare himself seems to have lived in rented accommodation while in London. According to John Aubrey, he travelled to Stratford to stay with his family for a period each year. Shakespeare grew rich enough to buy the second-largest house in Stratford, New Place , which he acquired in 1597 for £60 from William Underhill. The Stratford chamberlain's accounts in 1598 record a sale of stone to the council from "Mr Shaxpere", which may have been related to remodelling work on the newly purchased house. The purchase was thrown into doubt when evidence emerged that Underhill, who died shortly after the sale, had been poisoned by his oldest son, but the sale was confirmed by the new heir Hercules Underhill when he came of age in 1602.
When was Shakespeare baptised?
Overview of the life of William Shakespeare. Portrait of Shakespeare. William Shakespeare was an actor, playwright, poet, and theatre entrepreneur in London during the late Elizabethan and early Jacobean eras. He was baptised on 26 April 1564 in ...
Who did Shakespeare marry?
On 27 November 1582, Shakespeare was issued a special licence to marry Anne Hathaway, the daughter of the late Richard Hathaway, a yeoman farmer of Shottery, about a mile west of Stratford (the clerk mistakenly recorded the name "Anne Whateley"). He was 18 and she was 26.
How old was Shakespeare when he died?
Shakespeare died on 23 April 1616 (the presumed day of his birth and the feast day of St. George, patron of England), at the reputed age of 52. He died within a month of signing his will, a document which he begins by describing himself as being in "perfect health".
When was Shakespeare born?
Shakespeare was born here in 1564. (© Zoe Bramley) William was the third-born of eight children to his parents, John Shakespeare and Mary Arden. It would have been a crowded household, especially after William’s marriage to the pregnant Anne Hathaway, who moved in to give birth there.
How old was Shakespeare when he died?
On 23 April 1616, just days after his birthday and four years after his last performance in Dover, Shakespeare died. Compared to some of the brutally short lives of his contemporaries, Shakespeare was lucky to have lived to the age of 52, having created a massive catalogue of plays, poems and sonnets.
What was Bankside known for?
Bankside was notorious for its brothels and gambling dens, and is usually described as the entertainment district of the early modern era. Shakespeare’s early play, Henry VI, part I, was performed at the Rose in 1592, and on 24 January 1594 it was the venue for his gruesome tragedy Titus Andronicus.
Where is Shakespeare's cottage?
This honey-coloured building on Henley Street in Stratford-upon-Avon is usually the first port of call for anyone on ‘the Shakespeare trail’. With its thatched roof, gables and timbered facade, it was the quintessential Tudor cottage. Shakespeare was born here in 1564. (© Zoe Bramley)
Who is the greatest playwright of all time?
Famed Elizabethan playwright William Shakespeare (1564–1616) is considered by many to be the greatest playwright of all time, credited with leaving a profound mark on Britain's culture and heritage. Where are the places most associated with Shakespeare's life?
Where is the Middle Temple?
Middle Temple Hall. Middle Temple Hall in central London is a somewhat under-appreciated location on the Shakespeare trail. It is easy to forget that this Elizabethan great hall, tucked away in the alleyways of the Middle Temple, offers guided tours of its magnificent interior.
What is the name of the castle in Warwickshire?
Kenilworth Castle. The red sandstone ruins of Kenilworth Castle are today a haunting silhouette on the Warwickshire landscape. Partially destroyed during the Civil War, the medieval castle of Kenilworth was once a jewel of the English Renaissance, lovingly restored and rebuilt by Robert Dudley, the Earl of Leicester.
Where was Shakespeare born?
1564: Shakespeare Born. The life of William Shakespeare begins in April 1564 in Stratford-upon-Avon, England when he was born into a prosperous family (his father was a glove maker). Learn more about Shakespeare’s birth and early childhood, and discover the house in which he was born .
What happened to William Shakespeare?
This period, now known as the Lost Years, has been the subject of much speculation. Whatever happened to William in this period formed the foundations for his subsequent career and by 1592 he had established himself in London and was making a living from the stage.
Why did Shakespeare marry Anne Hathaway?
A shotgun marriage to ensure that their first child was not born out of wedlock sees the young William Shakespeare married to Anne Hathaway, daughter of a wealthy local farmer. The couple had three children together.
Who is Lee Jamieson?
Lee Jamieson, M.A., is a theater scholar and educator . He previously served as a theater studies lecturer at Stratford-upon Avon College in the United Kingdom. This timeline of the legendary William Shakespeare reveals that his plays and sonnets cannot be separated.
Why was Shakespeare's reign politically unstable?
Her reign was politically unstable because she adopted Protestantism -- generating conflict with the Pope, Spain and her own Catholic citizens. Shakespeare, with his Catholic roots, drew upon this in his plays.
What is the greatest play ever written?
1600: 'Hamlet'. "Hamlet" is often described as “ the greatest play ever written ” -- remarkable when you think it’s first public production was in 1600! " Hamlet " may have been written while Shakespeare was coming to terms with the devastating news that his only son, Hamnet, had died at the young age of 11.
Where was Romeo and Juliet played?
The play was as popular then as it is today and was regularly played at The Theatre, the predecessor to the Globe Theatre. All of Shakespeare’s early work was produced here.
Overview
Business affairs
By the early 17th century, Shakespeare had become very prosperous. Most of his money went to secure his family's position in Stratford. Shakespeare himself seems to have lived in rented accommodation while in London. According to John Aubrey, he travelled to Stratford to stay with his family for a period each year. Shakespeare grew rich enough to buy the second-largest house in Stratf…
Early life
William Shakespeare was born in Stratford-upon-Avon. His exact date of birth is not known—the baptismal record was dated 26 April 1564—but has been traditionally taken to be 23 April 1564, which is also the Feast Day of Saint George, the patron saintof England. He was the first son and the first surviving child in the family; two earlier children, Joan and Margaret, had died early. Then a mar…
Lost years
After the baptism of the twins in 1585, and except for being party to a lawsuit to recover part of his mother's estate which had been mortgaged and lost by default, Shakespeare leaves no historical traces until Robert Greenejealously alludes to him as part of the London theatrical scene in 1592. This seven-year period - known as the "lost years" to Shakespeare scholars - was filled by early …
London and theatrical career
Though Shakespeare is known today primarily as a playwright and poet, his main occupation was as a player and sharer in an acting troupe. How or when Shakespeare got into acting is unknown. The profession was unregulated by a guild that could have established restrictions on new entrants to the profession—actors were literally "masterless men"—and several avenues exist…
Later years and death
Rowe was the first biographer to pass down the tradition that Shakespeare retired to Stratford some years before his death; but retirement from all work was uncommon at that time, and Shakespeare continued to visit London. In 1612 he was called as a witness in the Bellott v Mountjoy case. A year later he was back in London to make the Gatehouse purchase.
See also
• Shakespeare's Way
• Religious views of William Shakespeare
• Reputation of William Shakespeare
Bibliography
• Ackroyd, Peter (2006). Shakespeare: The Biography. Vintage Books. ISBN 074938655X.
• Baldwin, T. W. (1944). William Shakespere's Small Latine & Lesse Greeke. Urbana: University of Illinois Press. OCLC 654144828. Archived from the original on 3 March 2012.
• Bate, Jonathan (1998). The Genius of Shakespeare. Oxford University Press. ISBN 978-0-19-512823-9.