Shakespeare's Bio

Overview

William Shakespeare was born in 1564 in Stratford upon Avon. His parents were John and Mary Shakespeare. John and Mary had eight children together. William's siblings were Joan, Margret, Gilbert, Joan (there were two Joan's), Anne, Richard, and Edmund. Joan (the second Joan) was the only sibling that outlived William. In 1582, William married Anne Hathaway. William and Anne had three children together. The children's names were Susanna, Judith, and Hamnet. Unfortunately, Hamnet died at age eleven. William also had four grandchildren, but they all died before having their own children. So, there are no direct descendants of William. However, people can claim being a descendant through William's sister, Joan. William is known for his famous plays and sonnets. Also, William was the leading playwright in London, England. In 1616, William Shakespeare died. However, William's legacy lives on and the world still reads his work today.

  • Fun Fact: William helped build the Globe Theater!

Shakespeare in England

By 1592, William Shakespeare had established a reputation in London, England. William's first works were published during this time. Venus and Adonis were published in 1593. The Rape of Lucrce' was published in 1594. Also, William was one of the founding members of The Lord Chamberlin's Men. The Lord Chamberlin's Men were a company of actors. William wrote multiple plays while he was with the company. William stayed with The Lord Chamberlin's Men until his death in 1616.

Plays

William Shakespeare's plays were broken down into four main categories. Comedies, Tragedies, Histories and Tragi-Comedy. The total number of plays is around thirty-eight. However, no one will ever know exactly how many plays William wrote.

  • Fun Fact: There is not an original copy of William Shakespeare's works. William died before his collection of works was published. So, members of The Lord Chamberlin's Men published William's work. The work that The Lord Chamberlin's Men published is now known as the first folio.

Sonnets

  • Shakespeare wrote 154 Sonnets throughout his career.

  • Each Sonnet has their own unique story and meaning.

  • Fun Fact: Shakespeare invented around 2,000 new words!