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Shakespeare Biography & Facts

William Shakespeare (bapt.Tooltip baptised 26 April 1564 – 23 April 1616) was an English playwright, poet and actor. He is widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and the world's pre-eminent dramatist. He is often called England's national poet and the "Bard of Avon" (or simply "the Bard"). His extant works, including collaborations, consist of some 39 plays, 154 sonnets, three long narrative poems, and a few other verses, some of uncertain authorship. His plays have been translated into every major living language and are performed more often than those of any other playwright. Shakespeare remains arguably the most influential writer in the English language, and his works continue to be studied and reinterpreted. Shakespeare was born and raised in Stratford-upon-Avon, Warwickshire. At the age of 18, he married Anne Hathaway, with whom he had three children: Susanna, and twins Hamnet and Judith. Sometime between 1585 and 1592, he began a successful career in London as an actor, writer, and part-owner ("sharer") of a playing company called the Lord Chamberlain's Men, later known as the King's Men after the ascension of King James VI of Scotland to the English throne. At age 49 (around 1613), he appears to have retired to Stratford, where he died three years later. Few records of Shakespeare's private life survive; this has stimulated considerable speculation about such matters as his physical appearance, his sexuality, his religious beliefs, and even certain fringe theories as to whether the works attributed to him were written by others.Shakespeare produced most of his known works between 1589 and 1613. His early plays were primarily comedies and histories and are regarded as some of the best works produced in these genres. He then wrote mainly tragedies until 1608, among them Hamlet, Romeo and Juliet, Othello, King Lear, and Macbeth, all considered to be among the finest works in the English language. In the last phase of his life, he wrote tragicomedies (also known as romances) and collaborated with other playwrights. Many of Shakespeare's plays were published in editions of varying quality and accuracy during his lifetime. However, in 1623, John Heminges and Henry Condell, two fellow actors and friends of Shakespeare's, published a more definitive text known as the First Folio, a posthumous collected edition of Shakespeare's dramatic works that includes 36 of his plays. Its Preface was a prescient poem by Ben Jonson, a former rival of Shakespeare, that hailed Shakespeare with the now famous epithet: "not of an age, but for all time". Life Early life Shakespeare was the son of John Shakespeare, an alderman and a successful glover (glove-maker) originally from Snitterfield in Warwickshire, and Mary Arden, the daughter of an affluent landowning family. He was born in Stratford-upon-Avon, where he was baptised on 26 April 1564. His date of birth is unknown, but is traditionally observed on 23 April, Saint George's Day. This date, which can be traced to William Oldys and George Steevens, has proved appealing to biographers because Shakespeare died on the same date in 1616. He was the third of eight children, and the eldest surviving son.Although no attendance records for the period survive, most biographers agree that Shakespeare was probably educated at the King's New School in Stratford, a free school chartered in 1553, about a quarter-mile (400 m) from his home. Grammar schools varied in quality during the Elizabethan era, but grammar school curricula were largely similar: the basic Latin text was standardised by royal decree, and the school would have provided an intensive education in grammar based upon Latin classical authors.At the age of 18, Shakespeare married 26-year-old Anne Hathaway. The consistory court of the Diocese of Worcester issued a marriage licence on 27 November 1582. The next day, two of Hathaway's neighbours posted bonds guaranteeing that no lawful claims impeded the marriage. The ceremony may have been arranged in some haste since the Worcester chancellor allowed the marriage banns to be read once instead of the usual three times, and six months after the marriage Anne gave birth to a daughter, Susanna, baptised 26 May 1583. Twins, son Hamnet and daughter Judith, followed almost two years later and were baptised 2 February 1585. Hamnet died of unknown causes at the age of 11 and was buried 11 August 1596. After the birth of the twins, Shakespeare left few historical traces until he is mentioned as part of the London theatre scene in 1592. The exception is the appearance of his name in the "complaints bill" of a law case before the Queen's Bench court at Westminster dated Michaelmas Term 1588 and 9 October 1589. Scholars refer to the years between 1585 and 1592 as Shakespeare's "lost years". Biographers attempting to account for this period have reported many apocryphal stories. Nicholas Rowe, Shakespeare's first biographer, recounted a Stratford legend that Shakespeare fled the town for London to escape prosecution for deer poaching in the estate of local squire Thomas Lucy. Shakespeare is also supposed to have taken his revenge on Lucy by writing a scurrilous ballad about him. Another 18th-century story has Shakespeare starting his theatrical career minding the horses of theatre patrons in London. John Aubrey reported that Shakespeare had been a country schoolmaster. Some 20th-century scholars suggested that Shakespeare may have been employed as a schoolmaster by Alexander Hoghton of Lancashire, a Catholic landowner who named a certain "William Shakeshafte" in his will. Little evidence substantiates such stories other than hearsay collected after his death, and Shakeshafte was a common name in the Lancashire area. London and theatrical career It is not known definitively when Shakespeare began writing, but contemporary allusions and records of performances show that several of his plays were on the London stage by 1592. By then, he was sufficiently known in London to be attacked in print by the playwright Robert Greene in his Groats-Worth of Wit from that year: ... there is an upstart Crow, beautified with our feathers, that with his Tiger's heart wrapped in a Player's hide, supposes he is as well able to bombast out a blank verse as the best of you: and being an absolute Johannes factotum, is in his own conceit the only Shake-scene in a country. Scholars differ on the exact meaning of Greene's words, but most agree that Greene was accusing Shakespeare of reaching above his rank in trying to match such university-educated writers as Christopher Marlowe, Thomas Nashe, and Greene himself (the so-called "University Wits"). The italicised phrase parodying the line "Oh, tiger's heart wrapped in a woman's hide" from Shakespeare's Henry VI, Part 3, along with the pun "Shake-scene", clearly identify Shakespeare as Greene's target. As used here, Johannes Factotum ("Jack of all trades") refers to a second-rate tinkerer wit.... Discover the Shakespeare popular books. Find the top 100 most popular Shakespeare books.

Best Seller Shakespeare Books of 2024

  • Kiss Me, Annabel synopsis, comments

    Kiss Me, Annabel

    Eloisa James

    The rules of marriage . . . according to Miss Annabel EssexA husband must be:Rich.Make that very rich. She's had enough of leaky roofs and threadworn clothing.English.London is the...

  • Romeo and Juliet synopsis, comments

    Romeo and Juliet

    William Shakespeare

    In Romeo and Juliet, Shakespeare creates a violent world, in which two young people fall in love. It is not simply that their families disapprove; the Montagues and the Capulets ar...

  • Cleopatra synopsis, comments

    Cleopatra

    Stacy Schiff

    The Pulitzer Prizewinning biographer brings to life the most intriguing woman in the history of the world: Cleopatra, the last queen of Egypt. Her palace shimmered with onyx, garne...

  • Starting Shakespeare Teacher Handbook synopsis, comments

    Starting Shakespeare Teacher Handbook

    Bell Shakespeare & Deeper Richer

    Starting Shakespeare Teacher Handbook is a companion for the Starting Shakespeare app. It is a comprehensive guide for teachers interested in using the app in the classroom and pro...

  • Julius Caesar synopsis, comments

    Julius Caesar

    William Shakespeare

    The authoritative edition of Julius Caesar from The Folger Shakespeare Library, the trusted and widely used Shakespeare series for students and general readers.Shakespeare may have...

  • The Weird Sisters synopsis, comments

    The Weird Sisters

    Eleanor Brown

    The beloved New York Times bestseller from acclaimed author Eleanor Brown about three sisters who love each other, but just don't happen to like each other very much.Three sisters ...

  • The Woman Who Smashed Codes synopsis, comments

    The Woman Who Smashed Codes

    Jason Fagone

    National Bestseller NPR Best Book of the Year“Not all superheroes wear capes, and Elizebeth Smith Friedman should be the subject of a future Wonder Woman movie.” The New York ...

  • A Private Cathedral synopsis, comments

    A Private Cathedral

    James Lee Burke

    After finding himself caught up in one of Louisiana’s oldest and bloodiest family rivalries, Detective Dave Robicheaux must battle the most terrifying adversary he has ever encount...

  • Elevation synopsis, comments

    Elevation

    Stephen King

    From legendary master storyteller Stephen King, a riveting story about “an ordinary man in an extraordinary condition rising above hatred” (The Washington Post) and bringing the fi...

  • The Complete Works of William Shakespeare synopsis, comments

    The Complete Works of William Shakespeare

    William Shakespeare

    William Shakespeare was an English poet, playwright, and actor, widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and the world's preeminent dramatist. He is often...

  • Works of William Shakespeare synopsis, comments

    Works of William Shakespeare

    William Shakespeare

    This collection was designed for optimal navigation on iPad and other electronic devices. It is indexed alphabetically, chronologically and by category, making it easier to access...

  • Shadow of Night synopsis, comments

    Shadow of Night

    Deborah Harkness

    The #1 New York Times–bestselling sequel to A Discovery of Witches is as “enchanting, engrossing, and as impossible to put down as its predecessor” (Miami Herald)   J. K. Ro...

  • The Taming of the Duke synopsis, comments

    The Taming of the Duke

    Eloisa James

    Imogen, Lady Maitland, has decided to dance on the wild side. After all, she's in the delicious position of being able to take a lover. A discreet male who knows just when to leave...

  • Much Ado About You synopsis, comments

    Much Ado About You

    Eloisa James

    When you're the oldest daughter, you don't get to have any fun! Witty, orphaned Tess Essex faces her duty: marry well and marry quickly, so she can arrange matches for her three ...

  • Shakespeare in an Hour synopsis, comments

    Shakespeare in an Hour

    Christopher Baker

    Playwrights in an Hour Designed to provide a platform of knowledge and understanding, this innovative series will connect cast, crew, audience members, and students to the playwrig...

  • Shakespeare for Squirrels synopsis, comments

    Shakespeare for Squirrels

    Christopher Moore

    New York Times Bestseller!Shakespeare meets Dashiell Hammett in this wildly entertaining murder mystery from New York Times bestselling author Christopher Moorean uproarious, hardb...

  • The Professor and the Madman synopsis, comments

    The Professor and the Madman

    Simon Winchester

    A New York Times Notable Book  The Professor and the Madman is an extraordinary tale of madness, genius, and the incredible obsessions of two remarkable men that led to t...

  • Delphi Complete Works of William Shakespeare synopsis, comments

    Delphi Complete Works of William Shakespeare

    William Shakespeare

    Finally, the world’s greatest writer receives the scholarly Delphi treatment. Of course, there are many Shakespeare collections available on the eReader, which is why we have made ...

  • A Raisin in the Sun synopsis, comments

    A Raisin in the Sun

    Lorraine Hansberry

    "Never before, in the entire history of the American theater, has so much of the truth of Black people's lives been seen on the stage," observed James Baldwin shortly before A Rais...

  • The Shakespeare Stealer synopsis, comments

    The Shakespeare Stealer

    Gary Blackwood

    A delightful adveture full of humor and heart set in Elizabethan England!Widge is an orphan with a rare talent for shorthand. His fearsome master has just one demand: steal Shakesp...

  • A Christmas Carol synopsis, comments

    A Christmas Carol

    Charles Dickens

    Celebrate the spirit of the season with this complimentary edition of Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol–the perfect companion for a cozy night by the fire. Includes an exclusive e...

  • Your Voice William Shakespeare synopsis, comments

    Your Voice William Shakespeare

    William Shakespeare

    A hand picked selection of timeless quotes from William Shakespeare.

  • This Is the Story of a Happy Marriage synopsis, comments

    This Is the Story of a Happy Marriage

    Ann Patchett

    A Reese Witherspoon Book Club Pick“I had been so engaged by Ann Patchett’s multifaceted story, so lured in by her confiding voice, that I forgot I was on the job. […] As the best p...

  • The Cat Who Knew Shakespeare synopsis, comments

    The Cat Who Knew Shakespeare

    Lilian Jackson Braun

    In this mystery in the bestselling Cat Who series, there’s something rotten in the small town of Pickaxat least to the sensitive noses of newspaperman Jim Qwilleran and his Si...

  • Shakespeare synopsis, comments

    Shakespeare

    Peter Ackroyd

    A TIMES LITERARY SUPPLEMENT BEST BOOK OF THE YEARDrawing on an exceptional combination of skills as literary biographer, novelist, and chronicler of London history, Peter Ackroyd ...

  • The Shakespeare Book synopsis, comments

    The Shakespeare Book

    DK

    "All the world's a stage", William Shakespeare wrote, "And all the men and women merely players." Sit back as the curtain goes up on the dramas, sonnets, and life of one of the gre...

  • The Story of Edgar Sawtelle synopsis, comments

    The Story of Edgar Sawtelle

    David Wroblewski

    An Oprah's Book Club Pick#1 New York Times Bestseller“A mystery, a thriller, a ghost story, and a literary tour de force . . . an authentic epic, long and lush, full of back story ...

  • A Moveable Feast synopsis, comments

    A Moveable Feast

    Ernest Hemingway

    Ernest Hemingway’s classic memoir of Paris in the 1920s, now available in a restored edition, includes the original manuscript along with insightful recollections and unfinished sk...

  • Macbeth synopsis, comments

    Macbeth

    William Shakespeare

    The authoritative edition of Macbeth from The Folger Shakespeare Library, the trusted and widely used Shakespeare series for students and general readers.In 1603, James VI of Scotl...

  • Depraved Difference synopsis, comments

    Depraved Difference

    J. Robert Kennedy

    FROM USA TODAY & MILLION COPY BESTSELLING AUTHOR J. ROBERT KENNEDY WOULD YOU HELP, WOULD YOU RUN, OR WOULD YOU JUST WATCH? When a young woman is brutally assaulted by two men...

  • Hamnet synopsis, comments

    Hamnet

    Maggie O'Farrell

    NATIONAL BOOK CRITICS CIRCLE AWARD WINNER NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER The bestselling author of The Marriage Portrait delivers a luminous portrait of a marriage, a family ravaged b...

  • Hunger synopsis, comments

    Hunger

    Roxane Gay

    From the New York Times bestselling author of Bad Feminist: a searingly honest memoir of food, weight, selfimage, and learning how to feed your hunger while taking care of yourself...

  • Shakespeare synopsis, comments

    Shakespeare

    Robert G. Ingersoll

    Lawyer and Civil War veteran Robert Ingersoll grew up in an abolitionist household, and matured into the most popular lecturer on the American circuit of his day. This book collect...

  • A Moveable Feast synopsis, comments

    A Moveable Feast

    Ernest Hemingway

    Published for the first time as Ernest Hemingway intended, one of the great writer's most enduring works: his classic memoir of Paris in the 1920s Published posthumously in 1964, ...

  • Tales from Shakespeare synopsis, comments

    Tales from Shakespeare

    Charles Lamb

    Tales from Shakespeare by Charles and Mary Lamb was written to be an 'introduction to the study of Shakespeare', but are much more entertaining than that. All of Shakespeare's best...

  • The Three Theban Plays synopsis, comments

    The Three Theban Plays

    Sophocles, Robert Fagles & Bernard Knox

    The heroic Greek dramas that have moved theatergoers and readers since the fifth century B.C.Towering over the rest of Greek tragedy, the three plays that tell the story of the fat...

  • The Complete Works of Shakespeare synopsis, comments

    The Complete Works of Shakespeare

    William Shakespeare

    The most complete collection of Shakespeare's works available in a single book, containing 41 plays, 7 poems and 154 sonnets. This edition includes coauthored and rare apocrypha wo...

  • Duchess in Love synopsis, comments

    Duchess in Love

    Eloisa James

    A Duke in RetreatGina was forced into marriage with the Duke of Girton at an age when she'd have been better off in a schoolroom than a ballroom. Directly after the ceremony her ha...

  • The Complete Works of Shakespeare synopsis, comments

    The Complete Works of Shakespeare

    William Shakespeare

    The complete works of Shakespeare have to be considered among the greatest works in all of English literature. This ebook contains Shakespeare's complete plays and complete poe...

  • Hamlet synopsis, comments

    Hamlet

    William Shakespeare

    Hamlet is Shakespeare’s most popular, and most puzzling, play. It follows the form of a “revenge tragedy,” in which the hero, Hamlet, seeks vengeance against his father’s murderer,...

  • Shakespeare synopsis, comments

    Shakespeare

    Bill Bryson

    Bill Bryson’s bestselling biography of William Shakespeare takes the reader on an enthralling tour through Elizabethan England and the eccentricities of Shakespearean scholarshipup...

  • The Complete Plays of Shakespeare synopsis, comments

    The Complete Plays of Shakespeare

    Shakespeare

    EVERY SINGLE PLAY BY WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE (INCLUDING ALL THE TRAGEDIES, COMEDIES AND HISTORIES) ESPECIALLY CREATED FOR APPLE iBOOK: ANNOTATED AND FULLY ILLUSTRATED! Over 12 full co...