William Shakespeare Biography

When constructing a more detailed William Shakespeare Biography, it is necessary to look at the range of evidence available from documents and the recorded comments of others contemporary to that time. Church records, land titles and letters are among the sources of information available.

Shakespeare was baptised on the 26th of April 1564 and by tradition would have been born three days before this, on the 23rd of April 1564, St. George’s day. He lived in Stratford-upon-Avon, with his brothers and sisters and their parents John and Mary. His father was a local business man who made gloves and traded grain, rising to a prominent position on the local town council, whilst his mother inherited land from her father. It is likely that Shakespeare learned his understanding of business from his father.

It is believed that Shakespeare was educated at the King’s New Grammar School, where he would have been taught to read and write. There is no evidence however that he went on to study at University.

On the 28th of November 1582, records show that William married Anne Hathaway. He was eighteen, whilst she was twenty six and pregnant at the time of their marriage. Seven months later Anne gave birth to their first child Susanna and in February 1592 their twins Hamnet and Judith were born.

After around 1586 it is believed that Shakespeare moved to London, where he joined an established community of playwrights. In his early period, between 1591 and 1593, his work included Titus Andronicus, The Comedy of Errors, Love's Labour's Lost, The Taming of the Shrew and The Two Gentlemen of Verona. He become, by 1595, a senior member of acting company the Lord Chamberlain's men (later called the King's Men) making him an official playwright to the King of England. During the twenty years that he lived and worked as a poet, playwright and actor in London, it is believed that he only visited his family during the forty day period of lent, when the theatres were closed.

During the next stage of his career, between 1593 and 1601, William Shakespeare became more established and wrote plays such as A Midsummer-Night's Dream, The Merchant of Venice, Romeo and Juliet, Much Ado about Nothing, The Merry Wives of Windsor and most of the history plays. In 1596 he applied for and was awarded a coat of arms, which allowed him to call himself a 'gentleman'. In 1597 he bought one of the largest and most expensive properties in Stratford, which he called New Place, along with land in the area. By this time fifteen of his plays had been written and performed and this success was the likely source of his income. He had also become part owner of the Globe Theatre, where many of his plays were performed.

Property investments made by William Shakespeare, meant that by 1605 he was a relatively wealthy man. With a good annual income he was able to concentrate on the writing of his poems and plays. The third stage of his working life from 1601 to 1610, led to him producing works such as Hamlet, Macbeth, Othello, King Lear, All's Well that Ends Well, Twelfth Night and Antony and Cleopatra. During the final period of his working life, which ended in 1611, he wrote the plays Henry VIII, Cymbeline, The Winter's Tale and The Tempest. After 1611, he retired to his home in Stratford.

William Shakespeare died on the 23rd of April 1616 and was buried in Stratford at the Holy Trinity Church. In his will Shakespeare left his wife Anne his second best bed. The bulk of his wealth and property was left to his daughter Susanna, who in June 1607 had married a successful doctor called John Hall. Also named in his will were actors Richard Burbage, John Hemminges and Henry Condell.

The Complete Works of Shakespeare, with which we are familiar today, is the product of the 1623 'First Folio', which was published by the actors Henry Condell and John Heminge, ensuring that his work has survived for future generations. This was important because at the time manuscripts were printed for use in performances and were not considered to be works of literature. However Shakespeare's contemporaries recognised the genius of his work and ensured that the poems and plays written by probably the greatest playwright that has ever lived survived.