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Born April 1564 [location unknown]
Husband of
Anne Hathaway
— married
[date unknown] [location unknown]
Died April 23, 1616 [location unknown]
William Shakespeare was an English poet and playwright who is widely believed to have been born on April 23rd 1564. Shakespeare is known for his many contributions to literature including the 154 sonnets among other highly popular plays such as Romeo and Juliet and Hamlet. Many consider Shakespeare to be the best English language writers of all time. His works are still very influential and are studied in schools all over the world. Although Shakespeare is best known for his works in literature, many people also know him for the controversy his name brings up. There are many different views on different aspects of Shakespeare's life including his religious affiliations, whether or not he actually wrote his plays or stole them from someone else, his sexual orientation, among many other things.
Touted as the world’s greatest poet and playwright to ever live, William Shakespeare is beloved and admired for his lasting impact on the humanities, art and literature. Although the actual date is not recorded (not common with births in the sixteenth century), Shakespeare was born to John and Mary Shakespeare in April of 1564 in Stratford-upon-Avon, Warwickshire (approximately 100 northwest of London). Stratford was at the time an epicenter of agriculture and an important market town.
Shakespeare would marry Anne Hathaway in 1582, and father three children; a daughter, Susanna and twins, Hamnet and Judith, who were named after two of Shakespeare’s lifelong friends. Very little information is available on Shakespeare’s life and times between the years 1585 and 1592. Some have speculated that Shakespeare left Stratford to pursue the entertainment business in London and to better support his family. Others claim he was engaged in law, was a ‘horse holder’ outside London theaters and was a runaway butcher who had visited Italy.
In 1592, Robert Greene referred to Shakespeare as an ‘upstart cow’ which is the first evidence of the playwright’s rise in London theater. By this time it is thought that he had already written Taming of the Shrew, The Comedy of Errors and parts of Henry VI, among others. The highlight years for Shakespeare were 1594-1599. During this time, he produced a wide array of notable plays, sonnets and narrative poems including A Midsummer Night’s Dream and
Romeo and Juliet. Shakespeare’s popular acting company, The Chamberlain’s Men, would also perform for the entertainment of Queen Elizabeth I and her court. Later they would also perform for James I under the company name The King’s Men.
Shakespeare died on April 23, 1616 from an undocumented illness.
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