Shakespeare's Life

Shakespeare's birth

Apr 23, 1564

Shakespeare was born in April 26, 1564. He was born and raised in Stratford-upon-Avon, Warwickshire, England.

Shakespeare was Baptized

Apr 26, 1564

Shakespeare was Baptized at Holy Trinity Church, Stratford-upon-Avon, which is one of the most beautiful parish churches in England.

The Education of Shakespeare

1571

At the age of 7, Shakespeare entered King Edward VI Grammar School (known as King's New School), an excellent grammar school in Stratford-upon-Avon, attended by the sons of civil servants like his father. He received seven years of formal education and left school when he was 14 in 1578.

Shakespeare's Marriage

1582

At the age of 18 Shakespeare married Anne Hathaway, with whom he had three children; Susanna and twins Hamnet and Judith.

Shakespeare's First Child

May 26, 1583

After 6 month of marriage, Shakespeare's first child, Susanna, was born and baptized.

Shakespeare's Twins

Feb 2, 1585

Anne Hathaway give birth to twins, a son named Hamnet and a daughter named Judith.

Shakespeare's First Play

1591

Around this time, Shakespeare writes Henry VI, Part II—his very first play based on English history.

Greene's Attack on Shakespeare

1592

Playwright Robert Greene penned a scathing critique of Shakespeare, calling him an "upstart crow."

Plague Closed Theaters

1593

London theaters were closed due to an outbreak of bubonic plague that eventually killed about five percent of the city's residents.

Venus and Adonis

1593

Shakespeare published "Venus and Adonis," his first ever poem, which was dedicated to Henry Wriothesley, earl of Southampton.

Theaters Reopened

1594

In the spring of 1594, the London theaters reopened to the public.

Death of Hamnet

Aug 11, 1596

William and Anne burried their only son, Hamnet, who died at the age of 11 of unknown causes.

New Home

1597

Thanks to his theater work and shrewd investments, wealthy Shakespeare bought the New Place, the second-largest house in Stratford-upon-Avon.

The Globe Theater in London

1599

The Chamberlain's Men built the Globe, a wooden theater in London. Many of Shakespeare's most famous plays were performed for the first time here.

Hamlet

1600

Hamlet was written around 1600 and first performed in 1609. Hamlet tells the story of a prince who tried to revenge his father’s death but entangled him in philosophical problems he could’t solve. It is Shakespeare’s best-known play and widely regarded as the most influential literary work ever written.

Elizabeth Died and Jacobean Age Began

Mar 24, 1603

Upon the death of Queen Elizabeth I, King James ascended the throne. The company, Chamberlain's Men, changed its name to the King's Men, and performed before King James eleven times.

Blackfriars Theater

1608

The King's Men began performing at Blackfriars, an indoor theater in London. In contrast to the somber mood of the last seven years, Shakespeare's work took on a lighter tone in plays like Cymbeline, The Winter's Tale, and The Tempest.

Return to Stratford

1611

Shakespeare left London and moved back to Stratford, where his wife and married daughters lived.

Final Plays

1613

Shakespeare composed his final plays— Henry VIII, Two Noble Kinsmen, and the now-lost Cardenio—in collaboration with John Fletcher, replacement playwright for the King's Men. The globe also caught fire during the the play Henry VIII.

Shakespeare Died

Apr 23, 1616

Suffering from an unknown illness, William Shakespeare died on his 52nd birthday.

Burial

Apr 25, 1616

Shakespeare was buried in Holy Trinity Church in Stratford, the same church where he was baptized.