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Though the exact date of Shakespeare's birth is unknown, historians assume it to be around April 23, 1564.He was born in Stratford-upon-Avon, England, to John and Mary Shakespeare. They were a middle-class family, and John was involved in town government.
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Shakespeare would have started learning to read either at home or in a very small school before moving on to a bigger school called a grammar school. He would have studied Greek and Latin extensively, and would have been required to memorize and translate both languages. He also would have learned English history and read the Bible.
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John Williams was a wealthy business owner, and civil servant. However, in 1577, his fortunes suddenly declined. Little is known about this period in Shakespeare's life, and no explanation fits all the facts - the Shakespeare's fortunes appear to have simply suddenly declined. Though there is reason to suspect religious conflicts, ultimately, the cause is unknown. This negatively affected Shakespeare's childhood, as his family was now in debt.
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When Shakespeare was 18, he met a 26-year old woman named Anne Hathaway. Very little is known about their marriage, but Anne did ask to be buried next to her husband when she died.
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Shakespeare's first child, Susanna, was born in 1583. She and her siblings were raised in Stratford by their mother.
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Hamnet, Shakespeare's only son, died when he was 11.
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These are called the "Lost Years" because very little is known about Shakespare during this time period. At the end of the Lost Years, we know that Shakespeare was writing plays in London.
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Around this time, Shakespeare writes Henry VI, Part One—his very first play. Like all of Shakespeare's plays, the precise year of its authorship is now unclear. Also around the same time, Shakespeare leaves Stratford to begin work as a playwright and actor in London.
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We know that by 1592, Shakespeare was living in London. Although his family was still living in Stratford (and never joined him in London), Shakespeare continued to support them financially and came back to Stratford later in his life.
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Playwright Robert Greene pens a scathing critique of Shakespeare, calling him an "upstart crow" who doesn't belong with Greene's university-educated dramatist crowd. Thanks to this diatribe, we now know that Shakespeare has become successful enough as a playwright by 1592 to make his peers jealous.
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The plague, which was a highly contagious, deadly disease, swept through London during this time period. Because people stood so close to one another at the theaters, the theaters had to close to prevent the disease from spreading. Since the theaters weren't open, Shakespeare shifted his attention from writing plays to writing poetry.
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Shakespeare publishes "Venus and Adonis," his first long published poem. It is dedicated to his patron Henry Wriothesley, the Earl of Southampton.
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Shakespeare became one of the founding members of the Lord Chamberlain's Men, an acting company (group of actors) which sometimes performed for Queen Elizabeth I. This is a famous portrait of Queen Elizabeth, who ruled England during Shakespeare's life. They got their name from their patron (the person who sponsored them), who was in charge of entertainment for Queen Elizabeth's court. Shakespeare not only wrote plays for the company, but also acted!
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In the spring of 1594, the London theaters reopen to the public. Over the next five years Shakespeare's troupe, the Chamberlain's Men, becomes one of the most popular acting groups in London. They accept frequent invitations to perform in the royal court of Queen Elizabeth I.
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The tragedy of Romeo and Juliet was first performed in 1596. It was very popular even in Shakespeare's time. The play was based on an even older Italian story that had been translated into English by Sir Arthur Brooks. Shakespeare added to the story and developed new characters.
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William and Anne bury their only son, Hamnet, who dies at the age of 11 of unknown causes.
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The Chamberlain's Men build the Globe, a wooden theater in London. Many of Shakespeare's most famous plays are performed for the first time here, including a href="https://www.shmoop.com/hamlet/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">Hamlet, Othello, and King Lear. Plays Shakespeare is believed to have written in this amazingly productive year include Much Ado About Nothing, As You Like It, Julius Caesar, and The Merry Wives of Windsor.
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The Globe Theater was a very large, open-air theater in London. Although it eventually burned down, a replica has been built near the original site. Shakespeare's plays were not all performed at the Globe, but many of his later plays were.
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Shakespeare's father dies and his patron Earl Southampton is sentenced to death (later reprieved) for his role in the Essex rebellion. It is believed that his father's death motivates Shakespeare to write Hamlet around this time. Shakespeare's plays over the next few years take a dark, brooding tone.
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Upon the death of Queen Elizabeth I, King James ascends the throne. The Chamberlain's Men change their name to the King's Men, and perform before King James eleven times between 1 November 1604 and 31 October 1605.
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Shakespeare composes his final plays— Henry VIII, Two Noble Kinsmen (possibly written in 1614), and the now-lost Cardenio—in collaboration with John Fletcher, replacement playwright for the King's Men. The Globe catches fire during a performance of Henry VIII and burns to the ground.
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Shakespeare became very wealthy because of his sonnets, play performances, and other business ventures. He built a home called "New Place" in Stratford for himself and his family, and he retired there in 1613, when he was 49. "New Place" no longer exists, because it was demolished in the 1700s; however, it was the second largest house in Stratford during Shakespeare's time!
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An ailing Shakespeare calls his lawyer to revise his will, making some odd changes that include leaving his "second-best bed" to his wife and £10 to the poor.
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According to his grave marker, Shakespeare died on his 52nd birthday. His wife and his two daughters survived him. This is a picture of his grave in Stratford-Upon-Avon.
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Shakespeare is buried in Holy Trinity Church in Stratford, the same church where he was baptized. His marker orders a curse on anyone who disturbs his grave.
