Shakespeare

The Life and Times of William Shakespeare

By cgr
  • Jan 15, 1559

    Elizabeth I Crowned

    Elizabeth I Crowned
    Elizabeth I ascends the throne of England at the age of 25, starting a 44-year reign.
  • Apr 23, 1564

    Birth

    Birth
    William Shakespeare is born around this date in Stratford-upon-Avon, England. Biographical info

  • Marriage

    Marriage
    Shakespeare marries Anne Hathaway at the age of 18.

  • Children

    Children
    Shakespeare's daughter, Susanna, is baptized. Twins Hamnet and Judith are born two years later in February 1585.

  • Spanish Armada

    Spanish Armada
    King Phillip II of Spain sends an armada of 130 ships against Elizabeth I in the hopes of capturing her and setting himself up as king of England. The Spanish are defeated when a storm sweeps through and scatters the ships.
  • Period: to

    Histories

    First performed: Henry VI, Part II (1590); Henry VI, Part III (1590); Henry VI, Part I (1591); Richard III (1592); Richard II (1595); King John (1596); Henry IV, Parts I and II (1597); Henry V (1598); Henry VIII (1612) The Complete Works of William Shakespeare
  • Period: to

    Comedies

    First performed: Comedy of Errors (1592); Taming of the Shrew (1593); A Midsummer Night's Dream (1595); The Merchant of Venice (1596); Much Ado About Nothing (1598); As You Like It (1599); Twelfth Night (1599); Measure for Measure (1604); The Tempest (1611) The Complete Works of William Shakespeare
  • Period: to

    Other Plays

    First performed: Titus Andronicus (1593); Two Gentlemen of Verona (1594); Love's Labour's Lost (1594); The Merry Wives of Windsor (1600); Troilus and Cressida (1601); All's Well That Ends Well (1602); Timon of Athens (1607); Pericles (1608); Cymbeline (1609); The Winter's Tale (1610); The Two Noble Kinsmen* (1612)
    • Most scholars agree that the majority of this play was actually written by Shakespeare's close friend, John Fletcher.
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    Tragedies

    First performed: Romeo and Juliet (1594); Julius Caesar (1599); Hamlet (1600); Othello (1604); King Lear (1605); Macbeth (1605); Antony and Cleopatra (1606); Coriolanus (1607) The Complete Works of William Shakespeare

  • Elizabeth I Dies

    Elizabeth I Dies
    Elizabeth I dies at the age of 69. She is succeeded by James VI of Scotland (James I of England), son of Mary Queen of Scots, Elizabeth's cousin and rival.

  • Death

    Death
    Shakespeare dies in Stratford and is survivied by his wife and two daughters. He is buried in a chancel in Holy Trinity Church, Stratford.