William Shakespeare

By santiagoiino
  • Apr 23, 1564

    William Shakespeare was born

    William Shakespeare is born in Stratford upon Avon to local tanner John and Mary Shakespeare. His actual birthday is unknown but assumed and celebrated today on April the 23rd, just three days before his baptism was recorded in the Parish register of the Holy Trinity Church on April the 26th.
  • Period: Apr 23, 1564 to

    William Shakespeare

  • May 7, 1571

    First time at school

    Shakespeare is likely to have begun his formal education. By local tradition, children in the Stratford area, entered the local grammar school at age seven.
  • May 7, 1582

    Shakespeare is in love

    At age 18, he marries the considerably older Anne Hathaway (26 years old) from Shottery on November the 27th at Temple Grafton, a village just five short miles (8 km) from Stratford.

  • Susan

    Susanna, William and Anne Shakespeare’s first child who lives a full 66 years, is born just five months after Shakespeare and Anne Hathaway’s wedding (May 26th). Illegitimacy was not uncommon in the 1500s.
  • Period: to

    Sjakespeare left

    Shakespeare is believed to have left his family in Stratford to join a company of actors as both playwright and performer, starting his career in theatre.

  • The twins arrival

    . Shakespeare’s twins, Judith and Hamnet are born, (February 2)Hamnet living only eleven years whilst Judith lived 77.

  • Henry VI

    Shakespeare is believed by most academics to have written his very first play, Henry VI, Part One in this year.

  • Henry VI part II and III

    Shakespeare is again believed to have written Henry VI, Part Two and Henry VI, Part III.

  • Theatres in London close because of the plague.

  • The Comedy of Errors written in this time.

  • His first sonnet

    Shakespeare begins to compose the first of what will amount to a 154 sonnet collection. His narrative poem Venus and Adonis is his first ever published.

  • The Rape of Lucrece, Titus Andronicus and The Taming of the Shrew are thought to have been penned by Shakespeare at this time.

  • The Lord Chamberlain’s Men, a theatre troupe including distinguished actor Richard Burbage and comic Will Kemp performs with Shakespeare in their group.

  • A busy year for Shakespeare as

    He is thought to have composed Richard II performed that very same year, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, thought to be composed for a wedding and the greatest love story of all time, Romeo and Juliet.

  • Shakespeare pen’s Love Labour’s Lost.

  • Shakespeare pen’s Love Labour’s Lost.

  • King John is assumed to have been written.

  • The Merchant of Venice and Henry IV, Part One are thought to have been written.

  • New Place

    Shakespeare buys the New Place, one of Stratford’s most preeminent homes. This fuels speculation today by some academics that William was really a successful businessman and not literature’s celebrated playwright

  • Henry IV

    William is thought to have written the play Henry IV, Part Two and Shakespeare’s reputation as an actor is confirmed his performance in Ben Jonson’sEvery Man in his Humor which clearly lists his name as a principal actor in the London play.

  • William writes the play Much Ado About Nothing in this year.

  • The globe opening

    1. The Major shareholders of the Lord Chamberlain’s Men lease land from Nicholas Brend, The Globe theatre opening later that same year. Julius Caesar is performed at the Globe Theatre for the first known time on September the 21st according to German tourist Thomas Platter’s diary. John Weever praises Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet.

  • hakespeare is thought to have composed arguably his greatest play, Hamlet at this time.

  • Twelfth Night or What You Will, All Well That Ends Well and Troilus and Cressida are probably composed.

  • A Midsummer’s Nigh

    . A Midsummer’s Night is performed at Hampton Court before Queen Elizabeth who dies later that year. James I originally James VI of Scotland proves to be an enthusiastic patron of the arts granting The Chamberlain’s Men a patent to perform. In return the Company renames itself The King’s Men to honour James I.

  • Antony And Cleopatra is believed to have been composed.

  • Hamlet and Richard III are performed aboard the British ship Dragon off the west coast of Africa at Sierra Leone.

  • Timon of Athens, Pericles and Coriolanus are composed .

  • Timon of Athens, Pericles and Coriolanus are composed .

  • London’s first permanently enclosed theatre,

    The King’s Men take on a twenty-one year lease of London’s first permanently enclosed theatre, the Blackfriars Theatre in this year. Notes on stage directions, suggest The Tempest was penned with a performance at this theatre in mind.

  • Cymbeline is thought to have been composed, and Othello performance

    Othello is performed at Oxford College by the King’s Men during a summer tour.

  • . The Winter’s Tale is written.

  • The Tempest and The Winter’s Tale were written.

  • The Globe Theatre burns to the ground. The Two Noble Kinsmen is penned. A 1634 entry within the Stationer’s Registry confirms that both William Shakespeare and John Fletcher composed this play.

  • The Globe Theatre reopens.

  • William dies on April 23rd, his burial being recorded in the Stratford Holy Church Register two days later.

  • William dies on April 23rd, his burial being recorded in the Stratford Holy Church Register two days later.