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Apr 23, 1564
On April 23, 1564 a son, William, was born to John and Mary Shakespeare in Stratford-upon-Avon.
His mother was the daughter of a farmer. His father was a glove-maker. William went to a grammar school in Stratford and had quite a good education. There he learned to love reading. -
William married Anne Hathaway.
John Shakespeare was pleased that his oldest son was married but Will's mother didn't want him to marry so young: Will was only eighteen. -
Their first daughter, Susanna, was born on May 26, 1583.
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Two years later in 1585 Anne and William's twins, Hamnet and Judith Shakespeare, were born.
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William went to work in London.
In 1587 William went to work in London, leaving Anne and the children at home. We don't know why he did it. Some people say that the reason was his love of poetry and theatre. But there is another story which says that he had to run away from law because he killed deer belonging to a rich man. -
"The Comedy of Errors"
It is one of William Shakespeare's early plays. It tells the story of two sets of identical twins that were accidentally separated at birth. -
"Romeo and Juliet"
"Romeo and Juliet" is a play of young love. -
"A Midsummer Night's Dream"
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"The Merchant of Vernice"
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"Jelius Caesar"
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The Globe Theater was opened.
Shakespeare's Globe was rather different from modern theatres. The plays were performed in the open air and the audience got wet if it rained. There was no scenery, very few props, and the only lighting was the daylight that came from the open roof above. Women in those days weren't allowed to act in public and all the parts (even Juliet!) were played by men. Most of the audience stood to watch the performance, talking with each other and throwing fruit at the stage if they did't like something. -
"As You Like It"
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"Twelfth Night"
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"Hamlet"
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"All's Well That Ends Well"
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"Othello"
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"King Lear"
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"Macbeth"
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The Globe burnt down
Most of his plays were performed in the new Globe Theatre built on the bank of the River Thames. But when it burnt down Shakespeare stopped writing and went to live in Stratford. -
William Shakespeare died.
He was burried in the church of Stratford. A monument was erected to the memory of the great playwright in the Poet's Corner in westminstwe Abbey.
