Life of William Shakespeare

Various grains

Overview of the life of William Shakespeare

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Native name
Born	Baptised 26 April 1564 Stratford-upon-Avon, Warwickshire, England
Died	23 April 1616 (aged 52) Stratford-upon-Avon, Warwickshire, England
Resting place
Pen name
Nickname
Occupation	Playwright, poet, actor
Language
Nationality

William Shakespeare (baptised 26 April 1564 – 23 April 1616) was an English playwright, poet, and actor. He is widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and the world's greatest dramatist. He is often called England's national poet and the "Bard of Avon" (or simply "the Bard").

Early Life

Shakespeare was born and raised in Stratford-upon-Avon, Warwickshire. He was the son of John Shakespeare, an alderman and a successful glover originally from Snitterfield, and Mary Arden, the daughter of an affluent landowning family. He was baptised on 26 April 1564, and his actual birth date remains unknown, though it is traditionally observed on 23 April, Saint George's Day.

Marriage and Family

At the age of 18, Shakespeare married Anne Hathaway, who was 26 years old. The marriage produced three children: Susanna, and twins Hamnet and Judith. Hamnet died of unknown causes at the age of 11.

Career in London

By 1592, Shakespeare had begun a successful career in London as an actor, writer, and part-owner of a playing company called the Lord Chamberlain's Men, later known as the King's Men. He appears to have retired to Stratford around 1613 at age 49, where he died three years later.

Works

Shakespeare produced most of his known works between 1589 and 1613. His early plays were primarily comedies and histories, genres he raised to the peak of sophistication and artistry by the end of the 16th century. He then wrote mainly tragedies until about 1608, including Hamlet, Othello, King Lear, and Macbeth, considered some of the finest works in the English language. In his last phase, he wrote tragicomedies, also known as romances, and collaborated with other playwrights.

Death

Shakespeare died on 23 April 1616, at the age of 52. He was survived by his wife and two daughters. He was buried in the chancel of the Holy Trinity Church in Stratford-upon-Avon.

Legacy

Shakespeare's works have been translated into every major living language and are performed more often than those of any other playwright. His plays remain highly popular and are constantly studied, performed, and reinterpreted in diverse cultural and political contexts throughout the world.

See Also

• Shakespeare's plays
• Shakespeare's sonnets
• Shakespearean history
• Shakespearean tragedy
• Shakespearean comedy
• Shakespeare authorship question