William Shakespeare Research Paper

797 Words4 Pages

William Shakespeare, one of the most famous- if not the most famous- poet and playwrights of all time, is said to have most likely been born on April 23, 1564. It is “most likely” that he was born on this day because “no birth records exist, church records indicate that a William Shakespeare was baptized at Holy Trinity Church in Stratford-upon-Avon on April 26, 1564” (Bio, 2). Shakespeare was the third child, but eldest surviving, born to John and Mary Shakespeare. William would have had two older sisters, though, they passed before he was born, and had three younger brothers that he grew up with. His father, John, was a political man who eventually was given the title of town bailiff, very similar to what we know as “mayors”. Due to the fact that William was a child of an office holder, it is almost certain that he attended “King's New School, in Stratford, which taught reading, writing and the classics” (Bio, 3). There are very few records on Shakespeare’s childhood, but it is said that the school he most likely attended had …show more content…

Shakespeare was only 18, whereas Anne was 26, when the two were to be married. Anne was already expecting their first child when she married William, a daughter, which they named- Susanna. Three years later, in 1585, William and Anne had twins, Judith and Hamnet. Shortly after the birth of the twins, William had moved to London (Folger, 2). During this time, when one was pursuing a career in the theater, they had to work in London. This was the city to go to when you wanted to see your work on stage and to see the money from ticket sales. But, tragedy then struck in Shakespeare’s life, his son- Hamnet- died at the age of eleven. The causes of Hamnet’s death were unknown, as for the lack of medical knowledge during that time period. This was a traumatic time for William, a time where he dove into his work to forget all the tragedy going on around