The Life of William Shakespear

Beyond What You Already Know

Shakespeare is one of the most well-known playwrights of all time, but many only know about his work in theater. While it is true that his greatest triumphs were with a quill in hand and on stage, a deeper appreciation may be gleaned from understanding his past.
Even being the most famous author of the era was not enough to stave off the horrid record-keeping during this time. According to Associate Dean of the Arts, Peter Holland, in his entry on William Shakespear in the Oxford Dictionary of National Biography, Shakespeare was baptized on April 26, 1564. Using typical tradition regarding baptismal practices at the time, it can be deduced that he was born any time between the 21st and 23rd of April 1564. He was born to John and Mary Shakespeare in Snitterfield near Stratford and had around seven siblings, all of which had varying mortality rates due to time period.
As a lad, he attended the King’s New School, a grammar school with Latin and classical authors such as Livy and Cicero as pillars of their curriculum. He was afforded this level of education due to the affluence of the Shakespear family at the time. These authors likely had a large impact on him and his writing due to the styles of the time. His unusually high education for the time was compounded by his studies in the Catholic church, in which his family was heavily involved.
The time between his graduation and the dawn of his theatrical career is mostly lost, but scholars suggest that he may have apprenticed under his father, eventually leaving to be a teacher at a Catholic school. At some point, he met his future wife, Anne Hathaway, marrying her on November 27, 1582. From this point, he began his theatrical career, growing in population until he became the man we all know today.
Eventually, on April 23, 1616, Shakespeare was out drinking with friends and caught a fever from which he never recovered. Even though he passed away, he was survived by his two children and friends who continued his work. Additionally, the spread of the British Empire brought his plays to every corner of the world, further cementing his impact on the modern world.