SHAKESPEARE’S LIFE AND BIOGRAPHY

RESEARCH: Research Shakespeare’s life, ensuring you include information about his origins, family, relationships, the world he lived in and questions surrounding his work. 

Origins
Shakespeare was born in Stratford-Upon Avon in the Spring of 1564. His parents had had two children before him, however at the time the rate of infant mortality was very high and he was their oldest surviving child. He was the oldest of six children. having a large family was common, as life expectancy was so much shorter. He came from a reasonably respected background, his father being a renowned leatherworker who married Mary Arden of the well-known Arden family. He likely attended grammar school, receiving a full education with a focus on reading and latin, likely explaining his aptitude for literature and application of latin phrases in his plays.

Family & Relationships
William married Anne Hathaway (no relation, obviously) at age 18. She was 26 at the time. They had three children, Susanna, Judith and Hamnet (the supposed namesake of arguably his most famous work, Hamlet). Hamnet died aged 11, leaving Shakespeare with no male heirs, therefore the name died with him. William lived in London while the rest of his family lived in Stratford. There is debate as to whether this separation was because the pair had fallen out of love or if it was just a requirement of being a renowned playwright.

Shakespeare's World

Shakespeare spent most of his life living in London and working as an actor, playwright and poet. History lost track of him for a while, between the birth of his children and his appearances as a more renowned thespian. It is assumed by many that in this time he travelled Europe, as many of his plays have a deep understanding of the European cities in which they are set. When history catches up, he is established in London, having written a number of historical plays such as Henry VI. Throughout the next few decades he built himself up as a well respected actor and playwright, and his name started to feature more prominently on the front of scripts and texts as he became a draw for audiences. His other lucrative business venture was as part the King's men, an extremely well respected theatre troupe of actors and playwrights. They later went on to create one of the only reliable images of Shakespeare, shortly after his death in 1616 (see top right).

Questions
The main questions surrounding his work to this day focus on the large gap in Shakespeare's recording life, his whereabouts and activities in this time. This also means we do not know what caused him to take up acting, how he became involved in the theatre scene in London, and his first connections with already established theatre-makers. As history continues his words will also become harder to dismantle, as many of the nuances and 'in-jokes' of Shakespeare's works can become lost on a contemporary audience. It is therefore vital to focus on getting to grips with this if there is to be a true connection between audience and actor.