Shakespeare is one of the most famous writers in history.
Shakespeare is one of the most famous writers in history. He wrote some of the most famous plays and poems we read today, including Hamlet, Macbeth, Romeo & Juliet and A Midsummer Night's Dream. His writing was so good that many people doubt whether he actually wrote those works or not. Despite all this fame and mystery surrounding him, there are still some things about his life which may surprise you!
His Birthplace is a Mystery
It is not known where Shakespeare was born. The most likely candidate for his birthplace is Stratford-upon-Avon, but there is no record of his birth. There are also no records of his death or burial place, though it is believed he died in 1616 and was buried in Stratford-upon-Avon.
He Got Married at 18
You might not know this, but William Shakespeare was married. He married Anne Hathaway when he was eighteen and she was 26 years old. They had three children together: Susanna, Judith, and Hamnet (who sadly died at age 11). The marriage was happy and lasted until Shakespeare’s death in 1616.
So why don't we hear more about their relationship? Well for one thing, even though it wasn't unusual for people to marry so young back then—especially if they were from a lower class—we do tend to think of "romantic love" as something that existed only in stories or poetry back then rather than something people actually experienced in everyday life. And also because English law required couples over 25 to get permission from their parents before marrying each other; since Anne's father refused permission and insisted on a higher dowry than what Shakespeare could afford at the time (a dowry is money given by the bride's family), they were forced into secret marriage without witnesses present.
He had three children
You probably know that Shakespeare was a father and husband. But did you know that he had three children? One of them, Hamnet, died at the age of 11. His daughter Judith lived to be 16 and went on to become a poetess herself. The other child is thought to have been a son who died young or was stillborn
Shakespeare's marriage was not only long-lasting (he and his wife Anne Hathaway wed in 1582) but happy—a rarity during the period when they married. The two were described as "inseparable" by their neighbors, with little evidence of conflict between them until after their son died.
Shakespeare was simply a brilliant writer, poet and actor.
Shakespeare was simply a brilliant writer, poet and actor. He was a master of the English language and many people still read his works today. Many of his plays were performed in England during Shakespeare’s life time, but they are now performed all over the world. His work has been translated into many languages and it continues to be popular today hundreds of years after his death.
His work was not published until after his death
You probably know that William Shakespeare was a playwright, poet, and actor. You may even remember the dates on which some of his plays were published. But did you know that during his lifetime, none of his work was published?
That's right! While today there are countless books about him and his writing available for purchase at any bookstore in your neighborhood mall or grocery store, most people will be surprised to learn that there were no publications during Shakespeare's lifetime. It wasn't until 1623—22 years after he died—that the First Folio hit shelves across Europe (and later North America). This collection featured 36 plays with 38 others listed as "abridged" versions of full-length dramas by the Bard himself. In addition to these plays and poems, the First Folio also included an introduction by Ben Jonson (another famous playwright) where he discusses Shakespeare's talent as one who "had small Latine" but an "excellent Fancy."
Shakespeare may have been an actor too
You might not know it, but Shakespeare was also an actor. As a matter of fact, he was in his very first play and held the lead role!
This is just one of many things that you may not have known about the great writer himself:
He wasn't just a writer, he was an actor too - in fact, he acted in his very first play! In addition to being a writer and poet and playwright and businessman (not all at once), he also had experience as an actor. The man knew how to multitask!
The first performance of Romeo and Juliet was not a hit
The first performance of Romeo and Juliet was not a hit.
The play was not performed for another 18 years. It was a success when it was performed again in 1594, but most scholars agree that this version was heavily revised from an earlier draft.
His life has been dramatized in movies and books many times over the years.
Shakespeare in Love is a 1998 film written by Marc Norman and Tom Stoppard, directed by John Madden, and starring Gwyneth Paltrow and Joseph Fiennes as the young William Shakespeare and Viola De Lesseps. The film depicts Shakespeare as he conceives his first romantic comedy, A Midsummer Night’s Dream.
In the movie, William Shakespeare (Joseph Fiennes) has an affair with Viola De Lesseps (Gwyneth Paltrow), who plays a boy named Sebastian in a production of Twelfth Night. He also meets Sir Thomas Walsingham (Geoffrey Rush), who becomes his patron after seeing his acting skill during a performance at court
Some people still doubt his authorship of the plays and poems.
Some people still doubt his authorship of the plays and poems, but most scholars believe that William Shakespeare was born in 1564 in Stratford-upon-Avon, where he went to school and eventually married Anne Hathaway. He began writing poems at an early age and eventually became a successful actor as well as an aspiring playwright. There are many theories about Shakespeare's life and work; among them:
that Sir Francis Bacon wrote the works instead (as evidence for this theory is often based on similarities between Shakespeare's work, which is full of puns and wordplay, with Bacon's);
that Christopher Marlowe wrote the works; Marlowe died before some of them were published;
that Edward de Vere was actually responsible for some or all of it.
William Shakespeare's life was interesting and full of mystery!
Did you know that William Shakespeare was born in Stratford, England? Or that he married Anne Hathaway when he was 18 years old? The two had three children together: Susanna, Judith and Hamnet.
It's also true that Shakespeare wasn't published during his lifetime—he worked as an actor in London until he died at the age of 52 on April 23, 1616—and even then it wasn't until two years later! Nowadays people all over the world read and enjoy his work every day!
Conclusion
I hope you enjoyed reading about some of the lesser-known facts about Shakespeare. As a writer, he was brilliant and his work is still relevant today! If you want to learn more about this amazing person, check out some books or go see one of his plays performed live (it will be worth it).