Shakespeare His Life and Works

Early Years Born on April 23 rd, 1564 in Stratford-upon-Avon Father, named John was a glove maker and a politician. Mother, Mary Arden was from a wealthy, land owning family. At the age of 18, he married 26 year old Anne Hathaway in They had three children-Susanna, twins Hamnet and Judith.

Career Between 1585 and 1592, he began a successful career in London as an actor, writer, and part owner of a theatre company called The Lord Chamberlain’s Men (1594). After the death of Queen Elizabeth (1603) they became known as The King’s Men (King James 1 st ).

Theatre 1599 a partnership of company members built a theatre called The Globe bought another theatre called the Blackfriars. Records show that the company made him a wealthy man.

Works Shakespeare wrote over 37 plays, which was his greatest contribution to the theatre. He also wrote 154 sonnets and 2 prose poems. Shakespeare divided his time between London and Stratford during his career. He retired to Stratford and bought a family home in 1597.

Death and After He died on April 23 rd He was buried in a church in Stratford-upon-Avon The King’s Men owned his plays. In 1623 two friends in the company published the First Folio of his plays. Most Neoclassical writers of the 1600s and 1700s didn’t appreciate his work.

The Bard He was rediscovered in the 1800s. His nickname was The Bard. It means a writer of poems (the term is usually reserved for writers of good poetry)