An Introduction to Shakespeare Aka Ms. Snider’s fourth most favorite thing ever

The Man Himself Born around April 26th, 1564—they don’t have birth certificates, just christening records. He was third of eight children (but his older sisters died in infancy). He most likely went to the Stratford Grammar School, but again, we don’t know for sure. His father was a glovemaker and Shakespeare probably worked for him from age 14-18. When he was 18, Shakespeare married a woman named Anne Hathaway.

Shakespeare in London Around 1592, his name began to appear as an actor. In 1594, he became part owner of the Lord Chamberlain’s Men, a famous acting company. Ben Johnson, another famous playwright, and Richard Burbage, the most famous actor of the time, were also part of the Lord Chamberlain’s Men. The Globe Theater was built in 1599. Queen Elizabeth I chose the LCM as her preferred acting company.

In 1603, Shakespeare’s acting company became the King’s Men, because King James I became the company’s patron. Between 1588 (Two Gentlemen of Verona) and 1613 (Henry VIII), he wrote 37 plays. Shakespeare died on April 23rd, 1616.

Shakespeare’s Language He did not write in Old English! HWÆT, WE GAR-DEna in geardagum, þeodcyninga þrym gefrunon, hu ða æþelingas ellen fremedon! He did not write in Middle English! WHAN that Aprille with his shoures soote The droghte of Marche hath perced to the roote, And bathed every veyne in swich licour, Of which vertu engendred is the flour. Shakespeare was a creator of modern English.

Things We Say Due to Him In all of his work – the plays, the sonnets and the narrative poems – Shakespeare uses 17,677 words: Of those words, Shakespeare invented an incredible 1,700 of them! He invented common phrases as well! Green eyed monster Love is blind Break the ice Good riddance In a pickle Vanished into thin air