William Shakespeare

The son of John Shakespeare and Mary Arden, William Shakespeare was born in Stratford-on-Avon on April 23, 1564. He was educated at the King Edward IV Grammar School in Stratford, learning Latin and Greek, as well as reading the Roman dramatists. At the age of eighteen, Shakespeare married Anne Hathaway, who happened to be seven or eight years his senior, and they soon raised two daughters, Susanna and Judith. Little is known of his activities during 1585 up until 1592, but some sources lead to the idea that he may have been an actor and playwrite or had taught at school. It is more probable, however, that shortly after 1585 he began his apprenticeship as an actor in London. Shakespeare joined the Lord Chamberlain's company of actors and in 1599 he joined a group of Chamberlain's Men that would form a syndicate to build and operate a new playhouse known as the Globe, which soon became the most famous theatre of its time. With his income from the Globe, he purchased New Place, his home in Stratford. Between 1593 and 1601, Shakespeare wrote 154 sonnets; sonnets 1-126 were addressed to a beloved friend, and sonnets 127-152 were addressed to a fascinating "Dark Lady," whom the poet loves. Nearly all his poems discuss the immortalization of beauty and love in poetry, as well as the decay of time. Shakespeare wrote more than thirty plays, each one belonging to the category of history, comedy, tragedy, or romance. He retired from the stage after the year 1612 and returned to his home in Stratford. He died on April 23, 1616, and was buried at the Stratford Church two days later.