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 William Shakespeare In the mid-sixteenth century, William Shakespeare's father, John Shakespeare, moved to the idyllic town of Stratford-upon-Avon. There, he became a successful landowner, moneylender, glover, and wool and agricultural goods dealer. In 1557, he married Mary Arden. John Shakespeare lived during a time when the middle class was expanding in both size and wealth, thus allowing its members more freedoms and luxuries as well as a stronger voice in local government. He took advantage of the opportunities afforded him through such social growth and in 1557 became a member of the Stratford Council. This event marked the beginning of his illustrious political career. By 1561, he was elected one of the town's fourteen burgesses and subsequently served successively as constable, one of two chamberlains, and alderman. In these positions, he administered borough property and revenues. In 1567, he was made bailiff—the highest elected office in Stratford and the equivalent of a modern-day mayor. The town records indicate that William Shakespeare was John and Mary's third child. His birth is unregistered but legend places it on April 23, 1564, partially because April 23 is the day on which he died 52 years later. In any event, his baptism was registered with the town on April 26, 1564. Little is known about his childhood, although it is generally assumed that he attended the local grammar school, the King's New School. The School was staffed with a faculty who held Oxford degrees and its curriculum included mathematics, natural sciences, logic, Christian ethics, and classical language and literature. Although Shakespeare did not attend university, this was not considered unusual at the time. University education was reserved for prospective clergymen and was not considered a particularly mind-opening experience. The numerous classical and literary references in Shakespeare’s plays are testament, however, to the excellent education he received in grammar school His early works in particular draws on the important works of Seneca and Plautus. Even more impressive than his formal education is the wealth of general knowledge exhibited in his works. It is well-known that his vocabulary exceeds that of any other English writer by a wide margin. In 1582, at the age of eighteen, William Shakespeare married the twenty-six-year-old Anne Hathaway. Their first daughter Susanna was baptized only six months later—a fact that has given rise to speculation concerning the circumstances surrounding their marriage. In 1585, Anne bore twins, baptized Hamnet and Judith Shakespeare. Hamnet died at the young age of eleven, by which time Shakespeare was already a successful playwright. Around 1589, Shakespeare wrote his supposed first play, Henry VI, Part 1. Sometime between his marriage and writing this play, he and his wife moved to London, where he pursued a career as a playwright and actor. Although many records of Shakespeare's life as a citizen of Stratford—including marriage and birth certificates—have survived, very little information exists about his life as a young playwright. Legend characterizes Shakespeare as a roguish young scrapper who was once forced to flee London under suspect circumstances. But the little written information we have of his early years does not necessarily confirm this characterization. Young Will was not an immediate and universal success. The earliest written record of Shakespeare's life in London comes from a statement by the rival playwright Robert Greene. In his Groatsworth of Witte (1592), Greene calls Shakespeare an "upstart crow...[who] supposes he is as well able to bombast out a blank verse as the best of you"—hardly high praise. With Richard III, Henry VI, The Comedy of Errors, and Titus Andronicus under his belt, Shakespeare was a popular playwright by 1590.* The year 1593, however, marked a major leap forward in his career. By the end of that year he garnered a prominent patron in the Earl of Southampton and his Venus and Adonis was published. It remains one of the first of his known works to be printed and was a huge success. Next came The Rape of Lucrece. Shakespeare had also made his mark as a poet and most scholars agree that the majority of Shakespeare's sonnets were probably written in the 1590s. In 1594, Shakespeare returned to the theater and became a charter member of the Lord Chamberlain's Men—a group of actors who changed their name to the King's Men when James I ascended to the throne. By 1598, he was the "principal comedian" for the troupe; by 1603, he was "principal tragedian." He remained associated with the organization until his death. Although acting and playwriting were not considered noble professions at the time, successful and prosperous actors were relatively well respected. Shakespeare’s success left him with a fair amount of money, which he invested in Stratford real estate. In 1597, he purchased the second largest house in Stratford—the New Place—for his parents. In 1596, Shakespeare applied for a coat of arms for his family, in effect making himself a gentleman. Consequently, his daughters married successfully and wealthily. The same year that he joined the Lord Chamberlain's Men, Shakespeare penned Romeo and Juliet, along with Love's Labour's Lost, The Taming of the Shrew, and several other plays. Two of his greatest tragedies, Hamlet and Julius Caesar, followed around 1600 and the first decade of the seventeenth century witnessed the debut performances of many of his most celebrated works: Othello in 1604 or 1605, Antony and Cleopatra in 1606 or 1607, and King Lear in 1608. The last play of his to be performed was probably King Henry VIII, in either 1612 or 1613. William Shakespeare lived until 1616. His wife Anna died in 1623 at the age of 67. He was buried in the chancel of his church at Stratford. The lines above his tomb—allegedly written by Shakespeare himself—read: Good friend, for Jesus' sake forbear *The date of composition and performance of almost all of Shakespeare's plays remain uncertain and are open to interpretation.
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