Shakespeare, William

PLAYWRIGHT (ENGLAND)
BORN 1564, Stratford-upon-Avon, Warwickshire - DIED 23 Apr 1616, Stratford-upon-Avon, Warwickshire
GRAVE LOCATION Stratford-upon-Avon, Warwickshire: Holy Trinity Church

William Shakespeare was baptised on 26 Apr 1564 in Stratford-upon-Avon. He probably attended the King Edward VI Grammar School in Stratford. When he was 18 years old he married the 26 year old anne Hathaway. Between 1585 and 1592 little is known about him but by 1592 his acting and writing career in London had begun. He was partly owner of the Lord Chamberlain's Men, later known as the King's Men.

He wrote most of his plays between 1589 and 1613. Starting with comedies and histories he wrote mostly tragedies until 1608 and tragicomedies between 1608 and 1613. "Richard III" and "Henry VI" were written in the early 1590s but the dates of most of his plays are unknown.

In 1599 some company members built a new theatre on the south bank of the Thames. This was the famous Globe Theatre. It seems that his work had made Shakespeare rich because in 1597 he had bought one of the largest houses in Stratford, New Place.

During his career he lived in London as well as in Stratford but in 1613 he retired to Stratford, although he visited London several times afterwards. He died in 1616 in Stratford, aged 52.

In 1623 the "First Folio" was published by two of his former colleagues. This was a collection of almost all his plays. Since little is known about his life scholars have speculated that others may have written his works. In the 19th century his work became very popular and since then he has been regarded as the greatest writer in the English language.

Related persons
• had work translated by George, Stefan
• was admired by Janmot, Louis
• was written about by Staunton, Howard

Events
14/5/1800Premiere of Friedrich Schiller's adaptation of Shakespeare's "MacBeth" in Weimar [Schiller, Friedrich von]

Images

Statue of William Shakespeare at Bancroft Gardens in Stratford-upon-Avon.
Picture by Androom (19 Oct 2012)

 

The grave of William Shakespeare in Holy Trinity Church, Stratford-upon-Avon.
Picture by Androom (19 Oct 2012)

 

Memorial to William Shakespeare in Holy Trinity Church, Stratford-upon-Avon.
Picture by Androom (19 Oct 2012)

 

Holy Trinity Church, Stratford-upon-Avon.
Picture by Androom (19 Oct 2012)

 

Sources
• Damm, Sigrid, Das Leben des Friedrich Schiller, Eine Wanderung, Insel Verlag, Frankfurt am Main, 2004
William Shakespeare - Wikipedia


Shaw, Elisabeth

Published: 04 Nov 2012
Last update: 14 Mar 2022