William Shakespeare Biography

William Shakespeare was born and raised in Stratford-upon-Avon, Warwickshire, baptized on April 26, 1564. He and died on April 23, 1616. He is considered the greatest writer and dramatist in the English language and is often heralded as the national poet of England. He is known as the “Bard of Avon,” or simply “the Bard.” His body of work includes plays, sonnets, and poetry, all of which rank among the classics. He was married to Anne Hathaway when he was 18, and the couple had three children—Susanna, Hamnet, and Judith. During Shakespeare’s time, his writings were not considered high works of literature and were often considered too crude and tasteless by his peers.

He began a successful career in London as an actor, writer and, part-owner—sometime between 1585 and 1592—of Lord Chamberlain’s Men, a playing company, which was later renamed the King’s Men. His audience was not limited to only the upper class and the educated; his plays were accessible to a broader and varied audience across classes. Not much is known about his personal life, which has led to several speculations about his appearance, religious beliefs, and sexuality. His early plays are regarded as some of the best works produced and were primarily comedies and histories. After that, he mainly penned down tragedies until 1608, all of which are considered some of the finest in the genre. It is believed that around the age of 49, he retired to Stratford, where he died at the age of 52.