The Vital Statistics

Born: April 22 or 23, 1564 in Stratford-Upon-Avon

Married: Anne Hathaway (b. 1556) in 1582

Children: Susanna (b. 1582); twins Hamnet and Judith (b. 1584)

Died: April 23, 1616

Buried: Trinity Church in Stratford

Shakespeare was the son of a prosperous glover and respected public official, John Shakespeare and his wife Mary Arden. She bore eight children, one of whom was Will. He was educated at the Stratford Grammar School, where he studied Greek and Latin classics. Upon leaving that school his formal education ended. When Will was 12 his father's business failed and John stopped attending public and social gatherings.

On November 27, 1582, at age 18 Will married Anne Hathaway, who was eight years his senior and already pregnant. Only six months later their daughter Susanna was born, followed two years later by twins Hamnet and Judith.

Of the so-called "Lost Years" between 1584 and 1592 nothing is known, but there has been speculation that Shakespeare was on the run from the law, a butcher's apprentice or a schoolteacher. In 1592 Shakespeare was already an established actor and playwright in London. His wife and children remained in Stratford.

In 1593 Shakespeare wrote the first of two long poems, Venis and Adonis, following it in 1594 with The Rape of Lucrece. His 154 sonnets were not published until 1609.

In 1594 Shakespeare joined the Lord Chamberlain's Men, becoming their principal writer. The most famous leading man of his day, the one who first played all of Shakespeare's greatest roles, was Richard Burbage. Richard came from a theatrical family, his father John having built the first formal theatre in London in 1576, called (appropriately) "The Theatre." Until that time most plays were acted on carts in tavern yards. In 1599, this talented all male troup had built their own theatre, the Globe at Bankside on the Thames, its circular shape reminescent of the cart stage in a tavern yard. The Globe was London's major theatre, home to most of Shakespeare's plays. Queen Elizabeth (reigned 1558-1603) and after her James I (reigned 1603-1625) attended plays there and gave generously to the company. Later came other theatres including "The Curtain," "The Rose," "The Swan," and "The Fortune."

In the three day run of most plays, the first day paid expenses, the second day paid the actors, and on the third day the author was paid. Shakespeare became very wealthy and in 1597 he bought New Place, the second largest house in Stratford, with its two barns, two orchards, and two gardens.

Hamnet, Shakespeare's only son, died in 1595.

Shakespeare returned to Stratford in 1612 where his wife and two daughters were. Here he remained with his family until his death. On March 25, 1616, he made a will, in which he left his wife Anne the "second best bed" and nothing else. At age 52, on April 23,1616, he died of unknown causes. He wrote his own epitaph.

Good Friends , for Jesus' sake forbear,
To dig the bones enclosed here!
Blest be the man that spares these stones,
And curst be he that moves my bones.

To this day his grave has remained undisturbed, even from modern researchers (not superstitious types, it seems) who wanted to verify that the remains were indeed those of Shakespeare. The government did not grant permission for the exhumation.

In 1613 during a production of Henry VIII the Globe caught fire and burned to the ground. The Lord Chamberlain's Men, now called the King's Men, had already leased a smaller indoor theatre, called the Blackfriars. Because of this the Blackfriars allowed for some scenic effects that were not possible in the outdoor theatre.

For the first time in nearly 400 years patrons may witness Shakespeare's works on a replica of the original Globe. For more information, contact: The Globe Theatre Walk-Around

Shakespeare's first folio was published in 1623 and included the 2 long poems, 154 sonnets, and 37 plays. The works had been collected by his friends and printed before anyone else could copy them and claim them (copyright laws were a little different back then). A couple of plays are of "dubious authorship" where it is thought that parts may have been written by Shakespeare and the rest filled in by someone else. Another theory is that a play such as Pericles may have been copied by someone sent to the theatre for the purpose of taking down the words as they were spoken (a sort of early bootleg method) and thus the misremembered parts do not reflect the type of writing ascribed to Shakespeare.

There is a two centuries-old debate over whether Shakespeare really authored the works attributed to him.

The "non-traditional" view has largely centered on the 17th Earl of Oxford, Edward de Vere, as the most likely candidate, but Ben Johnson, Christopher Marlowe and others have also been ventured as possible replacements. Those who espouse the de Vere theory are called "Oxfordians" and have taken on the task of unseating the "Stratfordians."

The Anyone-But-Shakespeare group put much of their faith in the idea that someone with such humble beginnings -- the son of a prosperous, though illiterate glover and public official, a man whose education ended with the Stratford Grammar School -- could not have become the greatest writer in the English language. Some of the plays reveal a seemingly inside knowledge of the Tudor court and thus the focus on de Vere because of his social status, his reputation for literary accomplishment and the excellence of his education.

Many believe that the name "Shakespeare" is a pseudonym and that there was no William Shakespeare at all. Others claim that there was a William Shakespeare, but that he was not the author of the works attributed to him. Because de Vere was a member of the court he was forbidden to publish anything under his own name and could have used a false name to put his works before the public.

The issues are far too complicated for me to deal with here. I have no particular affection for either camp. Short of some 16th century document coming to light that proves the authorship definitively, I doubt that the controversy can ever be truly laid to rest. I suppose the best compromise I could suggest is a collaboration between a prominent actor/writer with a popular troupe and a talented nobleman forced to conceal his identity. Their blended accomplishments could be what we know as William Shakespeare.

Those who wish to explore the Oxfordian cause may contact The Edward de Vere Homepage

Those who prefer the Christopher Marlowe School of Shakespearean Identity will want to visit Christopher Marlowe Lives, where the prevalent theory is that Marlowe's death in a tavern brawl in 1593 was, in fact, a hoax to protect the often outrageous playwright from a visit to the Star Chamber. After his "death," Marlowe lived out the rest of his life as William Shakespeare. Perhaps Anne Hathaway never noticed the difference.