An Introduction to Prose in Shakespeare. William Shakespeare (bapt. The first publishing of Shakespeare’s works is the ‘First Folio’ published in 1623. The story of the play was set in a remote island. language English. This list of Shakespeare plays brings together all 38 plays in alphabetical order. Zoe Bramley offers a range of facts about Shakespeare, uncovering details from his lifetime and legacy and organising them into easy-to-read, bitesize facts – from the name of his first patron’s cat to how they say ‘to be or not to be’ in Klingon. (If you’re into quirky William Shakespeare facts check out our  list of 23 things you never knew about Shakespeare.). Although it is believed that he was born sometime in April 1564, and was baptized on the 26 th of April, some historians think that he was born before this time. Here are 10 strange facts to get you started: 1. Rumour has it that poet John Keats was so influenced by Shakespeare that he kept a bust of the Bard beside him while he wrote, hoping that Shakespeare would spark his creativity. They are known today only because two of his fellow actors – John Hemminges and Henry Condell – recorded and published 36 of them posthumously under the name ‘The First Folio’, which is the source of all William Shakespeare books published. Unlike his talented son he appears to have been unable to write (he used a drawing of a pair of compasses as his signature instead of writing his name).. Fact 2: Shakespeare is considered the world’s greatest dramatist. Within two hours the theatre was burnt to the ground, to be rebuilt the following year. However, the evidence for Shakespeare’s having written the plays is very strong. As there was no demand for plays during this time, Shakespeare began to write poetry, completing his first batch of sonnets in 1593, aged 29. John Shakespeare’s glove workshop at the Shakespeare Birthplace, complete with the window where he displayed and sold his gloves to passersby. Shakespeare Fact No. Although Shakespeare is almost universally considered as one of the finest writers in the English language, his contemporaries were not always as impressed. Anne is said to have been eight years older to him. Please log in again. When he left for London, Shakespeare left his family behind in Stratford. Still sat unconquered in a ring, Remembering him like anything. Shakespeare’s parents were John and Mary Shakespeare (nee Arden). Shakespeare is widely considered the world’s greatest dramatist. Wife: Anne Hathaway. In 1890, Eugene Schiffelin an American ‘Bardolator’ decided to import every kind of bird mentioned in Shakespeare but not native to America. Towards the end of his career, Shakespeare worked with other writers on plays that have been credited to those writers. There are a lot of facts out there about the famous playwright. Includes the great poets – William Shakespeare, William Blake and William Wordsworth. Shakespeare died on 23 April 1616, supposedly of a brief fever caused by too much drinking. Born: Stratford-upon-Avon, 23 April 1564 (or thereabouts). How did a provincial commoner who had never gone to college or ventured... 2. Shakespeare was born and brought up in Stratford-upon-Avon, England. Shakespeare had four grandchildren who all died without any heir. Facts about Shakespeare Globe Theatre will inform you about a theatre in London. Many of the plays have half of the text in prose. The Oxford Shakespeare: The Complete Works 2nd Edition at Amazon. No list of Shakespeare facts would be complete without some questions regarding the name. The exact date of his birth is unknown, though it has been celebrated on April 23 since an 18th century scholar made a typo. It was built by Peter Smith in Southwark on the south bank of London’s River Thames between 1597 and 1598. Two of Shakespeare’s plays, Hamlet and Much Ado About Nothing, have been translated into Klingon. Shakespeare in 100 Facts His greatest plays include Hamlet, King Lear, Othello, Macbeth and Romeo and Juliet. Shakespeare is second only to the bible in terms of quotability. It helped I have a project on shakespeare, this was a lot of help, i’m writing an essay about him and his play Romeo and Juliet. 1. Shakespeare is often referred to as Elizabethan playwright, but most of his players were written in the Jacobean period. Let’s dig up some interesting facts about William Shakespeare life. Facts about Shakespeare’s Play Romeo and Juliet tell the readers the masterpiece of William Shakespeare. William Shakespeare was baptized on 26th April 1564 at Stratford-upon-Avon. There were the interesting facts about Interesting Facts about William Shakespeare but the most interesting thing is that we use many phrase without knowing that it is actually the quotes of Shakespeare. “William Shakespeare” In 1592 his work was criticized by another play write which documented his career, although it is unknown when he began writing. Photo: Getty Images Quick Facts Name William Shakespeare Birth Date c. April 23, 1564 Death Date April 23, 1616 Did You Know? Part of this project involved releasing two flocks of 60 starlings in New York’s Central Park. tweet; 10 Shocking Facts About William Shakespeare. Shakespeare’s Globe Theater. This criticism may be motivated by the fact Shakespeare was not university educated like contemporary writers such as Christopher Marlowe. Some think this was a hidden birthday message to the Bard, as the King James Bible was published in 1611 – the year of Shakespeare’s 46th birthday. Suicide occurs an unlucky thirteen times in Shakespeare’s plays, with three suicides occurring in both Antony & Cleopatra and Julius Caesar, and two suicides in Romeo and Juliet. The exact date of his birth is unknown, though it has been celebrated on April 23 since an 18th century scholar made a typo. The poet was the son of John Shakespeare, who tried various trades like selling wool, corn, malt, and leather goods. Let’s dig up some interesting facts about William Shakespeare life. … The works of Shakespeare draw 600 references to various bird types. Holy Trinity Church in Stratford-upon-Avon, article on interesting facts on The Globe Theatre, Suicide occurs an unlucky thirteen times in Shakespeare’s plays, list of 23 things you never knew about Shakespeare, evidence for Shakespeare’s having written the plays is very strong, Abraham Lincoln was a great lover of Shakespeare’s plays, more than 80 variations recorded for the spelling of Shakespeare’s name, Estimations of his vocabulary range from 17,000 to a dizzying 29,000 words, 23 things you never knew about Shakespeare, The Lord Chamberlain’s Men & The Kings Men. genre Tragedy. There is no reason to think that William Shakespeare was any different from his contemporaries. Some scholars have maintained that Shakespeare did not write the plays attributed to him, with at least fifty writers having been suggested as the “real” author. Margaret, born 1562, died 1563 (aged 5 months). His father was a wine taster. William Shakespeare (1564-1616), considered the greatest English-speaking writer in history and England’s national poet, has had more theatrical works performed than any other playwright. Hamlet was based on a well known Scandinavian legend called -Amleth. People can get enough of … In spite of his reputation as the greatest poet and playwright that ever lived, there is a lot we don’t know about Shakespeare as a person.There is a paucity of extant historical records, the slenderest of biographical attestation, and only a few portraits created of him during his lifetime. Stay close to anything that makes you glad you are alive…. Although it is believed that he was born sometime in April 1564, and was baptized on the 26 th of April, some historians think that he was born before this time. Shakespeare is known as England’s national poet – as well as the “Bard of Avon”. By the seventeenth century, he had become a famous playwright in London but in his hometown of Stratford upon Avon, where his wife and children were, and which he visited frequently, he was a well-known and highly respected businessman and property owner. Shakespeare and Anne Hathaway had three children together – a son, Hamnet, who died in 1596, and two daughters, Susanna and Judith. Before Shakespeare, the English language was much less codified with no official dictionary and many variations on spelling. Shakespeare wrote many different types of plays. The bird can do mimicry and is a lustrous songbird. John Shakespeare, the father of William, appears to have been a fairly unremarkable man. Shakespeare's Comedy 'Much Ado About Nothing' An Introduction to Iambic Pentameter. In Elizabethan theatre circles it was common for writers to collaborate on writing plays. September 11, 2019 (Updated: April 23, 2020) Hulton Archive, Getty Images. Read more about Shakespeare’s family. G.K. Chesterton, The Shakespeare Memorial. The first record of William Shakespeare in London is of him living in Bishopsgate in 1596 (see our post on where Shakespeare lived in London). We probably don’t spell Shakespeare’s name correctly—but no issues neither did he. He married Anne Hathaway, who was heavily pregnant at the time, at the age of 18 and he had three children Susanna, Hamnet and Judith. In fact, there are no records of him ever … He arrived in Stratford-upon-Avon in 1551 and began dabbling in various trades, selling leather goods, wool, malt and corn. Died: Stratford-upon-Avon, 23 April 1616. The “furniture” was the bedclothes for the bed. Here are some weird facts about William Shakespeare: William Shakespeare had seven siblings, two of whom were named JOHN and they were born a year apart. Some fast facts about Shakespeare. His works have guided, … Though his style of writing is too old but still he writings are quoted in modern writing. You should definitely know these fun facts about Shakespeare Shakespeare introduced almost 3,000 words to the English. Most writers wrote in the daytime and socialised in the evenings. From Anne Boleyn and Queen Elizabeth I to Henry VIII and Winston Churchill. Candles were very expensive in Shakespeare’s time so they were used only for emergencies, for a short time. Shakespeare is most often referred to as an Elizabethan playwright, but as most of his most popular plays were written after Elizabeth’s death he was actually more of a Jacobean writer. Image from Atar Notes. 12 Facts About William Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet. Shakespeare Facts: 21-25. Fact 1: William Shakespeare’s exact birth date remains a mystery to this day. 26 April 1564 – 23 April 1616) was an English playwright, poet, and actor, widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and the world's greatest dramatist. An outbreak of the plague in Europe resulted in all London theatres being closed between 1592 and 1594. If you are a fan of William Shakespeare, you can check Facts about the Tempest. author William Shakespeare. Shakespeare has given many memorable phrases to the English language, such as “wild goose chase”, “foregone conclusion” “in a pickle”. He is known for his sonnets. What Was the First Play Shakespeare Wrote? The souls most fed with Shakespeare’s flame. 2. Few people realise that apart from writing his numerous plays and sonnets, Shakespeare was also an actor who performed many of his own plays as well as those of other playwrights. 22. Discover More. It’s likely that Shakespeare wrote many more plays that have been lost. William Shakespeare’s burial at Holy Trinity Church in Stratford upon Avon is documented as happening on 25th April 1616. Fun facts about Shakespeare’s play. Many critics of Shakespeare actually say that Shakespeare was a fraud. According to the critics, Shakespeare was a commoner who had never … In the King James Bible the 46th word of Psalm 46 is ‘shake’ and the 46th word from the end of the same Psalm is ‘spear’. William Shakespeare was born in 1564 to John and Mary Arden Shakespeare. Shakespeare facts are hard to come by. Entertainment at Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre, The Complete Works of William Shakespeare: The First Folio, Shakespeare’s Development Of Early Modern English, https://www.nosweatshakespeare.com/resources/shakespeare-facts/. The genre is a tragedy because the primary characters die. 1. What Was the First Play Shakespeare Wrote? Interesting William Shakespeare Facts. What Makes a Shakespeare History Play. By tradition, it is generally supposed that Shakespeare was born on April 23, 1564. In 1556 he was appointed the boroughs official ale taster, meaning he was responsible for inspecting bread and malt liquors. No one can say the... 2) William was born in Stratford-upon-Avon in 1564, during England’s Tudor period. Shakespeare married his wife Anne Hathaway when he was 18. Other contenders include the ‘Oxford school’ – suggesting Edward de Vere, 17th Earl of Oxford was a better contender. Early praise for Shakespeare came from writers such as Ben Johnson. By. How to Identify a Shakespeare Comedy. Their first child Susanna was born six months after the wedding. Shakespeare was born and raised in Stratford-upon-Avon but later moved to London for work. Richard Burbage funded the construction. Though it was customary to dig up the bones from previous graves to make room for others, the remains in Shakespeare’s grave are still undisturbed. Shakespeare has been misspelled. One of the most curious facts about William Shakespeare is that his name can be reshuffled to create the sentence ‘I am a weakish speller’. Writers and authors – Famous authors such as J.R.R. BY Lucas Reilly. Shakespeare has given many words (estimate of 1,700 – 3,000) to the English language. What do you think of these Shakespeare facts – any that surprise you, or that you didn’t know? Help us keep Shakespeare's story alive Thank you for your support to help care for the world's greatest Shakespeare heritage and keep his story alive. 23. Each Shakespeare’s play name links to a range of resources about each play: Character summaries, plot outlines, example essays and famous quotes, soliloquies and monologues: All’s Well That Ends Well Antony and Cleopatra As You Like It The Comedy of Errors Coriolanus Cymbeline Hamlet Henry IV Part 1 Henry IV Part 2 Henry VIII Henry VI Part 1 Henry VI Part 2 Henry VI Part 3 Henry V Julius Caesar King John King Lear Loves Labour’s Lost Macbeth Measure for Measure The Merchant of Venice The Merry Wives of Windsor A Midsummer Night’s Dream Much Ado About Nothing Othello Pericles Richard II Richard III Romeo & Juliet  The Taming of the Shrew The Tempest Timon of Athens Titus Andronicus Troilus & Cressida  Twelfth Night The Two Gentlemen of Verona The Winter’s Tale. When he left for London, Shakespeare left his family behind in Stratford. John came to Stratford upon Avon from Snitterfield before 1532 as an apprentice glover and tanner of leathers. 1. The house stood on the corner of Chapel Street and Chapel Lane, and was the largest house in the town at that time. ‘Bardolatry’ was a term coined by George Bernard Shaw to illustrate the reverence held by many Victorians for anything Shakespeare. Estimations of his vocabulary range from 17,000 to a dizzying 29,000 words – at least double the number of words used by the average conversationalist. Other writers also worked on plays that are credited to Shakespeare. The Bard is believed to have started writing the first of his 154 sonnets in 1593 at age 29. Shakespeare married Anne Hathaway when he was 18 years old. There is documentary proof that Shakespeare was baptised on 26th April 1564, and scholars believe that, in keeping with the traditions of the time, he would have been baptised when he was three days old, meaning Shakespeare was probably born on April 23rd. His father was a wine taster. Born: Generally accepted as 23 April 1564, as he was baptised 26 April 1564. Shakespeare’s last play – The Two Noble Kinsmen – is reckoned to have been written in 1613 when he was 49 years old. In his will, he appeared to only give his wife (Anne) a bed. It was believed that the Shakespeare wrote the story at the beginning of his career as writer. This is according to an account from 17th century. 49 Poetic Facts About Shakespeare Rachel Seigel. Though his style of writing is too old but still he writings are quoted in modern writing. One of Shakespeare’s relatives was executed. He was a glover and leatherworker by trade and settled in Stratford upon Avon where he became quite successful, owning a number of properties … There are those who question whether William Shakespeare was actually the author of the plays, attributed to him. Here are some of our favourite bits of trivia about 'the Scottish play'. The address is unknown, though is thought to be in the vicinity of Leadenhall Street and St Mary Avenue. (See a gallery of Shakespeare portraits.). William Shakespeare (bapt. Shakespeare’s father, John, dabbled in farming, wood trading, tanning, leatherwork, money lending and other occupations; he also held a series of municipal positions before falling into debt in the late 1580s. Shakespeare’s plays are usually separated into three main divisions. The International Astronomy Union subsequently developed the convention to name all further moons of Uranus (of which there are 27) after characters in Shakespeare’s plays or Alexander Pope’s The Rape of the Lock. Copyright didn’t exist in William Shakespeare’s time, as a result of which there was a thriving trade in copied plays. If so, check out our list of 23 things you never knew about Shakespeare. Some people think Shakespeare was a fraud. Parents: John and Mary Shakespeare. William Shakespeare was a poet, a playwright, and an actor, and is widely viewed as one of the greatest writers in the history of the English language. Jonson remarked of Shakespeare he was the – “Soul of the age, the applause, delight, the wonder of our stage”. This style is evidenced in the Chandos portrait, one of the most famous depictions of Shakespeare. Facts and Legends By permission of the Folger Shakespeare Library. Here are 10 strange facts to get you started: Shakespeare's Comedy 'Much Ado About Nothing' An Introduction to Iambic Pentameter. We might wish for a more heroic anagram for one of our nation’s greatest playwrights, but unfortunately ‘I am a weakish speller’ does in fact ring true when applied to Shakespeare. During his life, William Shakespeare wrote at least 37 plays, 154 sonnets, and a number of poems! On his death, Shakespeare made several gifts to various people but left his property to his daughter, Susanna. Shakespeare and Anne Hathaway had three children together-a son, Hamnet, who died in 1596 at the age of eleven (possibly from the bubonic plague), and two daughters, Susanna and Judith. Playwrights in Shakespeare’s time used language to describe ‘special effects’, but acting companies could also produce very dramatic ones too. (only later changed to Stratford Upon Avon). Many of Shakespeare’s plays were based on historical accounts, dramatised by Shakespeare. The real fact about William Shakespeare is that, however little we might really know the facts about Shakespeare’s’ personal life, what we do know that his works not only live on in the twenty-first century but his words, phrases and quotes are now cast, forever, in the English Language. He Had an Older Wife (Image credit: Richard Subber) It is said that Shakespeare was 18 years old when he married Anne Hathaway, who was 26 at that time. Jump to section: Shakespeare’s life, Shakespeare’s era, Shakespeare’s works, Fun Shakespeare facts. Below are some of his weird interesting and little known Facts about William Shakespeare. He also dramatised stories from classical writers such as Plutarch and Holinshed. 1. 26 April 1564 – 23 April 1616) was an English playwright, poet, and actor, widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and the world's greatest dramatist. There are more than 80 variations recorded for the spelling of Shakespeare’s name. Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre Stands 400 Years and Only Yards Away From the Original.