William Shakespeare – A Brief Biography

At long last, you will now know all the important details concerning the biography of William Shakespeare, the great English playwright and poet.

Ready? Let’s go!

William Shakespeare, the playwright, was born in 1564 in the town of Stratford-upon-Avon in England.

Shakespeare’s father was a wealthy trader. His mother also came from a rich family. Shakespeare attended a local grammar school where he learnt Classical Greek and Latin Literature, History and Mythology.

He married at the age of 18. The woman was a farmer’s daughter, and they had children.

He became a famous actor and a playwright,

Shakespeare had his enemies.

Other playwrights like Robert Greene became jealous of him. They vilified him saying unlike them, he was not a university graduate and for that matter an upstart.

In spite of the campaign of hatred waged against him, Shakespeare never looked back. So, by1595, he had fully established himself as a poet, a playwright and an actor without compare.   

He wrote for, and acted in the English royal palace. He wrote the following plays during this period:

Richard  II, A Midsummer Night’s Dream and Romeo and Juliet.  

He became rich and bought one of the best houses in his native town.

Between 1595 and 1601, Shakespeare wrote his history plays and comedies, notably Henry IV Part I  and Part II, The Merchant of Venice, As You like It and Twelfth Night.

In 1599, he acquired a share in the Globe Theatre  in London and his plays were regularly staged there.

From 1601 onwards, Shakespeare wrote his great tragedies: Hamlet, Othello, King Lear and Macbeth as well as the so-called “bitter comedies” :All’s Well that Ends Well and Measure for Measure.  

He went on to write other plays after 1606. These include Cymbeline, The Tempest  and Henry VIII.

Around 1613, Shakespeare returned to his home town, Stratford. He died there in 1616 and was buried there.  

So this is the life story of a great poet, actor and playwright who left behind more than thirty-nine major literary works.

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