William Shakespeare: Biography of the Bard

Early Life 

Little is known about Shakespeare's early life, and even his exact birth date remains uncertain. However, it is widely accepted that he was born in Stratford-upon-Avon on 23rd April 1564. In November 1582, William, then eighteen years old, married Anne Hathaway. Six months later, their first child, Susanna, was born. Two more children followed - twins named Hamnet and Judith. Shakespeare, however, was a fairly absent father. In 1592, he moved to London to pursue his career in the theatre, returning home irregularly. Sadly, Hamnet died at just eleven years old. Scholars have long speculated about the effect Hamnet's death had on Shakespeare, with some believing that it deeply influenced his later works, particularly his tragedies, such as Hamlet, and the themes of loss in plays like King Lear and The Winter's Tale.

Birthplace of William Shakespeare. Henley Street, Stratford-upon-Avon

A Career in Writing

Exactly when Shakespeare first put pen to paper is lost to history, but by the mid-1590s, he had burst onto the stage of London's theatre scene. His early works, such as the historical dramas Henry VI and Richard III, were performed alongside romantic comedies like Much Ado About Nothing. His whimsical comedy, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, became a particular favourite of Queen Elizabeth I.

Tragedy struck when the theatre in Shoreditch, where Shakespeare's company performed, was forced to close. However, this setback gave rise to an opportunity. Shakespeare, along with a group of investors, leased land on the south bank of the Thames, each contributing £10 (approximately £1,700 today). By 1599, the iconic circular structure of the Globe Theatre stood in place, opening with a performance of Shakespeare's latest hit, Julius Caesar.

The Globe quickly became the place to be seen, cementing Shakespeare's reputation as both a playwright and a businessman. His initial investment paid handsome dividends, soon allowing him to purchase a grand family home in Stratford-upon-Avon. Yet, he spent little time there. New plays were in constant demand, and his theatre company, the Lord Chamberlain's Men, struggled to keep pace with the public's insatiable appetite for his work.

Globe Theatre, London

Plagues and Curses

In the early 17th century, London was a rapidly expanding city. With this growth came frequent outbreaks of plague. As a result, city officials enforced strict lockdowns, known as “shut-ins”, to combat the spread of the disease. One of the most devastating epidemics occurred in 1603, lasting over a year and claiming the lives of a quarter of the city's residents. Theatres were forced to close, leaving Shakespeare with little to do. During this time, he turned to poetry, producing works like The Sonnets. These lockdowns were difficult for the playwright, though he channelled his despair into tragedies such as King Lear and Hamlet. 

When theatres finally reopened, tragedy followed Shakespeare's work in other, more unusual ways. According to legend, his play Macbeth drew the ire of a group of witches who, angered by the portrayal of their craft, allegedly cursed the play in revenge. At its first performance, the actor playing Lady Macbeth died suddenly, forcing Shakespeare himself to step into the role. In another performance, a real dagger was swapped for a stage prop, leading to the accidental death of the actor playing King Duncan. Throughout history, productions have been plagued by disasters and near-misses. Many actors today refuse to utter the name Macbeth in a theatre, referring to it only as "the Scottish Play" to avoid invoking the so-called curse.

The first page of Shakespeare's Macbeth from the First Folio

The End of an Illustrious Career

By 1614, William Shakespeare had retired to Stratford-upon-Avon. Although he continued to write and collaborate with emerging playwrights, his time in the spotlight had come to an end. Now a grandfather, Shakespeare enjoyed a quieter life with his wife, content to spend his later years in relative peace.

No one knows exactly how many plays Shakespeare wrote in his lifetime. The figure accepted by the Royal Shakespeare Company is 38, but others are known to be lost, and there are scripts to which he may have contributed uncredited monologues or scenes. 

William Shakespeare passed away on April 23rd, 1616, in his hometown of Stratford-upon-Avon, aged fifty-two. The exact cause of his death remains unknown.

Shakespeare's grave at Holy Trinity Church, Stratford-upon-Avon

Controversy

After Shakespeare's death, some scholars questioned how a man with little formal education could have possessed the extensive knowledge of history, politics, law, and foreign lands evident in his plays. This scepticism gave rise to various theories. Some believed that William Shakespeare was the pen name of Edward de Vere, the Earl of Oxford; others thought that contemporary playwright Christopher Marlowe might have been the actual writer of Shakespeare’s works. 

A portrait, supposedly of Christopher Marlowe

In recent times, academics have used a digital mapping technique to shed light on the dispute. It tracks "idiolect", which is like an author's fingerprint. Unique patterns of words, phrases, and sentence structure can tell writers apart—even if one author is trying to write in the style of another.

But there is still no definitive answer to the controversy—and probably never will be.

Legacy 

Shakespeare's impact on the English language is both profound and enduring. Many of the words and phrases he coined have become part of everyday speech, such as "the be-all and end-all", "in a pickle", "wild goose chase", and "melted into thin air".

In 1623, seven years after Shakespeare's death, his legacy was solidified with the publication of the First Folio, a monumental collection of his works. This comprehensive volume included 36 plays and featured a foreword by his contemporary, the playwright Ben Jonson. He described Shakespeare as "the soul of the age, the applause, delight, the wonder of our stage", concluding that "he was not of an age, but for all time".

The fact that words from Macbeth find themselves in the Harry Potter films and Hamlet is retold in The Lion King. That’s a legacy. The power of the plays capture what it means to be human.

Dr Anjna Chouhan, Senior Lecturer in Shakespeare Studies at the Shakespeare Birthplace Trust