Shakespeare

The actual day that William Shakespeare was born is not known for certain. So April 23^rd 1564 is the date chosen to celebrate his birthday, since it was three days before his baptism. 23^rd April 1616 is also the day that Shakespeare died.

Shakespeare was born in the town Stratford-upon-Avon, which was a quiet market town in Warwickshire, with fewer than 2000 people living there. The town was close to the cities of Oxford and Coventry.

Shakespeare’s parents were called John and Mary. John was a successful businessman and Mary was the daughter of a nobleman. William was the oldest surviving child and he had four younger siblings.

Shakespeare was educated as a boy, but left school when he was 15. He then started to help out with his father’s glove-making business.

For more information about William Shakespeare (and other famous people) visit the kids’ catalogue. Books about Shakespeare are here, for other famous people try this.

In Shakespeare’s time theatre was their main entertainment, like films and television today. Plays were performed by theatre companies. A company would be supported by a rich patron. Shakespeare’s company was called the Chamberlain’s Men after their patron Lord Chamberlain. In 1603 their patron became James I, the King of England. After that they were known as the King’s Men. The company’s most famous actor was Richard Burbage. Women were not allowed to act in Shakespeare’s time, so all the female parts were performed by boys. From 1599 onwards, Shakespeare’s plays were performed at a theatre called The Globe. It was a huge wooden circle with no roof. The theatre could hold an audience of 3000. The company would do two performances a day.  The plays were put on with fancy costumes, but with hardly any set. Musicians would play for the performances, and actors with small roles often played more than one part. Sometimes if audiences did not like the play they would shout at the actors, or riot!

Take a look at these books to find out more.
Welcome to the Globe: The Story of Shakespeare’s TheatreShakespeare’s Theatre

William Shakespeare was a famous playwright and poet who lived in

England in the late 1500’s and early 1600’s. If he was alive today he would be over 400 years old! In his lifetime he wrote at least 38 plays. Many of his plays are famous, like Hamlet, Romeo and Juliet, and Macbeth. Shakespeare also wrote over 160 poems, known as sonnets because of the way they rhyme.  Shakespeare’s plays are divided by scholars into comedies, tragedies and histories. Because

England in Shakespeare’s time was ruled by a Monarch, the subjects of his plays are often based on what the king or queen would like to see performed.

Check out The Usborne World of Shakespeare, or some other great books and websites about Shakespeare.