Shakespeare lived a double life. By the seventeenth century he had become a famour playwright in London but in his hometown of Stratford, where his wife and children were, and which he visited frequently, he was a well-known and highlighy respected businessman and property owner.
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William Shakespeare
Learn about the man himself: William Shakespeare
William Shakespeare was born in 1654. The exact date isn’t known, but he was christened on 26th April so his birth is assumed a few days before then. In 1592 Shakespeare married the love of his life, Anne Hathaway, and together they had three children: Susannah, and twins Judith and Hamnet.
After the birth of his children there are several years of Shakespeare’s life where no records exist, this period is known as ‘the lost years’.
Records pick up again in 1592 where Shakespeare was known to be living in London. There are reviews of his plays at the time calling him ‘an upstart crow’ and accusing him of reaching above his rank. By 1597, 15 of the 37 plays written by Shakespeare were published. In 1599 Shakespeare and his business partners set to work building a theatre – The Globe, to which Shakespeare owned a 12.5% stake.
In his later years Shakespeare published his Sonnets, and one of the last plays he wrote was The Two Noble Kingsmen, which is wrote alongside John Fletcher. Shakespeare died on 23rd April 1616.
Shakespeare’s legacy grows and grows. The Royal Shakespeare Company was founded in 1961 and in 1997 the Globe Theatre was built where audiences can watch his plays as they were meant to be seen.
The Complete Works of William Shakespeare | See more
The Complete Works of William Shakespeare (Knickerbocker Classics)
William Shakespeare
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£17.75
Complete Works of William Shakespeare
William Shakespeare
£25.00
£17.19
Did you know...
Shakespeare Penguin Classics | See more
Did you know...
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. His later places also show the distinct characteristics of Jacobean drama.
Shakespeare adapted for the big screen | See more
Shakespeare adaptations on DVD & Blu-ray
Did you know...
Shakespeare is the second most quoted writer in the English language - after the various writers of the Bible.
The Ultimate Guide to Shakespeare
The Globe Guide to Shakespeare : The plays, the productions, the life - Andrew Dickson
The Globe Guide to Shakespeare is the ultimate guide to the life and work of the world's greatest playwright: William Shakespeare.
With full coverage of the 39 Shakespearian plays, including a synopsis, full character list, stage history and a critical essay for each, this comprehensive guide is both a quick reference and in-depth background guide for theatre goers, students, film buffs and lovers...
£19.99
£17.85
Shakespeare Dictionary
Oxford Illustrated Shakespeare Dictionary - David Crystal
Winner of Best Book, Publication, or Recording prize at the Falstaff Awards 2015Shortlisted for the 2016 SLA Information Book AwardThe Oxford Illustrated Shakespeare Dictionary is the first of its kind, a brand new illustrated alphabetical dictionary of all the words and meanings students of Shakespeare need to know.
Every word has an example sentence selected from the twelve most studied plays,...
£14.99
£11.95
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