Fun Facts Friday: William Shakespeare

William Shakespeare (23 April, 1564 – 23 April, 1616) was an English playwright, poet, and actor. Mr. Shakespeare is commonly thought of as the greatest writer in English, and the world’s greatest dramatist.

Books by, or about, William Shakespeare*

1. Scholars believe that Shakespeare was born on 23 April. We only have records of his baptism which was on the 26^th, however according to the traditions at the time, he would have been baptized three days after being born.
2. William Shakespeare had seven siblings, which was not considered a large family at the time since childhood mortality rate was very high. Only his sister, Joan, outlived him and saw his fame after death skyrocket.
3. At the age of 18, William Shakespeare got married to Anne Hathaway. She was 26, and three months pregnant. The couple had three children, a son and two daughters.
4. Susannah, granddaughter of the Shakespeares died childless, which was the end of the line for the family.
5. During his lifetime, William Shakespeare became a wealthy man from his real-estate dealings, as well as taking shares and earning fees from his plays.
6. Since no copyright laws existed, it was common for actors to be fed their lines during the plays. Writing down the plays meant that they could be copied, performed, and profited on with no penalties.
7. During 1592-1594 a plague outbreak closed all of Europe’s theaters, including The Globe. Shakespeare used the time to write sonnets. He went on to write 154 sonnets during his lifetime.
8. Shakespeare never published any plays during his lifetime. We only know of them because two actors, John Hemminges and Henry Condell, had the vision to write down and publish 36 of the plays after his death.
9. King James I loved Shakespeare’s plays and was in much demand for performances in his court. The company also performed for Queen Elizabeth I. Even though many people think of Shakespeare as an Elizabethan playwright, he should actually be known as a Jacobean writer since the majority of his plays were written after her death.
10. Scholars believe that Shakespeare died on his birthday, 23 April. His burial is documented as being on the 25^th, but according to the tradition at the time it would have taken place two days after he passed away.

Zohar — Man of la Book
*Ama­zon links point to an affil­i­ate account, the money is usually spent on books