66 Shakespeare Facts For Those In Love With Poetry

William Shakespeare was a world-famous English writer and poet, widely considered as one of the best English language writers of all time. 

He is also the world's most famous playwright, with his work having been translated into different languages and performed in front of audiences of all ages. Shakespeare is a man of both extraordinary talent and mystery, as no known autobiographical writings or diaries have survived to the present day and with no living progeny. 

Some people spell Shakespeare's name as 'William Shakspeare'. We hope you learn how to spell it correctly.

Do you like to know about William Shakespeare's facts, William Shakespeare's lifetime, and William Shakespeare's appearance? We have listed some amazing Shakespeare facts if you are also a fan of poetry. Read more about many such interesting facts in the articles herein, like William Shakespeare kids and William Blake facts. 

Life Of William Shakespeare

How many facts do you truly know about the famous Shakespeare's life? Do you know very few facts about Shakespeare? Fret not; we've got your backs. Read on to know about his life, Shakespeare's death, and much more. 

• Shakespeare's birth date is unclear, although it is widely acknowledged that he was born and baptized in April 1564 at Stratford-upon-Avon, Warwickshire, England.
• He was the son of John Shakespeare, an advocate, and Mary Arden, the owner's daughter, and a well-known farmer.
• He was among eight children and survived to be the family's eldest surviving son.
• Shakespeare attended King's New School, a Stratford-based free chartered grammar school.
• He studied the fundamental Latin text and language, much of which was standardized by Royal order throughout the realm.
• Shakespeare's education, as a commoner, was believed to have ended at the grammar school level, as there is no evidence of him going to university, which was a privilege reserved for top families.
• Shakespeare married his wife, Anne Hathaway, in 1582 when he was just 18 years old, and Anne was already pregnant.
• The couple had three children.
• Hathaway gave birth to their first child six months later. Susanna's daughter, followed by twins named Hamnet and Judit two years later.
• Shakespeare vanished from public view following the birth of his twins in 1585 until 1592, when his works began to resurface on the London stage.

Famous Literature Of William Shakespeare

Shakespeare is known for both poetry and plays, with each medium serving a distinct purpose. In contrast, his poetry served as romantic storytelling, resulting in a canon of work as diversified in language as the matters of human essence that the works portray.

• At least 37 plays by Shakespeare are known to researchers, most of which are classified as comedies, histories, or tragedies.
• Shakespeare's oldest play is the 'King Henry VI' trilogy, with Richard III produced around the same time period, between 1589 and 1591.
• The last play, titled 'The Two Noble Kinsmen,' was supposed to be with John Fletcher.
• Shakespeare transitioned from histories produced in the late 1580s to early 1590s to comedies, defined by their comedic moments and pairs of connected narratives.
• 'A Midsummer Night's Dream', 'Merchant of Venice', 'Much Ado About Nothing', 'As You Like It', and 'Twelfth Night' are Shakespeare's most well-known works.
• Two tragedies, however, bookend Shakespeare's comedy period - 'Romeo and Juliet' were written in the early 1590s, while 'Julius Caesar' was written near the decade's conclusion.
• Shakespeare is credited with two books of poetry and about 150 sonnets.
• Although Shakespeare was a playwright throughout his life, it is believed that he turned to poetry most prominently in 1593 and 1594, when a plague caused London's theaters to close.
• During those years, Shakespeare published two books of narrative poems, 'Venus and Adonis' and 'The Rape of Lucrece'.
• Both volumes dealt with the issues connected with excessive passion and the shame that followed and were widely regarded during his lifetime, in part due to their sensual tone.
• Shakespeare also penned 'A Lover's Complaint', published in the 1609 first publication of Shakespeare's sonnets.
• Shakespeare's works have always been praised by critics.

15 Facts About William Shakespeare

Read these 15 amazing William Shakespeare facts.

• Shakespeare's father earned a livelihood by manufacturing gloves.
• Shakespeare was born at Stratford-upon-Avon on April 23, 1564.
• As a young man, Shakespeare relocated to London.
• It is possible that Shakespeare wore a gold hoop earring in his left ear, which was popular throughout the Elizabethan and Jacobean periods for its artistic, bohemian appearance.
• King James, I was a good friend of Shakespeare's, and he had a close relationship with him.
• After his death, Shakespeare sent countless gifts to different individuals, but he bequeathed his property to his daughter, Susanna.
• The sole reference to his wife is found in Shakespeare's own will, which states: "I gyve into my wife my second finest bed with the furniture." The 'furniture' in this case referred to the bedclothes.
• Shakespeare died on the anniversary of his birth. Shakespeare died and people across the world mourned his loss.
• A curse is written on Shakespeare's gravestone, challenging anybody to remove his corpse from its ultimate resting place.
• His epitaph was as follows: "Good friend for Jesus' sake forbear, To dig the dust enclosed here. Blest be the man that spares these stones, And curst be he that moves my bones."
• William Shakespeare is known to have written at least 37 plays, 154 sonnets, and a handful of poetry throughout his lifetime.
• There are also some 'lost plays' and plays on which Shakespeare worked. Since he began writing in 1589, Shakespeare has produced an average of one and a half plays every year.
• Only the Bible beats Shakespeare in terms of quotations.
• According to the Oxford English Dictionary of Quotations, William Shakespeare is responsible for over a tenth of all English-language lines ever written or spoken.
• Only two of Shakespeare's plays, 'Richard II' and 'King John', are wholly written in poetry. Half of the text in many of the plays is written in prose.

William Shakespeare's Family

Read facts about this playwright's family.

• Joan was born in 1569 and was named after John and Mary Shakespeare's eldest child, Joan, who died tragically after just two months of life.
• His parents had three children. Joan the second lived to be seventy-seven years old, dying thirty years after her renowned brother in 1646. It was a very lengthy existence in those days.
• Stratford was home to her ancestors with the surname Hart until 1806.
• The Bard and his sister were close, and one of her sons, William Hart, followed in his uncle's footsteps and traveled to London to join the prestigious King's Men acting company.
• Shakespeare was likewise unaware of a third sister.
• Margaret Shakespeare, Shakespeare's sister, was born in 1562. Unfortunately, she only lived for a year before succumbing to the Black Death.

Did You Know...

Read some more interesting facts here.

• John and Mary Shakespeare were Shakespeare's parents (nee Arden). Before 1532, John moved to Stratford upon Avon from Snitterfield as an apprentice glover and leather tanner.
• He flourished and established a business dealing in agricultural goods and wool before even being appointed to various public offices.
• Shakespeare was then christened by his parents on April 26, 1564, and academics think that, in line with the conventions of the period, he would have been christened at the age of three days, implying that Shakespeare was most presumably born on April 23.
• However, since Shakespeare was born on the ancient Julian calendar, what was April 23 within his lifetime would be May 3 on the Gregorian calendar today.
• Shakespeare moved to London from Stratford upon Avon, most likely in the late 1580s.
• The earliest mention of William Shakespeare in London was in 1596 when he resided in Bishopsgate (this is where Shakespeare supposedly lived in London).
• Although the location is uncertain, it is around Leadenhall Street and St Mary Avenue.
• In the Chandos picture, which is one of the most iconic portrayals of Shakespeare, we may see an example of this technique.
• Shakespeare performed in front of Queen Elizabeth I and King James I of England.
• During his lifetime, William Shakespeare and his theatrical troupe played in front of both Queen Elizabeth I and, subsequently, King James I, who was a passionate supporter of Shakespeare's work during his lifetime.
• The King renamed the performers in Shakespeare's company the 'Grooms of Chamber,' prompting Shakespeare to rename the company from the 'Lord Chamberlain's Men' to the 'King's Men,' which he did in answer to the King.
• Shakespeare became a favorite of the King as a result of the new title, and he was in high demand for performances at court.
• Shakespeare's wife was said to be his 'second-best best.'
• The burial of William Shakespeare at Holy Trinity Church in Stratford upon Avon is officially recorded as having taken place on April 25, 1616.
• However, the custom of the period suggests that he would have been buried two days following his death, which would have occurred on April 23, 1616, Shakespeare's 52nd birthday, according to historical records.
• Despite the fact that it was traditional to dig up the bones from prior burials to make way for others, Shakespeare's remains have remained untouched.
• Shakespeare is famously known to have written at least two unpublished plays, 'Cardenio' and 'Love's Labour's Won'.
• Shakespeare is likely to have written many more plays that have been lost.
• Some believe Shakespeare was a liar.
• Shakespeare was already weaving stories that demonstrated an in-depth understanding of foreign events, European cities, history, and acquaintance with the royal court and high society very early in his career.
• As a result, some scholars believe that one or many writers exploited the persona of William Shakespeare as a front to hide their genuine identities.
• The proposed possibilities are Edward De Vere, Francis Bacon, Christopher Marlowe, and Mary Sidney Herbert.
• According to the Literature Encyclopedia, Shakespeare is also the second most cited English writer behind the Bible's authors.

Here at Kidadl, we have carefully created lots of interesting family-friendly facts for everyone to enjoy! If you liked our suggestions for Shakespeare facts, then why not take a look at Ancient Greek literature facts, or why do we need to study literature?