Many scholars have speculated about the life and career of William Shakespeare. People interested in studying England's foremost dramatic poet need to distinguish between facts and beliefs about his life. Sparse and scattered as facts of his life are, they are sufficient to prove that a man from Stratford by the name of William Shakespeare wrote the major portion of the 37 plays that scholars ascribe to him. This concise review covers some of these records and some speculations about his life.
William Shakespeare was born on April 23, 1564, in Stratford-upon-Avon in England. His baptism occurred on Wednesday, April 26, 1564 (this is in keeping with the usual Elizabethan practice of baptizing children three days after their birth). His father was John Shakespeare, tanner, glover, dealer in grain, and town official of Stratford. His mother, Mary, was the daughter of Robert Arden, a prosperous gentleman-farmer. The family lived on Henley Street. Recent research into John Shakespeare's life suggests that Shakespeare was raised Catholic. As the son of a local businessman, Shakespeare probably attended King's New School, the local grammar school, where he received a good education. There is evidence that due to his father's declining fortunes, Shakespeare was unable to complete his schooling and was subsequently required to help with the family business.
Under a bond dated November 28, 1582, William Shakespeare and Anne Hathaway were married. Much speculation has arisen as to the happiness of that marriage, and it is widely thought that Shakespeare may have been forced to marry Anne Hathaway because she was pregnant. The birth of their daughter, Susanna, six months later, supports this theory. Researchers have also noted that Shakespeare left Hathaway his "second best bed" in his will as evidence of their unhappy marriage. Susanna's baptism took place in Stratford in May 1583. One year and nine months later, their twins, Hamnet and Judith (named after the poet's friends Hamnet and Judith Sadler), were christened in the same church. Hamnet died in 1596 at age eleven.
