Shakespeare's Life

A-Level English Literature | 2024-2025

Who was Willliam Shakespeare?

an English poet, playwright, and actor

When was Shakespeare born?

April 1564

When did Shakespeare die?

April 1616

Where was Shakespeare buried?

in the chancel of Holy Trinity Church in Stratford

What school was Shakespeare speculated to have attended?

the King’s New School in Stratford-upon-Avon

Who did Shakespeare marry?

Anne Hathaway

When did Shakespeare get married?

in 1582, at age eighteen

How many children did Shakespeare have?

three – Susanna in 1583 and twins Judith and Hamnet in 1585

What did Shakespeare achieve by 1592?

some prominence in London as both an actor and a playwright

When did Shakespeare become a published poet?

in 1593

Why were theaters in London closed around 1592/1593?

due to a contagious epidemic that spread throughout the city

What did Shakespeare resume in 1594?

his double career of actor and playwright

What did Shakespeare start in 1594?

his long service as an acting-company shareholder

When did Shakespeare’s company build a theater for themselves?

1599

What was the name of Shakespeare’s theater?

the Globe

What happened to the Globe in 1613?

it caught fire and burned to the ground

When did Shakespeare return to Stratford-upon-Avon?

sometime between 1610 and 1613

What events occurred during Shakespeare’s life?

• the translation and printing of Roman and Greek classics

• the exploration of North and South America

• confirmation of the Earth’s revolution around the sun

• the transformation of London into a metropolis