William Shakespeare

ContentShakespeare‘s Life

Early YearsYouthMarriageFamilyLost Years Later Years

Shakespeare‘s Workplays and poemsTop 5 PlaysFacts

Early yearsBaptized 26 April, 1564Stratford-upon-Avon, EnglandSeven siblingsFather: John Shakespeare

GloverUpper class roots

Mother: Mary ArdenCatholicUpper class rootsInherited the house

Youth

Good education at grammar schoolFocus on literature, poetry and history

No college education (no hints)No further informations about his childhood and youth

MarriageMarried Anne Hathaway in 1582

Pregnant at the timeShe was 26 years oldHe was only 18

Born in 1556 (day is unknown)Died 6 August, 1623Clues for unhappy marriage

Moved to London without herDoes not benefit from testament

FamilyFirst daughter: Susanna (*1583)

Favorite daughterMarried Dr. John Hall (military doctor)

Twins (*1585): Judith Hamnet (died: 1596)

Lost Years

The period between 1585 and 1592 is known as the „Lost Years“ because

there are no documentary records of Shakespeare‘s activities

Later yearsMoved to London (1591)

Worked as an actor and playwright (Globe Theatre)At the age of 46 he moved back to Stratford

Rich man Visited family and friends in LondonDied at the age of 52 in Stratford

Exact date and reason unknownSpeculation: died of a fever caused by drinking

Shakespeare‘s workComedy History Tragedy Poetry

• The Merchant of Venice• A midsummer Night‘s Dream• The Tempest• Twelfth Night• Winter‘s Tale

• Henry IV (1-3)• King John• Richard II

• Hamlet• Romeo and Juliet• Macbeth• Julius Caesar

• The Sonnets • The Lover‘s Complaint

Top 5 Plays1. Hamlet (as well as his longest play)2. Macbeth3. Julius Caesar4. The Tempest 5. 1 Henry IV

6. ...7. Romeo and Juliet

Facts 37 plays154 sonnetsMost successful plays are tragedies

Still successful in other genres (history, comedy)Most written plays are comediesThe Comedy of Errors was his shortest playhis plays have inspired modern movies (The Lion King by

Hamlet)

Source: http://www.shakespeare-online.com/plays/topplays.htmlhttp://shakespeare.mit.edu/http://www.bl.uk/treasures/shakespeare/basics.htmlhttp://screenrant.com/movies-based-on-shakespeare-plays/http://absoluteshakespeare.tripod.com/homepage/id1.html