Shakespeare's Life

William Shakespeare was born in April 1564 to successful glove-maker John Shakespeare and the daughter of a prosperous landowning farmer, Mary Arden, in Stratford-upon-Avon, England. His date of birth is not formally known, though he was baptised on April 26th. It is believed that he was educated at the King’s New School, a newly established grammar school in Stratford, though did not attend university further than this. At 18 years old, Shakespeare married Anne Hathaway, who was eight years his senior. Together they had three children: Susanna in 1583, and twins Hamnet and Judith in 1585. Unfortunately, Hamnet died of unknown causes at the age of 11.