Facts About Shakespeare - A Shakespeare Crib Sheet

Facts about Shakespeare can sometimes be hard to find! To help you sort the fact from the speculation, we’ve put together a Shakespeare â€Å"crib sheet† †¦ a single reference page packed with facts – and only facts – about Shakespeare. The links are there to help you delve deeper into the subject. Key Facts About Shakespeare William Shakespeare was born on 23rd April, 1564He died on 23rd April 1616The dates above are approximate because there is no record of neither his birth nor death. We only have records of his baptism and burial.If we accept the dates, Shakespeare was born and died on the same day – in fact Shakespeare’s death occurred on his 52nd birthday! Facts About Shakespeare’s Life Shakespeare was born and raised in Stratford-upon-Avon, but later moved to London for workShakespeare had three children with his wife, Anne HathawayWhen he left for London, Shakespeare left his family behind in Stratford. He did, however, retire back to Stratford at the end of his careerThere is evidence that Shakespeare was a â€Å"secret† CatholicBy the end of his life, Shakespeare was a wealthy gentleman and had a coat of arms. His final residence was New Place, the largest house in Stratford-upon-AvonShakespeare was buried inside Holy Trinity Church in StratfordShakespeare’s grave has a curse engraved upon itShakespeare’s birthday is celebrated worldwide every year. The main festival is in Stratford-upon-Avon on Saint George’s Day Facts About Shakespeare’s Time Shakespeare was not a â€Å"one-off genius†, as many people would have you believe. Rather he was a product of his timeShakespeare grew up during the renaissanceQueen Elizabeth I ruled for much of Shakespeare’s life and she would sometimes come and watch his plays Facts About Shakespeare’s Plays Shakespeare wrote 38 playsShakespeare’s plays are split into three genres: tragedy, comedy and historyHamlet is often regarded as the Bard’s best playRomeo and Juliet is often regarded as the Bard’s most famous playShakespeare may have co-authored many of his plays Facts About Shakespeare’s Sonnets Shakespeare wrote 157 sonnetsThe sonnets are split into sections. The first follows the Fair Youth and the second follows the so-called Dark LadyIt likely that the sonnets were never intended for publicationSonnet 18 is often regarded as Shakespeare’s most famous sonnetShakespeare’s sonnets are written in a strict poetic meter called Iambic Pentameter and have 14 lines each. Facts About Shakespeare’s Theatre The theatre experience in Shakespeare’s time was very different to today – crowds would eat and talk through the production and plays would be performed in the open airThe Globe Theatre was made from the materials of a stolen theatre that Shakespeare’s theatre company dismantled at midnight and floated across the Thames RiverShakespeare described the Globe Theatre as the â€Å"Wooden O† because of its shapeThe original Globe Theatre was demolished to make way for tenements in 1644 when it fell out of useThe building that currently stands in London is a replica built from traditional materials and techniques. It is not on the original site, but very close to it!Today, the Royal Shakespeare Company (RSC) is the World’s leading producer of Shakespeare and is headquartered in the Bard’s hometown of Stratford-upon-Avon