Below are some frequently asked questions I have received from students who have been researching the great bard. I hav e compiled them into this article to help more students with their research.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
William Shakespeare<\/a> was most likely born on 23 April 1564, in Stratford-upon-Avon, England, he was baptised on 26 April 1564.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Shakespeare died on 23 April 1616, supposedly of a brief fever caused by too much drinking. He was buried two days later in Holy Trinity Church, Stratford-upon-Avon.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Shakespeare\u2019s wife was Anne Hathaway<\/a>; she was probably nine years older than Shakespeare, and already pregnant, when they married in 1582.\u00a0<\/strong><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n We know little about Shakespeare\u2019s marriage. He and Anne had three children, but he spent many years apart from her, working as an actor and playwright in London. Also, his will makes no affectionate mention of his wife aside from the bequest of his second best bed. <\/strong><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Yes, he had three children. Susanna was his eldest daughter, and he had twins, a son named Hamnet (who died at 11) and a daughter named Judith.<\/p>\n\n\n\n No. Of Shakespeare\u2019s three children, only his daughter Judith had children. Her three sons died before marriage. However, his sister, Joan, married a man named William Hart and their descendants are still alive today.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Debate over the authorship of Shakespeare\u2019s works will likely continue. Many people believe that the gentleman from Stratford could not have written the plays; he simply lacked the breadth and depth of necessary education to know the stories from classical history. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Other scholars believe that the Shakespeare of Stratford received a good education at his local grammar school and further educated himself as an actor and playwright in London.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Shakespeare was not poor, but he was not wealthy either. In his middle age, he was comfortably well off. He was able to purchase the second largest house in Stratford in 1597, and also owned property in London. He was also a shareholder in his theater company, The Lord Chamberlain\u2019s Men (later The King\u2019s Men), and a part owner of The Globe and Blackfriars theaters.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Scholars have spent centuries attempting to understand Shakespeare\u2019s personal religious and spiritual feelings. He was undoubtedly an outward Protestant, as that was the official religion of England in tudor times<\/a>. However, his plays and poetry reveal a curious, searching mind, always sensitive to the vagaries of human existence. We really have no way of knowing his personal feelings.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Frustratingly little. No genuine artifacts from Shakespeare\u2019s life have survived. We have a few copies of his signature on legal documents, but little else. Much of what scholars presume to know is based upon contemporary sources.<\/p>\n\n\n\n There is no evidence to suggest Anne and the children ever joined Shakespeare in London.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Shakespeare was first an actor, then a playwright. Theater companies either used their own \u2018in house\u2019 playwrights or bought plays to perform. It is likely that Shakespeare enjoyed writing and his skill was noted by his fellow actors and encouraged accordingly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n It is worth remembering that Shakespeare\u2019s work was intended as entertainment<\/a> first and foremost. Its genius lies in its ability to both entertain and enlighten.<\/p>\n\n\n\n We don\u2019t know the exact date of composition of most of his plays. But scholars use contemporary sources and compare style, theme, etc to group the plays into \u2018early\u2019 and \u2018late\u2019. Candidates for his first play include Henry VI<\/a>, Part Two<\/i>, The Two Gentlemen of Verona<\/i>, and The Taming of the Shrew<\/i>. These are believed to have been written between 1589-1591.<\/p>\n\n\n\nWhen did Shakespeare die, what did he die of, and where was he buried?<\/b><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Who was Shakespeare\u2019s wife?<\/b><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Did Shakespeare love his wife?<\/b><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Did Shakespeare have children?<\/b><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Is anyone alive today a direct descendant of Shakespeare?<\/b><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Was Shakespeare well-educated?<\/b><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Was Shakespeare wealthy?<\/b><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Was Shakespeare religious?<\/b><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
How much do we really know about Shakespeare\u2019s life?<\/b><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Did Shakespeare\u2019s family ever live in London?<\/b><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Why did Shakespeare begin to write plays?<\/b><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
What was Shakespeare\u2019s first play?<\/b><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
How many plays did Shakespeare write?<\/b><\/h3>\n\n\n\n