Facts About Shakespeare

Facts about Shakespeare can sometimes be hard to find! To help you sort the fact from the speculation, we’ve put together a Shakespeare “crib sheet.” This is 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 April 23, 1564.
• He died on April 23, 1616.
• The 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 work.
• Shakespeare had three children with his wife, Anne Hathaway.
• When he left for London, Shakespeare left his family behind in Stratford. He did, however, retire back to Stratford at the end of his career.
• There is evidence that Shakespeare was a “secret” Catholic.
• By 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-Avon
• Shakespeare was buried inside Holy Trinity Church in Stratford.
• Shakespeare’s grave has a curse engraved upon it.
• Shakespeare’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 “one-off genius”, as many people would have you believe. Rather he was a product of his time.
• Shakespeare grew up during the Renaissance.
• Queen 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 plays.
• Shakespeare’s plays are split into three genres: tragedy, comedy, and history.
• Hamlet is often regarded as the Bard’s best play.
• Romeo and Juliet is often regarded as the Bard’s most famous play.
• Shakespeare may have co-authored many of his plays.

Facts About Shakespeare’s Sonnets

• Shakespeare wrote 157 sonnets.
• The sonnets are split into sections. The first follows the Fair Youth and the second follows the so-called Dark Lady.
• It is likely that the sonnets were never intended for publication.
• Sonnet 18 is often regarded as Shakespeare’s most famous sonnet.
• Shakespeare’s sonnets are written in a strict poetic meter called Iambic Pentameter and have 14 lines each.

Facts About Shakespeare’s Theater

• The theater 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 air.
• The Globe Theatre was made from the materials of a stolen theatre that Shakespeare’s theatre company dismantled at midnight and floated across the Thames River.
• Shakespeare described the Globe Theatre as the “Wooden O” because of its shape.
• The original Globe Theatre was demolished to make way for tenements in 1644 when it fell out of use.
• The 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.