Biography

William Shakespeare’s Life

William Shakespeare (1564–1616) was born in Stratford-upon-Avon, built his career in London as an actor, playwright and shareholder in his company’s theaters, and returned to Stratford, where he died.

No letters or diaries written by him survive. What is known comes from documents: baptism and marriage records, legal papers, property deeds, his will, and the remarks of the writers who knew him. That leaves real gaps, including seven years in which he disappears from the records entirely.

For the whole story in one place, start with the full biography. Below, a timeline gives the key dates, and the guides that follow cover each part of his life in more depth.

Timeline

The key dates in Shakespeare’s life, from his baptism to the First Folio.

1564Baptized at Holy Trinity Church, Stratford-upon-Avon, on April 26. His birthday is traditionally kept on April 23.
1582Marries Anne Hathaway, about eight years his senior, in November.
1583His daughter Susanna is baptized in May.
1585The twins Hamnet and Judith are baptized in February. The records then fall silent for seven years.
1592First known mention in London, when the writer Robert Greene attacks him as an “upstart crow.”
1593Venus and Adonis, his first published work, appears in print.
1594Becomes a member of the Lord Chamberlain’s Men, the acting company he stays with for the rest of his career.
1596His son Hamnet dies, aged eleven. His father is granted a coat of arms.
1597Buys New Place, one of the largest houses in Stratford.
1599The Globe Theatre opens on the south bank of the Thames, with Shakespeare as one of its shareholders.
1603After James I takes the throne, the company becomes the King’s Men.
1609The Sonnets are published.
1613The Globe burns down during a performance of Henry VIII.
1616Dies on April 23 and is buried in Holy Trinity Church, Stratford.
1623Two fellow actors publish the First Folio, collecting 36 of his plays. His widow, Anne, dies the same year.

His Life in Chapters

Each part of Shakespeare’s life, in the order it happened.

Shakespeare’s StratfordThe market town where he was born, raised his family and died.Shakespeare’s Early Life and EducationHis family and his schooling in Stratford.Shakespeare’s Marriage and Family LifeHis marriage to Anne Hathaway and their three children.The Lost YearsThe years from 1585 to 1592, when the records fall silent.Shakespeare’s Career in LondonHis work as an actor, playwright and shareholder in London.Shakespeare and the Lord Chamberlain’s MenThe acting company he wrote for and part-owned.When Did Shakespeare Die? His Later Life and DeathHis return to Stratford, his will and his death in 1616.

Questions and Debates

The parts of his life that are still argued over.

The Shakespeare Authorship QuestionWhy some people doubt he wrote his works, and what the evidence shows.

More on His Life

His Work

The poems he wrote, and guides to reading them.

Hub