William Shakespeare

Life and Career

William Shakespeare was an English poet, playwright, and actor, most known for his plays and sonnets. He was born on the 23rd of April 1564 in Stratford upon Avon. Although his birthdate is actually more of a theory, baptisms back then normally occurred within 3 days of birth. He was baptized at the Holy Trinity Church, recorded on April 26, 1594. Parents were instructed that children were to be baptized no later than the first Sunday of their birth. Therefore, it is unlikely that Shakespeare was born any earlier than April 23. He later became a founding member of a company of actors, named the Lord Chamberlain’s Men and was the regular dramatist, producing about 2 plays a year. Shakespeare stayed with the company for the rest of his theatrical career but was later renamed The King’s Men, under the patronage of King James I. They built and performed at The Globe Theater, which was later burnt down due to stage cannons setting fire to the roof during a performance of Henry VIII. Many of Shakespeare's plays were written during his time in The King's Men (such as King Lear, Macbeth, the Tempest), and most of his plays debuted at the Globe Theater. His plays were highly successful, bringing him great wealth.