William Shakespeare wrote the most famous plays in human history. You likely struggled through Romeo and Juliet in high school. However, his life was far more interesting than a classroom lecture. He lived through the plague and survived political unrest. Furthermore, he invented words we still use today, like "swagger." He was a businessman who hoarded grain for profit. Let’s explore the life of the Bard.
William Shakespeare
William Shakespeare placed a terrifying curse on his own grave. He warned that anyone who moved his bones would suffer greatly. Therefore, his body remains untouched inside the Holy Trinity Church to this day.
He invented over 1,700 words that we still use in English. Words like “lonely,” “swagger,” and “gossip” did not exist before he wrote them down. Consequently, we speak his language every single day without knowing it.
He left his wife his “second-best bed” in his will. Many people assume this was a cruel insult to her. However, the best bed was usually reserved for guests, so the second was their marriage bed.
No one knows his actual birthday for certain. Church records only show his baptism on April 26th. Therefore, historians assume he was born three days earlier on April 23rd.
He spelled his own name differently almost every time he signed it. Sometimes he wrote “Willm Shaksp” or “Shakspeare” on documents. Surprisingly, he never once spelled it the way we do today.
The Globe Theatre burned to the ground during one of his plays. A stage cannon fired during Henry VIII and set the thatched roof on fire. Luckily, everyone escaped, and only one man’s trousers caught fire.
He has absolutely no living descendants left today. His only son, Hamnet, died at age eleven. Eventually, his daughters’ family lines also died out completely, ending his direct bloodline.
Women could not legally act in his plays during his lifetime. Young boys with high voices played the female roles like Juliet and Lady Macbeth. Consequently, the romantic scenes involved two males kissing on stage.
He lived a double life in London for many years. His family stayed back in Stratford-upon-Avon while he worked in the city. He only visited them once a year during the quiet Lenten season.
Thirteen different characters killed themselves across his various plays. It was not just Romeo and Juliet who took their own lives. Clearly, the playwright favored tragic and dramatic endings for his heroes.
Historians call seven years of his life “The Lost Years.” No records exist of him between 1585 and 1592. Some legends say he worked as a schoolteacher or even a butcher during this time.
He was a ruthless businessman and landlord in his spare time. He hoarded grain during food shortages to sell it at high prices. Therefore, locals knew him as a wealthy merchant rather than a poet.
William Shakespeare likely wore a gold hoop earring in one ear. Artists from that era often depict him with this bohemian style. It signified a creative lifestyle for men in the Elizabethan age.
The plague forced theaters to close for long periods. He wrote his famous sonnets and poems during these lockdowns because he could not perform. Thus, the disease actually helped launch his poetry career.
He acted in his own plays alongside his theater company. Legend says he played the Ghost in Hamlet and a king in Henry IV. He was a performer on stage as well as a writer.
