Who Was Shakespeare?

Who Was Shakespeare?

Many people believe William Shakespeare is the best playwright ever. As well as writing plays, he was also an actor and poet.  He was born in Stratford upon Avon in 1564.

His mum, Mary Arden, was a farmer's daughter and his dad, John Shakespeare, was a farmer turned glove-maker.

In 1582, he married Anne Hathaway. 
He had three children - a daughter Susanna and twins Hamnet and Judith. Sadly, Hamnet died when he was just 11-years-old.  Shakespeare moved to London, where he lived for 25 years. He wrote most of his plays here.
He died at his home in Stratford on April 23, 1616 - his 52nd birthday.

The Globe Theatre

The first theatres in the country were built during the Tudor period. London's Globe Theatre was built in 1599 and destroyed by fire 14 years later. William Shakespeare made the Globe the most famous theatre in the country. The new Globe theatre was opened in 1997 and 16th century building methods were used to construct it.

4 INTERESTING FACTS ABOUT SHAKESPEARE AND THE GLOBE THEATRE

1. The Globe Theatre was stolen. The building originally started life on the opposite side of the River Thames and was simply called The Theatre. After a row over land leases and ownership, the building was stolen and rebuilt across the river – this time with the name The Globe.
2. 3,000 Spectators. The Globe Theatre, can hold 3,000 spectators it its 100 foot diameter.
3. Open Air. The Globe was an open air theatre experience so the people who came to watch would have to put up with the weather.
4. William Shakespeare was a shareholder. As an astute businessman, the young Shakespeare bought shares in the theatre and benefited financially when his popularity grew.

     http://www.william-shakespeare.info/            http://shakespeare.about.com/od/theglobe/a/Globe-Theatre-Facts.htm