WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE

William Shakespeare was an English poet and playwright who is considered

one of the greatest writers to ever use the English language. He is also the most
famous playwright in the world, with his plays being translated in over 50
languages and performed across the globe for audiences of all ages. Known
colloquially as "The Bard" or "The Bard of Avon," Shakespeare was also an
actor and the creator of the Globe Theatre, a historical theatre, and company
that is visited by hundreds of thousands of tourists every year. 
His works span tragedy, comedy, and historical works, both in poetry and prose.
And although the man is the most-recognized playwright in the world, very
little of his life is actually known. No known autobiographical letters or diaries
have survived to modern day, and with no surviving descendants, Shakespeare
is a figure both of magnificent genius and mystery. He was born in April of
1564 in Stratford-upon-Avon in Warwickshire, England, and baptized in the
same month. He was the son of John Shakespeare, an alderman, and Mary
Arden, the daughter of the family's landlord and a well-respected farmer. He
was one of eight children and lived to be the eldest surviving son of the
family. In 1582, an 18-year-old Shakespeare married Anne Hathaway, who, on
the occasion of her wedding, was 26 years old and already with child. Hathaway
gave birth to the couple's first child six months later, a daughter named Susanna,
with twins, named Hamnet and Judith, following two years later in 1585.
Hamnet died at the age of 11 from unknown reasons. William Shakespeare first
made his appearance on the London stage, where his plays would be written and
performed, around 1592. After the year 1594, Shakespeare's plays were solely
performed by a company owned by a group of actors known as the Lord
Chamberlain's Men, which became London's leading company.
Shakespeare, along with a group of players that acted in his play, created his
own theatre on the River Thames in 1599 and named it the Globe Theatre.
Shakespeare retired from public life in 1610, right after the bubonic plague
began to subside its attack on London. This act was unusual for the time, but he
was by no means less active. In fact, the playwright continued to make frequent
trips to London to collaborate with other playwrights, such as John Fletcher.
William Shakespeare died on April 23, 1616, and was buried at the Holy Trinity
Church in Stratford two days later, with a curse written on his tombstone to
ward off those who would disturb his bones. He was 52 years old at the time of
his death and was survived by his wife, Anna, and their two daughters. There
are no direct descendants from Shakespeare's line, as both daughters had
children who did not make it to adulthood.