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William Shakespeare

Shakespeare’s portrait . CC0 Public Domain

Who is he ?

He was a major English poet. Shakespeare is very known because he had written a lot of drama plays.

William was born on 23 April 1564 at Stratford-upon-Avon in Warwickshire in England. He was baptized on 26 April 1564.

In 1582, William Shakespeare, who was 18 years old, married Anne Hathaway who was 26 years old. Anne Hathaway was a farmer’s daughter, and she was pregnant.

Susanna, their first baby was born on May 26th, 1583. Judith et Hamnet, their twins, were born on February 2nd, 1585. But Hamnet died young in August 1596.

Shakespeare died on April 23rd, 1616. He was 52 years old.

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The Globe theatre by C. Walter Hodges

Where did  he stage his plays ?

Shakespeare played mostly  in The Globe Theater on the south bank of the Thames.
 It  opened in 1599. Several actors with Shakespeare owned it. This theater lasted only 14 years because a fire in 1613 burned it completely during the performance of the play Henry VIII written by Shakespeare.

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What did  he write ?

He wrote many plays including :

Tragedies :

  • Romeo and Juliet published in 1597; 1st performance in 1598.
  • Hamlet Prince of Denmark published in 1603.
  • Macbeth published in 1623.
  • Julius Caesar probably written in 1599 and published in 1623.

Comedies :

  • As you like it  written around 1599.
  • The Comedy of Errors  written between 1592 and 1594.

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