William Shakespeare remains one of the greatest writers in the history, and he possesses all the qualities that combines to become a great human, and a great writer too. Apart from this, do you know some England’s believe that Bard never existed in this world? Well, yes this is the most surprising side of the story. Here we brought you some facts about the legend, that would expand his life and legacy.
1. When Shakespeare was 18 year old he married a farmer’s daughter, Anne Hatheway who was 8 years senior to him. Six months after marriage, William welcomed a daughter, named Susanna, and twins Hamnet and Judith in 1585. This means the women was already pregnant before they tied a knot to each other.
2. Nobody knows for sure, but some sources have confirmed that Shakespeare’s parents were illiterate. John and Mary Shakespeare never learnt to read and write and hence wanted to encourage all their children to grow and learn more.
3. He appears to have retired to Stratford around 1613, at the age of 49, where he died three years later. No one is confirmed about the exact date, but still it is believed he died on 23 April 1616, at the age of 52.
4. Although no attendance records for the period survive, most biographers agree that Shakespeare was probably educated at the King’s New School in Stratford, a free school chartered in 1553, that was situated about a quarter-mile from his home. He also attended a local grammar classes, where he mastered reading and writing skills.
5. It is not known exactly when Shakespeare began writing, but contemporary allusions and records of performances show that several of his plays were on the London stage by 1592.
6. Shakespeare was buried in the chancel of the Holy Trinity Church two days after his death. The epitaph carved into the stone slab covering his grave includes a curse against moving his bones, which was carefully avoided during restoration of the church in 2008.
7. Shakespeare was not revered in his lifetime, but he received a large amount of praise. In 1598, the cleric and author Francis Meressingled him out from a group of English writers as “the most excellent” in both comedy and tragedy.
8. Shakespeare’s gravestone says, “Blessed be the man that spares these stones, and cursed be he that moves my bones.”
9. Some sources say, Shakespeare introduced about 3,000 words into the English language.
10. His shortest play is “The Comedy of Errors” at 1,770 lines and “Hamlet,” with 4,042 lines, is his longest play ever.
11. Details about his sexuality is unknown but over the centuries, some readers have said that Shakespeare’s sonnets are autobiographical, and they pointed out various evidence about his love towards a young man. Whereas on the other side, some people take it as the expression of intense friendship rather than sexual love.
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12. Some scholars claim that members of Shakespeare’s family were Catholics, as they also attended church at a time when practicing Catholicism in England was against the law. The strongest evidence is Shakespeare’s mother,Mary Arden, who certainly came from a pious Catholic family.
13. Various authors argue that there is a lack of evidence about Shakespeare’s religious beliefs. Scholars find evidence both for and against Shakespeare’s Catholicism, Protestantism, or lack of belief in his plays, but the truth may be impossible to prove and is not proved till now.
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