William Shakespeare was an English playwright, poet and actor considered the greatest dramatist of all time. Some key facts about Shakespeare include that he was born in 1564 in Stratford-upon-Avon and wrote 38 plays and 154 sonnets during his career. Shakespeare is renowned for introducing over 1,700 new words to the English language and for penning many memorable phrases that are still widely used today. He founded the Globe Theatre in London where many of his plays were first performed for the public.

1. WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE
HOW MUCH DO YOU KNOW ABOUT HIM?

2. Shakespeare is widely considered the
world’s greatest dramatist.
 Playwright
 Poet
 Actor

3. FACTS ABOUT HIS LIFE
 He was born in Stratford-
upon-Avon on 23rd April
1564.
 He had seven brothers and
sisters.
 He was the son of prominent
town official.
 He received excellent
education with focus on
grammar and literature.

4. ANNE HATHAWAY FAMILY LIFE
 In 1582 William, aged only 18,
married an older woman
named Anne Hathaway.
 1st child was a daughter,
Susanna, born in 1583.
 Twins, Hamnet and Judith
were born in 1585.
 Their only son Hamnet died
aged just 11.

5. Elizabethan Age
 Shakespeare lived and
wrote during the English
Renaissance, which lasted
from about 1485 through
the 1660s.
 The period is also known
as Elizabethan Age,
named after Queen
Elizabeth who ruled
England from 1558-1603.

6. “Lost Years”
The period between 1585 and 1592 is known as
the “Lost Years” because there are no documentary
records of Shakespeare’s activities.
“London Years”
In the 1590's, Shakespeare went to London and
joined a touring theater company. He worked as a
lead actor of this company called "The Lord
Chamberlain's Men."

7. He wrote 38 plays and
154 sonnets. His works
have been translated
into every major living
language and nearly
400 years after his
death, they continue to
be performed around
the world.
www.shakespeare-
online.com/plays/

8. HIS PLAYS
Shakespeare’s plays are usually separated into
three main divisions:
 Comedies such as: ‘All’s well that Ends Well’
 Histories such as: ‘Henry V’
 Tragedies such as: ‘Romeo and Juliet’

9. WORDS HE INVENTED
 His vocabulary was HUGE-
somewhere between
17,000 and 34,000 words!
 Shakespeare has given
many words (estimate of
1,700 – 3,000) to the
English language.

10. PHRASES HE INVENTED
Shakespeare has given
many memorable phrases
to the English language,
such as:
 “ wild goose chase ”
 “ foregone conclusion ”
 “I couldn’t sleep a wink”
 “ a tower of strength ”
 “ it’s all Greek to me ”

11. Many famous quotes

12. THE GLOBE
In the past
In 1599, he founded the
Globe Theater with 6 other
associates. The new theater
was an open playhouse in
London. Shakespeare and the
other 6 called themselves
"The King's Men" starting
1603 with King James I
permission.

13. SHAKESPEARE’S GLOBE
nowadays
A modern reconstruction
of the Globe, named
"Shakespeare's Globe",
opened in 1997 about 750
feet (230 m) from the site of
the original theatre. It has
welcomed visitors from all
over the world.

14. You can move around the
virtual theatre packed with
interesting facts, videos and
photos. The free app allows
anyone to explore a virtual
version of the world’s most
iconic theatre.
http://www.shakespearesglobe
.com/about-us/virtual-tour
INSIDE THE THEATRE

15. SHAKESPEARE’S SIGNATURE ON WILL
William Shakespeare died on 23 April
1616, his 52nd birthday. In truth, the
exact date of Shakespeare’s death is not
known, but assumed from a record of his
burial two days later, 25 April 1616, at
Holy Trinity Church, Stratford Upon
Avon, where his grave remains.

16. WHAT MAKES SHAKESPEARE GREAT?
Shakespeare’s plays have been popular
worldwide for four hundred years because
they appeal to powerful and universal human
emotions contain striking images, memorable
expressions, and compelling passages.

17. And the question is: