20 Surprising Facts You Didn’t Know About William Shakespeare

A picturesque little medieval town situated along the River Avon, Shakespeare’s birthplace was modest compared to his fame and status. Today, it is a popular destination for a day trip from London, where the street and the house where the Bard lived are still preserved.

Shakespeare married his wife, Anne Hathaway, when he was only 18 years old. Not only was Hathaway eight years older than him, but she was also pregnant with their first child at the time of their marriage. She would eventually give birth to two more children, and together they had three children: Hamnet Shakespeare, Judith Quiney, and Susanna Hall.

Although many of his plays (Romeo and Juliet, Hamlet, All’s Well That Ends Well) are set in different countries, Shakespeare never left England. The fact that he was able to write about so many different places without ever having visited them is perhaps a testament to his talent as a playwright.

Shakespeare was one of King James I’s favorites; the king was the patron of The King’s Men, the Bard’s theater troupe. Shakespeare eventually wrote Macbeth for the king, incorporating several distinct references: for one, the play is set in James’s homeland, Scotland, and the character of Banquo is based on one of the king’s ancestors.

Believe it or not, Shakespeare wasn’t just a writer and playwright—he was also an actor. Back then, many actors performed in their own plays, and Shakespeare was no exception. He probably started acting even before he began writing!

If you’ve ever wondered why Shakespeare and his plays are so important that they’re an integral part of the school curriculum, it’s because the Bard helped advance the language considerably. In particular, it’s estimated that he introduced about 3,000 words into the English language, according to the Oxford English Dictionary.

Initially dismissed as false, the theory that Shakespeare’s head was stolen from his grave now seems plausible. It was likely grave robbers in the 17th and 18th centuries who stole the skulls of the deceased in order to examine what made them geniuses. 

Shakespeare was not an only child. In fact, he had seven siblings, of whom he was the oldest surviving child; John and Mary Shakespeare’s first two children were daughters who did not survive infancy. He had three younger brothers and two younger sisters.

Although the exact number of plays written by Shakespeare is unknown, it is estimated that he wrote about 39. His plays are generally divided into three categories: comedies (A Midsummer Night’s Dream), tragedies (Macbeth), and historical plays (Henry V).

Although Shakespeare’s date of birth is uncertain, April 23, 1564, is often considered his birthday. If this date is correct, it means that he sadly passed away on his birthday, at the age of 52. To this day, the exact cause of his death remains unknown.

We know where the Bard is buried, but the cause of his death remains a mystery to this day. The only information we have comes from an entry in the diary of John Ward, the vicar of Holy Trinity Church in Stratford-upon-Avon, where Shakespeare is buried: “Shakespeare, Drayton, and Ben Jonson had a merry gathering and seem to have drunk too much, for Shakespeare died of a fever he contracted on that occasion.”

Although his skull was likely stolen, Shakespeare had cast a curse on his own grave to ward off anyone who might disturb his eternal rest. In his epitaph, he wrote: “Good friend, for Jesus’ sake, do not / Disturb the dust that rests here / Blessed be the man who spares these stones, / And cursed be he who moves my bones.”

Despite everything we know about Shakespeare and his life, there are still gaps and periods about which historians are uncertain. It is likely that the Bard, despite his literary and dramatic skills, never attended university, as there is no record of his enrollment.

One of the most unusual facts is that Shakespeare may have worn a gold earring in one ear, as shown in several portraits. The most famous is undoubtedly the Chandos Portrait, which is believed to have been painted in the early 1600s. In this painting, Shakespeare is depicted with thick hair, a high forehead, a shaggy beard, and an earring.

Shakespeare had established himself as a famous and successful playwright in London in the 17th century, but back home in Stratford-upon-Avon, he was simply a landowner and a highly respected businessman. Given his career and fame, he rarely saw his wife and children.

During the Elizabethan era—particularly in its early years rather than its later ones—many people were illiterate. This seemed to be the case for Shakespeare’s parents, John and Mary, which was common in their social class, as well as for his children. 

After his death, Shakespeare left a few gifts to his family in his will. In particular, he gave his daughter, Susanna, his possessions, while leaving his wife, Hathaway, his “second-best bed”: “I bequeath to my wife my second-best bed with the furnishings that go with it.” ” The bed likely refers to their marital bed, while the “furnishings” refer to the curtains and bedspreads.

Christopher Marlowe was another London playwright, and he and Shakespeare competed for patrons and audiences. Despite their “rivalry,” it is believed that Marlowe and Shakespeare collaborated on a few plays. Unfortunately, Marlowe succumbed to his injuries after being attacked by Ingram Frizer during a brawl in a pub.

Known as the “lost years,” little is known about what Shakespeare did between 1585 and 1592. In 1582, his twins, Hamnet and Judith, were baptized; in 1592, he arrived in London. But between those two dates, it is not known exactly where he was or what he did. Historians have speculated that he may have been a teacher, studied law, or traveled until he set his sights on the English capital.

The way we spell Shakespeare’s name is probably wrong. Back then, spelling and grammar rules probably hadn’t been established yet, so there were about 80 different ways to spell Shakespeare’s name, ranging from “Shappere” to “Shaxberd.” Even the Bard himself never signed his name the way we know it today.