William Shakespeare was born in Stratford, by the river Avon, on April 23, 1564. He was the third of eight children born to John Shakespeare and Mary Arden. His father was a glove maker who eventually became mayor of Stratford. In his early life William attended a local grammar school where he would have learned greek and latin, among other things. At the age of 18 he married Anne Hathaway, who was 26. Interestingly enough, he married he under the name of William Shagspere. They had three children together: Susanna, Hamnet and Judith( who were twins.) Hamnet died at a young age. In 1952 he left his family in Stratford and moved to London where, by 1954, he had had success with his early plays and was now a partner in " The Lord Chamberlain's Men". It was believed that Shakespeare got his start in theartre by holding the horses of men who stopped outside the theatre. The time of his life that cannot be accounted for, 1584-1592, was rumoured to have been spent in hiding because he had poached deer in the Duke's forest. This rumour is thought to be incorrect. History knows him as one of the most famous playwrights. William Shakespeare eventually wrote more than 36 plays and 154 sonnets, all of which were published with great acclaim. In 1611 he retired to his house "New Place" in Stratford where he died on April 23, the same day as his birth, 1616.
