The Life and Times of Will

There are a lot of unknown facts about William Shakespeare. He wasn't only a playwrite, he was so much more than that. Here are some fun facts about him. These facts aren't only about his plays, but his life and some other very well known people.


Fact 1: He married a woman named Anne Hathaway (like the actor.) She was eight years older than him and she was three months pregnant.

Fact 2: He had three brothers named Gilbert, Richard and Edmund, and one sister named Joan - quite a big family.

Fact 3: He had a baby girl named Susanna and when she was two years of age Anne gave birth to twins. Their names were Judith and Hamnet - not Hamlet. The twins were named after there two friends Judith and Hamnet Sadler.

Fact 4: Back then, people drank from the Thames, under London Bridge. It was really dirty because it also served as the city's sewer.

Fact 5: In those days, if Queen Elizabeth became annoyed with people, she would have their heads chopped off.

Fact 6: Edward Alleyn, a famous actor of the time, started acting when he was a teenager and had risen to become the leader of the company, Lord Strange's Men. He was a very tall man, about six feet (people back then were generally short) and he was famous for his loud voice.

Fact 7: People attending the theatre were always loud, unlike now, where people are quiet in their seats. They threw rotten vegetables at the performers if they didn't quite like the play.

Fact 8: Over about a period of ten years, starting in 1593,Will also wrote a few sonnets (a particular kind of short poem.) He was probably very keen don them because he wrote 154! Sonnets have a particular format. They were 14 lines long, and had a strict rhymic scheme.

Fact 9: Christopher Marlowe was probably the most talented writer in London (next to Will). He filmed the Doctor Faustus and The Jew of Malta and was also a government spy involved in secret activities. He attracted trouble like a plague victim attracts files. Although, quite brilliant, his luck ran out in 1593 when he got into an argumant in a tavern about who was going to pay the bill. He was stabbed throught the eye and killed.

As you can see the life and times of William Shakespeare were interesting to say the least. He was not only a Playwrite, he was father, a brother, a poet, you name it! Will continues to be inspiring today and is more famous and inspirational than ever before.