William Shakespeare
one man of his time
part three
the plays the thing
part four
how he grew up
part five
his personal life
part one text
1564 - Record of baptism. Shakespeare's baptism is recorded in the parish church of Stratford-upon-Avon dated April 26, 1564. The usual delay between birth and baptism was 3-4 days, making the date of birth most likely April 22 or 23.
part two text
Faith, direct sincerity, undiseased tenderness, and the authority of well-mastered experience, are the best qualities in a teacher.
~ William Rounseville (W.R.) Alger, The Solitudes of Nature and of Man, or, The Loneliness of Human Life (1867). Preface
If you want Druids, you must grow forests.
~ William Arrowsmith, in Matrix (1967). The Heart of Education: Turbulent Teachers
Jane Addams, founder of Hull House, once asked, "How shall we respond to the dreams of youth?" It is a dazzling and elegant question
part three text
The year was 1569 and the place was Stratford-on-Avon, just ninety miles from London. A little boy watched a company of traveling actors perform on a makeshift stage. No one could have known that the child, whose name was William Shakespeare, would one day become the most famous playwright in history. This is the story of the man who wrote Hamlet, Macbeth, Romeo and Juliet, and many other plays that have been performed and enjoyed again and again for more than four hundred years. Anticipated month of publication
part four text
William Shakespeare was born 23 April 1564 in Stratford-upon-Avon, an small English market town located about 100 miles northwest of London along the banks of the River Avon. William's father, John Shakespeare, was a prominent local citizen who served as an alderman and bailiff (important roles in local government). His mother was Mary Arden Shakespeare, after whom Shakespeare named the Forest of Arden in the play As You Like It. William was the fourth of the Shakespeares' eight children, only five of whom survived to adulthood.
part five text
The next documented event in Shakespeare’s life is his marriage at the age of 18 to Anne Hathaway, the daughter of a local farmer, on November 28, 1582. She was eight years older than him and their first child, Susanna, was born six months after their wedding. Two years later, the couple had twins, Hamnet and Judith, but their son died when he was 11 years old.
part six text
Shakespeare's Birthplace is a restored 16th-century half-timbered house situated in Henley Street,Stratford-upon-Avon, Warwickshire, England, where it is believed that William Shakespeare was born in 1564 and spent his childhood years.[1][2] It is now a small museum open to the public and a popular visitor attraction, owned and managed by the Shakespeare Birthplace Trust.[3] It has been referred to as "a Mecca for all lovers of literature".[4]