William Shakespeare

William Shakespeare is England’s foremost playwright and the his plays, which include Romeo and Juliet, Hamlet and the Merchant of Venice, are as popular today as they were in Elizabethan times.

Born in Stratford-upon-Avon in 1564, William was the son of a local glove maker. At the age of 18, he married local girl Ann Hathaway, who gave birth to their first son six months later. But William didn’t stay in the quaint little town of Stratford for long and soon after headed to London, leaving his wife and child at home.

It was while he was here in London, between the years of 1586 and 1610, that Shakespeare gained fame and fortune as a playwright. By 1594, Shakespeare was an actor, playwright and part owner of a theatrical company known as the Lord Chamberlain’s Men, playing at the now famous Globe Theatre on the Southwark in London. The group’s popularity grew throughout late Elizabethan London and when James I ascended to the throne, the new king took over their patronage and they were known as the King’s Men. Shakespeare returned to Stratford in 1610 where he retired a rich and famous man. He died in 1616 and is buried in the Holy Trinity Church in Stratford-upon-Avon.

William Shakespeare is regarded by many, as the greatest writer and most pre-eminent dramatist in the English language. His plays managed to distil social and personal drama’s and the everlasting themes of life, love, greed, power, fortune and misfortune, with a sense of poetic and philosophical depth that is a relevant today as it was when he put quill to parchment. Shakespeare’s works continue to be performed throughout the world, both on stage and screen and his writings have been translated into every major language in the world.

Shakespeare’s most prominent works include Richard III, a story of the corrosive lust for power centred on England’s most notorious monarch. Romeo and Juliet the timeless tale of two doomed lovers, a story adapted time and time again most famously in the musical A Tale of Two Cities. The Merchant of Venice, recently filmed staring Al Pachino in the lead role, depicts a story of betrayal and greed, Julius Caesar a historic portrayal of the fall of Caesar, Hamlet, Shakespeare’s best known and most quoted tragedy and Macbeth the bloody tale of foul deeds in the Scottish court.

Today, the Bard’s birthplace, Stratford-upon-Avon is one of the most popular tourist destination in Britain attracting over 3 million visitors each year. An ideal time to visit Stratford-upon-Avon is 23rd April when the Bard’s Birthday is flamboyantly celebrated in the town.