10 Things I Didn T Know About Shakespeare

Every American high- school student knows the name of Shakespeare. The reason is fairly simple- Shakespearean studies are a necessity enforced by nationwide curriculum. However, one could say, albeit intense studies into his works, few of these students are well versed in Shakespeare’s personal life. Shakespeare had an unusual life- his unorthodox early childhood, strange teenage years, and mysterious “lost years-“that may surprise many. For example, William Shakespeare may not have been his actual name. He is believed to have been born on April 23rd by the namesake of William Shakespeare. However, “sources from [his] lifetime spell his last name in more than 80 different ways (“10 Things You Didn’t Know About William Shakespeare” 6).” Shakespeare

However, it is assumed that he got a job, likely at Anne Hathaway’s brother’s farm, to help provide for his large family. In his later works, he describes the professions of cobbling and baking accurately, leading many scholars to believe that he had held those jobs as well. Despite never finding proof, many scholars also assume he had been maintaining his studies outside of these jobs; it would have been preposterous for him to have written the Henry IV plays without previous practice (King and King, 1). Aforementioned, not much is known about Shakespeare, especially his teenage years, and his early adulthood. However, it is know that Shakespeare married Anne Hathaway on November 28th, 1582. It is also known that Anne Hathaway’s first child (with Shakespeare, at least) was born May 26th, 1583. She was named Susanna. However, next to nothing is known of Shakespeare from then to 1592 (“William Shakespeare Biography” 2). As with any other mystery, many have created theories as to what could have filled these seven years, commonly referred to as the “lost years (“William Shakespeare Biography” 2). Many postulated several tall tales about this time; some claiming Shakespeare made a pilgrimage to Rome as part of his Catholicism. Others contend by declaring he was an infamous poacher. Among these conjectures are those, stating he was a butcher, or a soldier, or even a glover (Pressley, 1). Because of this lack of evidence, many scholars have conspired that Shakespeare himself was a fictitious