§ No one knows the actual birthday of
Shakespeare!
§ Anne Hathaway was eight years older
than Shakespeare and three months pregnant when
they got married!
§ Many Shakespeare life facts are
unknown - these are referred to as the Lost Years
§ Shakespeare's Father, John was a money
lender! He was accused in the Exchequer Court
of Usury for lending money at the inflated rate of 20% and 25% Interest!
§ William Arden, a relative of
Shakespeare's mother Mary Arden, was arrested for plotting
against Queen Elizabeth I, imprisoned in the Tower of London and executed!
§ Shakespeare and his company built TWO
Globe Theatres!
§ Shakespeare never published any of his
plays!
§ Shakespeare and the Globe Actors were
implicated in the Essex Rebellion of 1601!
§ Many eminent Authors and Politicians
do not believe that Shakespeare wrote his plays...
§ Shakespeare's family were all
illiterate!
§ Shakespeare's actual birthday is
unknown but April 23rd has been generally used - the same day as St. George's
Day, the Patron Saint of England - stranger still his actual date of death is
also unknown and this has also been given April 23rd! Fact!
§ William's father, John Shakespeare was
the Mayor of Stratford
§ There are rumours that Shakespeare
left Stratford-upon-Avon to avoid prosecution for poaching a deer!
§ Shakespeare is rumoured to be the father
of an illegitimate son - William Davenant!
§ We do not really know what Shakespeare
looked like! Not one portrait was painted of Shakespeare whilst he was still
alive!
§ The majority of his plays were only
published seven years after his death!
§ Scandalous Facts! Shakespeare's
daughter, Judith married a man called Thomas Quiney - but failed to get a
special license to marry and, on March 12th 1616, Judith and Thomas Quiney were
both excommunicated!
§ More scandalous Shakespeare Family
Facts! It transpired that Thomas Quiney had made another girl pregnant and was
prosecuted for 'carnal copulation'
§ The only mention that Shakespeare
specifically makes of his wife in his Last Will and testament was to leave her
his "second best bed"
§ Shakespeare's grandchildren all died -
he had no descendents.
