Shakespeare research

§  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.