1.+Shakespeare's+Background

**Shakespeare's Personal Background**

**William Shakespeare was born in Stratford-upon-Avon**, **a small market town in the district of Warwickshire. Shakespeare was christened on April 26, 1564 in the small market town of Stratford-upon-Avon, located 95 miles from London.** Shakespeare was born into a wealthy household. His father, John Shakespeare, was a merchant and was involved in the town government. His mother, Mary Arden Shakespeare, was born into a prominent family from the country. Shakespeare attended Stratford Grammar School for seven years, where he studied Latin, Bible Studies, and English composition. After finishing at the grammar school, it is not clear what trade Shakespeare followed. While many historians believe he worked as an apprentice to a butcher, Shakespeare shows detailed knowledge of a number of trades, leaving scholars to guess where he might have been a specialist. **Shakespeare married Anne Hathaway when he was eighteen years old. Anne was the twenty-seven year old daughter of a farmer who also lived near Stratford. The two had three children, Susanna, Judith, and Hamnet. Judith and Hamnet were twins. It is unclear how Shakespeare supported his family, yet it is believed that he may have taught school for a few years. While his daughters grew up and married, Hamnet died at the age of eleven. ** Shakespeare soon became interested in theater, an interest he likely picked up upon viewing a number of plays in Stratford. Many traveling companies performed in Stratford, and there was a yearly cycle of religious plays in the nearby town of Coventry. If Shakespeare wished to become a successful playwright, he would need to leave Stratford for London, where theater had become extremely popular during the 1580s. As there is no evidence of Anne Hathaway in London at any time during her life, it is very likely that Shakespeare's wife and children remained in Stratford when Shakespeare moved to London.