On This Day: April 23 1564/23rd April 1616

 

On this day ~23rd April 1564/23rd April 1616

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Birth and death of William Shakespeare

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William Shakespeare was a renowned English poet, playwright, and actor, born in Stratford~upon~Avon.

His birthday is most commonly celebrated on 23 April, which is also believed to be the date he died in 1616.

William Shakespeare married Anne Hathaway on 28th November 1582, and they remained married until Shakespeare's death.

At the time of their marriage William was 18, while Anne was 26, and pregnant with their first child.

Anne and William's first daughter Susanna, was born six months after their marriage, and they would go on to have twins Judith and Hamnet a few years later.

Hamnet died at the age of 11 during the Plague.

Susanna married a local physician, Dr. John Hall and Judith married a vintner, Thomas Quinney.

Altogether Shakespeare's works include 38 plays, 2 narrative poems, 154 sonnets, and a variety of other poems.

No original manuscripts of Shakespeare's plays are known to exist today.

It is actually thanks to a group of actors from Shakespeare's company that we have about half of the plays at all.

Shakespeare died in Stratford-upon-Avon on 23rd April 1616, at the age of 52.

Shakespeare’s grave is in the Holy Trinity Church, his local parish church in Stratford upon Avon.

Shakespeare’s grave is famous for having a curse as an epitaph on the gravestone, which Shakespeare himself wrote.

Relic hunting was popular in Shakespeare’s day, and Shakespeare was aware his status as a leading writer, may have meant his bones would be dug up by one of the hunters.

The curse on Shakespeare’s grave warns:

"Good friend for Jesus sake forbeare,

To dig the dust enclosed here.

Blessed be the man that spares these stones,

And cursed be he that moves my bones"

It was unusual for anyone to be buried inside the church, and Shakespeare managed this by buying a tithe deed for £440, which gave him the right to have a grave in the chancel of the church.

Shakespeare’s legacy is as rich and diverse as his work.

His plays have spawned countless adaptations across multiple genres and cultures.

His plays have had an enduring presence on stage and film.

William Shakespeare is well-known as a romantic poet, who had a fulfilling love life with his wife.

Reportedly, some of his last words to his wife were~

"Life is too short to love you in one,

I promise to look for you in the next life"

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Sources ~ shakespeare. Org.

nosweatshakespeare. com