From nicknames “The Bard” and “Billy Shakes” at least according to some fans, Shakespeare will always be one of the most celebrated writers in English literature. When a playwright demands acting depth even from characters meant to be funny, you know you have a writer that at least knows what to ask of his actors.
But as the man identified separately from his writings, who is William Shakespeare really? Until now, records disputed the date of his birth. So the only other proof that he had ever been born is his baptismal certificate which states that Shakespeare was born on April 26, 1564. On whether this was the earliest case of a baptismal certificate being accepted as a legitimate proof that a person is born, it is not much of an issue anymore. Shakespeare existed because a portfolio got preserved along with his works. It can possibly be summarized into a bio-data but then again, we can go the resume route if we wanted to delve deeper into the professional himself.
His father, John Shakespeare, was an Englishman who moved to Stratford to work as an apprentice glover and tanner of feathers. He married Mary Arden sometime between 1556 and 1558. So it must have been years before Mary finally had a date with the stork and popped out William for the English literary world to enjoy. Well, not that early, I must say.
He had to be educated first, of course. His father sent him to the Stratford Grammar School near their home on Herley St the moment William turned 7 years old. No record matching such claim existed though. Besides he had to quit school at age 13 because his father could no longer afford him. They must have been that poor.
Everyone is free to speculate what kept him preoccupied between quitting school and becoming an actor-playwright as not much is said about it either. Suggestions about a legal career or an academic career are welcome. Historians are still disputing some claims anyway.
It was recorded though that in November 1582, he married Anne Hathaway, not the actress since the Anne Hathaway that William married was born April 1556. (In case you don’t believe me, please watch the movie “One Day” and listen to that horrible English accent.) They had 3 kids, 2 of which are twins. Susanna was the eldest, born May 26, 1583. The twins are Hamlet and Judith, named after William’s closest friends.
Not all of his works are plays. The plague in 1593 forced theaters to close shop until the plague is contained. This gave him time to write his non-dramatic poetry. I know a website that even shared how perverted his poetry is once in a while especially when bored. If not for the “occasional inspiration”, publishers in his time will not realize the literary gem “Venus and Adonis” turned out to be.
Once the plague was over, he resumed his theater career and joined The Lord Chamberlain’s Men, the theater troupe that served as his drama lab for future hits like “Richard III”, “King Lear”, “Othello” and “Hamlet”.
How did Shakespeare die then? Some people still consider it as a mystery since nobody dies from drinking too hard in one night. One night is not enough to broil your liver but who know how long and how hard had he been drinking prior to that night? Besides, at the time of death, another plague is starting to take over in the form of typhus. Another set of speculations to entertain then.
As for reliving the works of Shakespeare today, I would highly recommend that you watch our take on one of his toughest plays ever staged, “Hamlet“. To get constantly updated about this project and the next upcoming projects that I am currently committed to, please like my official Facebook page, Kuya Manzano Fan Club, and follow me on Twitter @kuyamanzano. Gracias!