WilliamShakespearewasborninStratford-upon-AvoninWarwickshireandwasbaptisedon26April1564.Hisfatherwasaglovemakerandwoolmerchantandhismother,MaryArden,thedaughterofawell-to-dolocallandowner.ShakespearewasprobablyeducatedinStratford'sgrammarschool.ThenextdocumentedeventinShakespeare'slifeishismarriagein1582toAnneHathaway,daughterofafarmer.Thecouplehadadaughterthefollowingyearandtwinsin1585.Thereisnowanothergap,referredtobysomescholarsas'thelostyears',withShakespeareonlyreappearinginLondonin1592,whenhewasalreadyworkinginthetheatre.

　　Shakespeare'sactingcareerwasspentwiththeLordChamberlain'sCompany,whichwasrenamedtheKing'sCompanyin1603whenJamessucceededtothethrone.AmongtheactorsinthegroupwasthefamousRichardBurbage.ThepartnershipacquiredinterestsintwotheatresintheSouthwarkareaofLondon,nearthebanksoftheThames-theGlobeandtheBlackfriars.

　　Shakespeare'spoetrywaspublishedbeforehisplays,withtwopoemsappearingin1593and1594,dedicatedtohispatronHenryWriothesley,EarlofSouthampton.MostofShakespeare'ssonnetswereprobablywrittenatthistimeaswell.RecordsofShakespeare'splaysbegintoappearin1594,andheproducedroughlytwoayearuntilaround1611.Hisearliestplaysinclude'HenryVI'and'TitusAndronicus'.'AMidsummerNight'sDream','TheMerchantofVenice'and'RichardII'alldatefromthemidtolate1590s.Someofhismostfamoustragedieswerewrittenintheearly1600sincluding'Hamlet','Othello','KingLear'and'Macbeth'.Hislateplays,oftenknownastheRomances,datefrom1608onwardsandinclude'TheTempest'.

　　ShakespearespentthelastfiveyearsofhislifeinStratford,bynowawealthyman.Hediedon23April1616andwasburiedinHolyTrinityChurchinStratford.Thefirstcollectededitionofhisworkswaspublishedin1623andisknownas'theFirstFolio'.