What influenced the young Shakespeare's life?
1. Out of Town Birthplace
Coming from a small town and moving to London as a young man may have given Shakespeare a strong sense of drive and ambition that is seen in many characters in his work.
William Shakespeare was believed to have been born on the 23rd of April 1564, in Stratford-upon-Avon, a small town in England. Scholars think that the house he was born in still exists on Henley Street, which you can still go and see today.
Birthplace Place (where someone was born)
ambition desire
Scholars Smart people
2. Father's Financial Failings
During his childhood, Shakespeare experienced both privilege and hardship, due to his father’s boom-bust lifestyle. This hardship could have crafted Shakespeare’s skill in writing characters who fall from grace.
William Shakespeare’s father was John Shakespeare. Born middle class, John Shakespeare made a lot of money working as a glover, a money-lender and a wool dealer, jobs which were lucrative but not entirely legal.
Eventually he was elected as a bailiff, similar to a mayor, Stratford-upon-Avon’s highest political position. After asking the government if he could become a gentleman with his own coat of arms, he fell into legal and financial trouble, for mysterious reasons that may be related to his illegal dealing in wool and engaging in money lending. Quickly after, he lost all political power and owned nothing but his house.
In 1596, John Shakespeare finally gained gentleman status and a coat of arms for his family, likely due to William Shakespeare’s success in London as a playwright. This helped his father achieve moderate wealth again, before his death in 1601.
Financial (money-related)
childhood (the time when a person is a child)
hardship suffering/difficult situation
lifestyle (way of living)
crafted created
lucrative moneymaking
entirely completely
bailiff court assistant
similar to almost the same as
financial (money-related)
engaging in working at
playwright play writer
achieve (accomplish or gain with effort)
moderate medium-level
3. Short Education
Although Shakespeare’s education was limited and cut short, it still enabled him to learn of important linguistic and grammatical techniques that enabled him to write complex plays and poetry.
As his father was relatively important to his town, it is thought that William would have gone to King’s New School, which employed Oxford graduates. Students would learn Latin and Greek, and read classical books and poems. A focus was placed on rhetoric, and it is here where Shakespeare would have picked up his ability to write so effectively from multiple character’s perspectives.
As a result of his father’s financial troubles however, he appears to have left King’s New School around the age of 13. It is possible he continued his studies elsewhere.
Importantly, he never went to university, unlike most of the other poets and playwrights of his time.
linguistic language-based
techniques ways of doing things
relatively (compared to other things)
rhetoric (attention-getting talk)
perspectives opinions
elsewhere in other places
4. Distanced and Lost Family
A strong sense of love and sorrow can be felt in many of Shakespeare’s character’s, which could have been influenced by his own imperfect family life.
In 1582, When William was 18, he married Ann Hathaway, who was pregnant, and 8 year his senior. Judith never left Stratford-upon-Avon, and they only had two more children, low for the time, twins Hamnet and Judith.
Sadly, Hamnet would die in 1596 at the age of 11, while Shakespeare was living and working in London, away from his family.
Familial Family-related
sorrow sadness
imperfect (not totally pure/not totally correct)
pregnant (having a baby developing inside the body)
5. Time of Changing Faith
The religious power struggle Shakespeare was caught in between may have given him a greater perspective on the delicacies of the human mind and soul.
During the Elizabethan era, England was going through large religious changes. Queen Elizabeth favoured strengthening the Protestant Church of England, and views Catholicism as a threat to her power.
While Shakespeare undoubtedly would have been taught to be a Protestant in school, his family did have Catholic ties through his mother, Mary Arden, part of the Catholic Arden family. Some speculate that some of John Shakespeare’s troubles may have been linked to some hidden Catholic sympathies he may have had. Shakespeare himself therefore may have wanted to see past religious differences, uncovering the humanity beneath.
perspective on opinion about
delicacies foods
Elizabethan (related to about the years 1558-1603)
era, time,
