SHAKESPEARE:
William Shakespeare was born in 1564 to John Shakespeare and Mary Arden. His father was a glover, but was also busy with farming. The family owned a farm, which Mary Arden-Shakespeare had brought to the marriage.
Shakespeare was educated at the Stratford free grammar school (this is not known for sure). He likely started working at the age of thirteen when the family's financial situation was going downhill, and then in November of 1582, he married Anne Hathaway.
As a playwright, Shakespeare was not well known until 1592. Stages were closed in those years because of the plague, but by the time they reopened (1594), he had written Venus and Adonis, as well as Lucrece. He then began writing for the Lord Chamberlayne company (Although he was also an actor for the company, he was more famous for his writing).
Shakespeare retired in 1610, returning to Stratford from London. He busied himself with the community and had earned a large fortune. In his will (written only a month before he died), Shakespeare left most of his estate to his daughter (Susanna), and died on April 23, 1616.
Although Shakespeare’s work is considered genuinely original, many previous works from literature and history seem clearly influential in the events that occur in these works, as well as in their historical context.
(As an example of these influential works, a book by King James: “Demonology” (published, 1597) can be given.)
