Shakespeare Background

Shakespeare:
Background Information

By N P

Shakespeare Biography

• Shakespeare was born in 1564 in England.

• His birthday is thought to be April 23. It's also believed that he died on April 23 in 1616.

• Shakespeare was 18 when he married Anne Hathaway (who was 26 and already pregnant).

• They had three children, however, one died at age 11.

Multiple Choice

Shakespeare was born in...

• 1616

• 1564

• 2007

• 1585

Multiple Choice

Shakespeare was born in...

• Ireland

• Scotland

• England

• America

​Shakespeare's writing:

• Shakespeare wrote 38 plays and 154 sonnets total

• Shakespeare's lifetime took place in Elizabethan England (1558-1601). This is when Queen Elizabeth I was ruling England. Queen Elizabeth was a big supporter of the arts, which is one reason why Shakespeare was so well-known at this time.

Multiple Choice

Which is NOT a Shakespeare play?

• Romeo & Juliet

• Macbeth

• Hamlet

• The Awakening

Shakespeare, continued:

• In England, the Marriage Act of 1653 set the age of marriage for boys at 16 and girls at 14. Parents were supposed to give consent if their child was under 21. Some females could be as young as 12 at marriage.

• You also have to remember that life expectancy during this time period was only 35-40 years old.

Multiple Choice

What was the average life expectancy in Elizabethan England?

• 20-30

• 35-40

• 45-50

• 55-60

• The Globe was the name of the theater in London at which many Shakespeare plays were performed. Though the original structure burned down, a new Globe was built in the 1990's in London and you can see Shakespeare plays there today.

• During Shakespeare's time, women did not act on stage (it was considered inappropriate). So men typically played the parts of women in Shakespeare's plays.

Multiple Choice

On what date was Shakespeare born, and is also probably his date of death?

• April 1

• April 23

• May 15

• June 1

​Works Cited:

• Folger.edu

• Shakespeare.org.uk

• Britannica.com