Read this�text about shakespeare.
Who was William Shakespeare?William Shakespeare is one of the world's greatest writers. He wrote�plays for the�theatre. He wrote poetry too.
Shakespeare was born in Stratford-upon-Avon, in England. Later he went to London, to be an�actor. But he became famous for writing plays. His friends said he was the best writer of his time. Most people now say he was the best of all time.
Why is Shakespeare so famous?Shakespeare lived more than 400 years ago. Yet people still go to see his plays.
Shakespeare plays are�performed�all over the world. Students study Shakespeare in school and at university. People write books about Shakespeare. There are Shakespeare theatres and Shakespeare festivals.
The Shakespeare familyBaby William was christened (baptised a Christian) on 26 April 1564. Many people think his birthday was 23 April - St George's Day.
William Shakespeare was probably 'Will' to his family.
Shakespeare's father was John Shakespeare, a glove-maker. His mother Mary was the daughter of a farmer named Robert Arden. His grandfather was a farmer too.
School daysJohn Shakespeare was an important man in the town of Stratford. In 1568, he was�mayor. He sent William to the town�grammar school.
The boys at the school had lessons in Latin, Greek and history. They had to work hard. If boys were naughty, the teacher beat them.
Having funShakespeare and his friends played in the fields. They went fishing and swimming in the River Avon.
When Shakespeare was about 5, a group of�actors�came to Stratford. Perhaps he was taken to see their show. When he was 11, he may have seen Queen Elizabeth, who made a visit to Kenilworth Castle. For her, there were plays, dances, music, feasts and fireworks!
Shakespeare gets marriedYoung Shakespeare left school by the time he was 16. We do not know what job he did. Perhaps he worked as a teacher. Perhaps he helped his father.
In 1582, Shakespeare got married. His wife, Anne Hathaway, was a farmer's daughter. She was 8 years older than him. Soon they had a family - a daughter Susanna, and in 1585 twins, named Judith and Hamnet.
A famous manBy 1598, Shakespeare was rich and famous. He owned houses in Stratford. He also had homes in London, near the theatres. For a time, he lived with a French family in London.
In 1603, Queen Elizabeth died. The new king was James I, from Scotland. James liked the theatre. Shakespeare's actors became The King's Men. They walked in the king's�coronation procession.
Between 1600 and 1608, Shakespeare wrote some of his greatest plays. They include Hamlet, Othello, King Lear and Macbeth
Shakespeare's last yearsBy 1613, when the Globe burned down, Shakespeare had left London. He lived quietly in Stratford.
In 1616, his friend Ben Jonson came to visit. They drank wine and ate pickled herrings. Then Shakespeare fell ill. He died on 23 April 1616. He was 52.
Shakespeare's playsShakespeare wrote (or helped write) at least 38 plays.
The plays were first printed as books in 1623. His friends wanted to stop other people selling bad copies of the plays, full of mistakes.
What else did Shakespeare write?Shakespeare wrote some long poems, and lots of short poems called sonnets. In his plays, people speak in poetry too.
The language of ShakespeareShakespeare used more English words than any other writer. He made up words and expressions too. When someone says quick as a flash, blinking idiot or I haven't slept a wink, you are listening to Shakespeare.
The English language has changed since Shakespeare's time. So he is not always easy to read. But it's worth the effort.
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