# data[].attributes.body
Queen Elizabeth I crowned queen of England

# data[].attributes.body
Info about the social structures during Queen Elizabeth I's rule.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
The Social Classes in order from the highest class to the lowest are: Monarchy, Nobility, Gentry, Merchants, Yeomen, and Laborers. These classes are determined by their fame, wealth, skills, and even birth .
Monarchy

The Monarch class is given to the ruler of the nation either the king or the queen. This is the highest ranking and to be in this class you usually had to be born in it. This was also known as the "The Golden age" for those who were in a higher rank such as The Monarch class. Queen Elizabeth was known as one of the best Monarchs in England. Queen Elizabeth ruled for 45 years. She was also considered as a "God" at that time.

Gentry, this class is for knights, gentlemen, gentlewomen, squires of the kingdom. These major key to becoming a Gentry is wealth. Gentry always worked on having a good amount of land and households. Gentry were not born in to being a Gentry they would make a fortune by having large amount of property.

Merchants are in the fourth position from the levels of the social classes. Merchants were the main and real growth in the era. They made a good wealth by making cloth and weaving and trading goods with one another. They made a minim of money. They were neither poor or rich but gained a lot of wealth buy their small business. The Merchants were the real helpers that Produced goods for everyone.

Yeomen made just enough money to have an okay life style. These were mostly framers, tradesmen, and craft workers. Though they made some money it was still hard for them to gain medical help and other kinds of support. They spent their money very wisely. Yeomen lived a simile life and tried to put their money on expandingtheir land and improving it.

Lastly they were the Laborers. They were considered as servants, peasants gained nothing at all. They had a very hard life with no gain of interest. They did all their woke by hands such as picking up manure and picking little jobs. They did not own their own land/property they would in other worlds "rent" in a very low cost homes which was nothing but a old broken down room. Life for the Laborers was stressful, hard and very difficult to live in. To many they were known as "nothing"

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Levels of Social Classes in the Elizabethan Era - Social Classes in the 1500-1600's

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
The Social Classes in order from the highest class to the lowest are: Monarchy, Nobility, Gentry, Merchants, Yeomen, and Laborers. These classes are determined by their fame, wealth, skills, and even birth . Monarchy The Monarch class is given to the ruler of the nation either the king or the queen.

# data[].attributes.body
More info about Elizabethan fashion and Sumptuary Laws during the Elizabethan Era.

# data[].attributes.body
William Shakespeare is born in Stratford-upon-Avon.

# data[].attributes.body
Shakespeare marries Anne Hathaway.

# data[].attributes.body
Shakespeare and Anne's first child, Susanna, is born in 1583, followed by their twins, Judith and Hamnet, in 1585.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
William Shakespeare: A biography

Since William Shakespeare lived more than 400 years ago, and many records from that time are lost or never existed in the first place, we don't know everything about Shakespeare's life. For example, we know that he was baptized in Stratford-upon-Avon, 100 miles northwest of London, on April 26, 1564. But we don't know his exact birthdate, which must have been a few days earlier.

We do know that Shakespeare's life revolved around two locations: Stratford and London. He grew up, had a family, and bought property in Stratford, but he worked in London, the center of English theater. As an actor, a playwright, and a partner in a leading acting company, he became both prosperous and well-known. Even without knowing everything about his life, fans of Shakespeare have imagined and reimagined him according to their own tastes.

Looking for more in-depth information? Need something you can cite? Read an essay about Shakespeare's life from the Folger Shakespeare Editions. Read essay

Early life: Birth and childhood

William Shakespeare was probably born on about April 23, 1564, the date that is traditionally given for his birth. He was John and Mary Shakespeare's oldest surviving child; their first two children, both girls, did not live beyond infancy. Growing up as the big brother of the family, William had three younger brothers, Gilbert, Richard, and Edmund, and two younger sisters: Anne, who died at seven, and Joan.

Their father, John Shakespeare, was a leatherworker who specialized in the soft white leather used for gloves and similar items. A prosperous businessman, he married Mary Arden, of the prominent Arden family. John rose through local offices in Stratford, becoming an alderman and eventually, when William was five, the town bailiff-much like a mayor. Not long after that, however, John Shakespeare stepped back from public life; we don't know why.

Shakespeare, as the son of a leading Stratford citizen, almost certainly attended Stratford's grammar school. Like all such schools, its curriculum consisted of an intense emphasis on the Latin classics, including memorization, writing, and acting classic Latin plays. Shakespeare most likely attended until about age 15.

A horn book in the Folger collection, similar to one that Shakespeare might have learned to read from

Marriage (to Anne Hathaway) and children

A few years after he left school, in late 1582, William Shakespeare married Anne Hathaway. She was already expecting their first-born child, Susanna, which was a fairly common situation at the time. When they married, Anne was 26 and William was 18. Anne grew up just outside Stratford in the village of Shottery. After marrying, she spent the rest of her life in Stratford.

In early 1585, the couple had twins, Judith and Hamnet, completing the family. In the years ahead, Anne and the children lived in Stratford while Shakespeare worked in London, although we don't know when he moved there. Some later observers have suggested that this separation, and the couple's relatively few children, were signs of a strained marriage, but we do not know that, either. Someone pursuing a theater career had no choice but to work in London, and many branches of the Shakespeares had small families.

Shakespeare's only son, Hamnet, died in 1596 at the age of 11. His older daughter Susanna later married a well-to-do Stratford doctor, John Hall. Their daughter Elizabeth, Shakespeare's first grandchild, was born in 1608. In 1616, just months before his death, Shakespeare's daughter Judith married Thomas Quiney, a Stratford vintner. The family subsequently died out, leaving no direct descendants of Shakespeare.

London theater

For several years after the birth of Judith and Hamnet in 1585, nothing is known for certain of Shakespeare's activities: how he earned a living, when he moved from Stratford, or how he got his start in the theater.

Following this gap in the record, the first definite mention of Shakespeare is in 1592 as an established London actor and playwright, mocked by a contemporary as a "Shake-scene." The same writer alludes to one of Shakespeare's earliest history plays, Henry VI, Part 3, which must already have been performed. The next year, in 1593, Shakespeare published a long poem, Venus and Adonis. The first quarto editions of his early plays appeared in 1594.

For more than two decades, Shakespeare had multiple roles in the London theater as an actor, playwright, and, in time, a business partner in a major acting company, the Lord Chamberlain's Men (renamed the King's Men in 1603). Over the years, he became steadily more famous in the London theater world; his name, which was not even listed on the first quartos of his plays, became a regular feature-clearly a selling point-on later title pages.

Final years and death

Shakespeare prospered financially from his partnership in the Lord Chamberlain's Men (later the King's Men), as well as from his writing and acting. He invested much of his wealth in real-estate purchases in Stratford and bought the second-largest house in town, New Place, in 1597.

Among the last plays that Shakespeare worked on was The Two Noble Kinsmen, which he wrote with a frequent collaborator, John Fletcher, most likely in 1613. He died on April 23, 1616-the traditional date of his birthday, though his precise birthdate is unknown. We also do not know the cause of his death. His brother-in-law had died a week earlier, which could imply infectious disease, but Shakespeare's health may have had a longer decline.

The memorial bust of Shakespeare at Holy Trinity Church in Stratford is considered one of two authentic likenesses, because it was approved by people who knew him. The other such likeness is the engraving by Martin Droeshout in the 1623 First Folio edition of Shakespeare's plays, produced seven years after his death by his friends and colleagues from the King's Men.

Timeline

View a timeline of Shakespeare's life with links to key supporting documents on Shakespeare Documented.
View timeline

The bust of Shakespeare in the Folger Reading Room is a copy of the statue at Holy Trinity Church in Stratford.

Frequently asked questions

Why did Shakespeare leave his wife his "second best bed"?

William Shakespeare wrote in his last will and testament, dated March 25, 1616, "Item I gyve unto my wife my second best bed with the furniture" (furniture is used to refer to the curtains and bedcover which formed part of the complete bed).

This was not an unusual bequest, nor was it likely to have been intended as a snub. The best bed was usually regarded as an heirloom piece, to be passed to the heir rather than the spouse. It is also probable that the best bed would have been reserved for guests, meaning the "second best" was the bed that William and Anne shared.

What did Shakespeare's son die of?

We don't really know how Shakespeare's young son Hamnet died. He had a twin sister named Judith, who lived to adulthood and married, but Hamnet died at the age of 11 and a half. Child mortality was high in the 16th century; there were no antibiotics and many childhood diseases might therefore prove fatal, such as scarlet fever, whooping cough, diphtheria, and even measles. He was buried on August 11, 1596.

What is the inscription on Shakespeare's grave?

GOOD FREND FOR JESUS SAKE FORBEARE,
TO DIGG THE DUST ENCLOASED HEARE:
BLESTE BE Ye [the] MAN Yt [that] SPARES THES STONES,
AND CURST BE HE Yt [that] MOVES MY BONES.

Did Shakespeare have a coat of arms?

Yes, William's father, John Shakespeare, was granted a coat of arms in 1596. It was disputed in 1602 by York Herald, Ralph Brooke, saying that the arms were too similar to existing coats of arms, and that the family was unworthy. However, the challenge was unsuccessful, as the Shakespeare coat of arms appears in later heraldic collections and on William Shakespeare's funeral monument in Holy Trinity Church, Stratford-upon-Avon.

Does Shakespeare have descendants?

William Shakespeare and Anne Hathaway had three children. The eldest, Susanna, was baptized on May 26, 1583, and married John Hall in 1607. They had one child, Elizabeth, in 1608. Elizabeth was married twice, to Thomas Nash in 1626, and to John Bernard in 1649. However, she had no children by either husband.

William and Anne also had twins, Judith and Hamnet, who were baptized on February 2, 1585. Hamnet died at age 11 and a half. Judith married Thomas Quiney in 1616, and the couple had three sons: Shakespeare Quiney, who died in infancy, and Richard and Thomas, who both died in 1639 within a month of each other. Since neither of the boys married, there is no possibility of any legitimate descendants from Shakespeare's line.

It is possible, however, to claim a relationship to Shakespeare through his sister, Joan. She married William Hart some time before 1600, and there are many descendants of this marriage alive today, in both the male and female lines.

Find out what's on, read our latest stories, and learn how you can get involved.

Sign up

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Shakespeare's life | Folger Shakespeare Library

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Learn about Shakespeare's life and family: birth in Stratford-upon-Avon, marriage to Anne Hathaway and their children, work in London theaters, and death.

# data[].attributes.body
Shakespeare's first printed poem, Venus and Adonis.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Venus And Adonis is a painting by Hendrick De Clerck which was uploaded on March 26th, 2018. The painting may be purchased as wall art, home decor, apparel, phone cases, greeting cards, and more. All products are produced on-demand and shipped worldwide within 2 - 3 business days.

# data[].attributes.body
Shakespeare's first printed play, Titus Andronicus.

# data[].attributes.body
Elements of Shakespearean Plays
(Created by Meg Palmer)

# data[].attributes.body
Shakespeare's father, John Shakespeare, is granted a coat of arms.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
In 1596 William Shakespeare's father, John Shakespeare, was granted a coat-of-arms. During this time of increasing social mobility, a coat of arms was an essential symbol of respectability, and they were highly sought after. It has been estimated that William might have paid as much as £20 for it.

Between 1570 and 1630, there were 45 'gentlemen' in Stratford-upon-Avon out of a population of around 2,200 (in 1595). 28 had been born into the title; the other 17 were tradesmen who, like Shakespeare, successfully applied for the status. Like all of them, the Shakespeare family were entitled to display their coat of arms above the entrance to their homes, to have it set into windows, and carved into their furniture.

Two of the first, like coats in heraldry/ Due but to one and crowned with one crest.
- A Midsummer Night's Dream, Act 3, Scene 2

The grant document includes a rough drawing and the following technical description of the coat of arms:
'Gold, on a bend [diagonal bar] sable [black], a spear of the first [i.e. gold], steeled argent [with a silver tip]; and for his crest... a falcon his wings displayed argent [silver], standing on a wreath of his colours supporting a spear gold, steeled as aforesaid, [i.e. silver] set upon a helmet with mantles and tassles'.
The motto that runs along the bottom reads, 'Non Sans Droict' which is old French and translates to 'Not without right.' Using the rough drawing and this description, the coat of arms can be reconstructed as shown above.

On his father's death in 1601, William continued to use the coat of arms and had the right to style himself a gentleman. The coat of arms can be seen on Shakespeare's monument, above his grave in Holy Trinity Church, and versions of it can be seen on Shakespeare's Birthplace, above the entrance to the Shakespeare Centre, and at Shakespeare's New Place.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Find out what Shakespeare's coat of arms looks like

# data[].attributes.body
The Globe Theater opens.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Overview and History"When a man is tired of London, he is tired of life; for there is in London all that life can afford." - Samuel JohnsonDo you know all the verses to the children's song, "London Bridge is falling down"? They will take you through the history of London so let's have a look, shall we?First we need a bridge, in order for it to fall down. The Romans were nice enough to build the first one, probably using a combination of floating platforms and walkways. During Roman times the River Thames was much wider and shallower than it is today, so you could get away with mud hopping. As London has grown it has continually reclaimed the riverbank and funneled the river into a tighter channel, causing no small floods in the lower-laying areas.Now, London Bridge first fell down and became a song when the English were fighting Viking invaders from Denmark. The English won by pulling down the Danish garrison and the bridge along with it. Whoops! Wood and clay will wash away, wash away, wash away. Well.. that's part of the story. In 1014 more Viking invaders decided the bridge was in the way of their tall ships, so they tied ropes to it and rowed at full speed to help the bridge wash away.Verse Three: "Build it up with bricks and mortar, bricks and mortar, bricks and mortar." The first stone construction began in 1176 and took thirty years to finish. This one lasted six centuries, but it still caught on fire and nearly collapsed a few times. This was the famous long-standing bridge bearing not only a church and houses, but also the heads of traitors preserved in tar and mounted on stakes. Of course, a multi-colored thread of zany events came to pass in the seven-century lifespan of the stone London Bridge -- witch burnings, boating collisions and drownings, the Plague -- it's all part of becoming the world's largest city, a rich title which London achieved in the nineteenth century. Oops! "Bricks and mortar will not stay, will not stay, will not stay." Build it up with iron and steel. The then-decrepit and chokingly narrow stone bridge was rebuilt by John Rennie in the 1830's. Legend has it that the British custom of driving on the left-hand side of the road was an early attempt to solve the congestion on the bridge.If you can believe what comes next, Rennie's bridge was SOLD to an American investor who carted it off to Arizona. That was 1968. The current London Bridge was dedicated in 1973. Its concrete and steel construction was financed by the sale of Rennie's stone bridge. Hmm... was this sale an elaborate financier's gambit, or just clever adaptation of existing circumstances? Getting ThereHeathrow Airport is the main one, although there are eight airports in the greater London area. Heathrow is the world's busiest airport in terms of international flights.Other main airports are Gatwick and Stansted, all have good transportation links into central London, choose rail or bus.TransportationWith the oldest and best underground system in the world, you can literally get anywhere quickly, the 'tubes' do get a little overcrowded, so why not see the sites above the ground and take a bus or river boat.Like Hong Kong, London uses the Oyster card system to let you pay electronically for all sorts of things, especially moving your body from place to place. Fares go for about two pounds per ride for the underground and £1 for the bus. Travel cards have a cool price cap on the bulk ticket purchases, so you can ride more without being charged more, after a certain point.Consider avoiding the much loved 'black cabs' for long journeys, as it can be an expensive way to sit in traffic. Traffic can get busy in central London, but is improving alot since the introduction of the now very famous 'congestion charge'.People and CultureThe British invented marmalade to protect their mighty navy from scurvy, and they drink a lot of tea ! "Thank you very much and have a lovely evening".Well, those are the stereotypes. British culture can have the reputation of being stuffy and repressively polite, but the warmth and volume of pub life more than make up for it. The people in general are hilarious, sarcastic and quick-witted. They love their pints, their fish and chips and their football. Like other megalopoliptic international and throbbing cities, London is tricky to congeal into a sliceable pat that one might conceivably be able to spread on one's toast. You'll simply have to come here and see it for yourself.Things to do & RecommendationsFirst off, read some Shakespeare so you understand why you need to go to the Globe Theatre. Think about the double and triple meanings built into the text; this will give you a foundation in the British sense of humor you're walking into.With that under your belt, walk on into The London Dungeons. When you're finished looking at these cages for people, you can look at some cages for animals at the London Zoo!Science lovers can teleport right over to the Natural History Museum and laugh at the dinosaurs, who couldn't tele-anything.The British museums are some of the best in the world, possibly even the best, owing to the Empire's history of world exploration. The National Gallery houses some of the greatest Western painting anywhere.London is basically jam-packed full of history, food, music, theatre, art, banks and people to boggle your brains. I would try to describe it to you, but...But Samuel Johnson already said it best.Text by Steve Smith.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Shakespeare's Globe Theater. London 360 Panorama | 360Cities

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Overview and History"When a man is tired of London, he is tired of life; for there is in London all that life can afford." - Samuel JohnsonDo you know all the verses to the children's song, "London Bridge is falling down"?

# data[].attributes.body
The Globe burns down after an accidental fire caused by a cannon used during a performance of Henry VIII.

# data[].attributes.body
The Globe Theater is rebuilt.

# data[].attributes.body
Shakespeare dies. Linked: Holy Trinity Church in Stratford-upon-Avon.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Shakespeare's Resting Place 360 Panorama | 360Cities

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
360° panorama photo from England by Paul Mears. Shakespeare's final resting place is inside Holy Trinity Church, Stratford-upon-Avon, UK...