Notes on A&E's Shakespeare: A Life of Drama
- William Shakespeare was born in Stratford-upon-Avon, England, 1564
- Growing up, Shakepeare's favorite collection of stories was Ovid's Metamorphoses
- Shakespeare married Anne Hathaway in 1582
- Shakespeare's children are named Susanna, Judith, and Hamnet. Hamnet, his only son, died in 1596
- 1592- Shakespeare moves to London
- 1593- Shakespeare joins the Lord Chamberlain's Men, an acting troupe
- Shakespeare's sonnets, often viewed as the best example of English romantic poetry, reveal an infatuation with a young man and a 'dark lady.'
- One theory is that some of the sonnets were written for the Earl of Southhampton, perhaps to convince him to have children
- Shakespeare could realistically only have gone back to stay with his family in Stratford-upon-Avon during the 40 days of Lent
- When King James I ascended to the throne in 1603, Shakespeare's group of players became The King's Men
- Shakespeare effectively retired in 1613 after the original Globe Theater burned down
- Shakespeare died in 1616, supposedly after overindulging in wine and pickled herring- the actual cause of death is still being debated (death from typhus and death from cerebral hemmorhage are two possible candidates)
- His will granted his wife ownership of 'his second best bed,' which has sparked debate for years
- Ben Jonson, Shakespeare's strongest critic, competitor, and friend, helps publish the First Folio, the earliest compilation of Shakespeare's plays, in 1623
- the first film adaptation of Shakespeare's work (King John) was produced in 1899