ShakespearesFamily2

**WHO WAS SHAKESPEARE’S FAMILY? WHO WAS SHAKESPREARE’S WIFE? WHAT WAS SHAKESPEARE’S RELATIONSHIP WITH HER LIKE? WHO WERE HIS CHILDREN? WHAT DO WE KNOW ABOUT THE WOMAN AND CHILDREN BEHIND SHAKESPEARE? WHAT WERE THEIR LIVES LIKE IN STRATFORD-UPON-AVON? ** **Answer prepared by: Abby Wigdale** William Shakespeare’s family consisted of his father, his mother, and his seven siblings. His father, John Shakespeare, was a glove-maker who also held multiple public offices. All we know about his mother, Mary Shakespeare [Arden], is that she was the daughter of a well-to-do landowner, and that she was buried on September 9th, 1608. John and Mary had seven children, William being their third. William was born on April 16, 1564. Unfortunately, William’s sister died about a year before William was born. After living with his parents and siblings, William was ready to leave and create his own family.

Shakespeare married his wife, Anne Hathaway, in 1582. When they got married, Anne was twenty-six while Shakespeare was only eighteen. Not much is known about Shakespeare and Anne’s relationship, but historians believe Shakespeare was not the best husband. After having his children, he left for London to seek his fortune. He was indeed becoming known in London, and he occasionally came back to visit his family in Stratford. He was known to have cheated on his wife while in London. Although their marriage was not perfect, Anne and William were married until the day William died. Picture of Anne Hathaway, Shakespeare's wife.

Shakespeare had three children with Anne Hathaway. About three months before William and Anne were married, Anne became pregnant. Six months after their wedding, they had their first child, Susanna. Susanna was born in May 1583. She was baptized on May 26th, 1583 in Stratford Parish Church. Two years later, Anne and William had twins named Judith and Hamnet. They were both baptized on February 2nd, 1585. Sadly, Hamnet’s life was short-lived. He contracted the Black Death and died at the age of eleven. Shakespeare and Anne both cared tremendously for their children. Although leaving his family was tough, he headed to London to become successful for them.

In 1592, Shakespeare left his family in Stratford-upon-Avon to head for London. Although he was in London, Shakespeare kept his links with his hometown. During this time he also bought the second largest house in the town. His family continued to live in Stratford for a long time; his children were to live there their entire lives. In 1613, Shakespeare was known to have returned to Stratford. By this time he was very ill, and just three years later he passed away. He was buried in Holy Trinity Church, where he was baptized fifty-two years earlier. Shakespeare’s life was not very long, but he managed to succeed in ways other poets could not even dream of.  Picture of Stratford-upon-Avon **Works Cited**

"Anne Hathaway Biography ." //William Shakespeare info//. N.p., 2005. Web. 4 Apr 2010. .

"Shakespeare's family." //Internet Shakespeare Editions//. N.p., n.d. Web. 4 Apr 2010. "Shakespeare's life: Stratford-upon-Avon." //British Library//. N.p., n.d. Web. 4 Apr 2010. []  "Outline of Shakespeare's Life." //Shakespeare Birthplace Trust//. N.p., 2010. Web. 4 Apr 2010. .

Weis, Rene. //Shakespeare Unbound: Decoding a Hidden Life//. New York, NY: Henry Holt and Company, 2007. 58-79 Print.

"William Shakespeare: His Children & Grandchildren." //William// //<span style="font-family: Georgia,serif; letter-spacing: 1pt; line-height: 150%;">Shakespeare info //<span style="font-family: Georgia,serif; letter-spacing: 1pt; line-height: 150%;">. N.p., 2005. Web. 4 Apr 2010. <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">[].