Everything you need to know about William Shakespeare and more

Here are some clear, and also interesting facts bits of trivia about the great English author and playwright William Shakespeare. This may appear a bit cultured at times for PubChat – given we’ve recently written about a Toys R Us advert and Fawlty Towers, however I was interested to learn more, so here we are:

• Full name: William Shakespeare
• Born: April 1564 (exact date unknown), Stratford-upon-Avon, England
• Died: April 23, 1616
• Occupation: Playwright, poet, and actor

Writing & Works

• He was highly prolific and wrote a total 39 plays, 154 sonnets, and 2 long narrative poems.
• His plays are normally grouped into tragedies, comedies, and histories.

Language & Influence

• Shakespeare helped to shape modern English as we know it now.
• He either invented or popularised in excess of 1,700 words, including lonely, fashionable, bedroom, and eyeball.
• Many common phrases come from his works, such as:
  • “Break the ice”
  • “All that glitters is not gold”
  • “Wild-goose chase”

Life & Career

• He was married to Anne Hathaway and had three children.
• Shakespeare was a part-owner of the famous Globe Theatre in London.
• During his lifetime, his plays were performed for both common people and royalty, including Queen Elizabeth I.

Legacy

• He is often called “England’s national poet” or “the Bard of Avon.”
• His works are still studied and performed worldwide over 400 years later.

The Plays of Shakespere

Tragedies

1. Hamlet
2. Macbeth
3. Romeo and Juliet
4. Othello
5. King Lear
6. Julius Caesar
7. Antony and Cleopatra
8. Coriolanus
9. Timon of Athens
10. Titus Andronicus

Comedies

1. A Midsummer Night’s Dream
2. Much Ado About Nothing
3. Twelfth Night
4. The Merchant of Venice
5. As You Like It
6. The Taming of the Shrew
7. The Comedy of Errors
8. The Two Gentlemen of Verona
9. The Merry Wives of Windsor
10. Love’s Labour’s Lost
11. Love’s Labour’s Lost
12. All’s Well That Ends Well
13. Measure for Measure
14. The Winter’s Tale

Histories

1. Richard II
2. Richard III
3. Henry IV, Part 1
4. Henry IV, Part 2
5. Henry V
6. Henry VI, Part 1
7. Henry VI, Part 2
8. Henry VI, Part 3
9. King John
10. Henry VIII

Romances / Late Plays

1. The Tempest
2. Pericles, Prince of Tyre
3. Cymbeline