William Shakespeare, also referred to as the "Bard of Avon," is often called England's national poet and thought of as one of the greatest dramatists of all time. He wrote such classics as Romeo and Juliet and Macbeth. Shakespeare's writings are recognizable throughout the world, but his personal life is shrouded in mystery. Shakespeare was born in Stratford-upon-Avon, England. At the age of 18, he married Anne Hathaway and they had three children, Susanna, and twins Hamnet and Judith. He began a successful career in London as an actor, writer, and a part of a playing company called the Lord Chamberlain's Men. At age 49, he seemed to have retired to Stratford, where he died three years later. By 1597, the author had already written and published fifteen …show more content…
Some call this period the "lost years," and there is a lot of guesses on what he was doing during this time. One theory is that he could have been working as an assistant schoolmaster. It is believed he arrived in London in the mid-1580s and found work as a horse attendant at some of London's higher class theaters, a scenario updated centuries later by numerous amateur actors and playwrights. It is generally believed that Shakespeare died on his fifty-second birthday. Many scholars do think this is a myth. Church records have it that he was entombed at Trinity Church on April 25, 1616. Almost 150 years after his death, skepticism arose about the authorship of Shakespeare's plays. Literary critics began to suggest names like Christopher Marlowe and Edward de Vere, men of more known backgrounds as the real authors of the plays. Much of this came from the sketchy details of Shakespeare's life. Official records from the church and the Stratford government record the existence of a William Shakespeare, but none revealed him to be a