Apr 23, 2024
Every year on April 23, ‘Shakespeare Day’ is celebrated. From performances of his plays to readings of his sonnets, the world has its own, different ways to pay their respect to the ‘Bard of Avon’. On Shakespeare Day 2024, here we list 11 facts about him that not many know.
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The biggest mystery owing to his life is that no one knows when exactly he was born! The only evidence for the guesswork is that he was baptised on April 26, which is usually done 3 days after the baby is born. And so, April 23 came to be celebrated as his birthday.
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Unlike many other well-educated authors and poets, Shakespeare did not have any university education. And yet, his works display extensive knowledge in various fields like law, politics, and classical literature.
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Shakespeare is referred to by many names. He is the ‘Greatest Writer in the English language’, he is also the ‘World's pre-eminent Dramatist’ and of course the most famous ‘Bard of Avon’.
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It is said that post documentation, it was found that Shakespeare wrote at least 37 plays, somewhere around 154 sonnets, and two long narrative poems that are still considered to be masterpieces.
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Shakespeare is also the man who gave the dictionary many new words! He is given credit for coining terms and phrases that are widely used today, for example, ‘Swagger’, ‘Eyeball’, ‘Critic’, ‘In a pickle’ and many more.
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Unlike many of his time, William Shakespeare came from a financially well-off family. And so, his wealth increased greatly as he aged and eventually became a shareholder of the Globe Theatre, where many of his plays were performed.
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It is always said that Shakespeare had great royal support which was extremely important during his time. It is known that Shakespeare had the support and backing of both Queen Elizabeth I and later by King James I.
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Although Shakespeare lacked university education, it did not stop him from being greatly learned in the field. Some of his most successful plays, such as ‘Richard III’ and ‘Henry V’ are based on historical events.
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During his life, Shakespeare popularised the Shakespearean sonnet form, consisting of 14 lines with a specific rhyme scheme (ABABCDCDEFEFGG).
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After Shakespeare died, his friends and colleagues came together to compile and publish his works in a collection known as the ‘First Folio’.
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In a perfect ode to himself, Shakespeare’s grave has a curse against disturbing his bones. The words on his grave are “Good friend, for Jesus' sake forbear, / To dig the dust enclosed here. / Blessed be the man that spares these stones, / And cursed be he that moves my bones.”
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