54 Fascinating William Shakespeare Facts (Including Hamnet)

By Karin Lehnardt, Senior Writer—Reviewed for accuracy by the FactRetriever editorial team

Published January 20, 2026

William Shakespeare is the most famous writer in the English language, yet much of his life remains shrouded in mystery. From the death of his only son, Hamnet, to his strange will, lost years, and controversial authorship theories, the real Shakespeare was far more complicated than the legend suggests. These fascinating facts explore the man behind the plays, revealing surprising details about his family, career, language, and enduring influence.

Shakespeare's Name and Early Life
Shakespeare never spelled his name “William Shakespeare"
In the few signatures that have survived, Shakespeare spelled his name “Willm Shaksp,” “William Shakespe,” “Wm Shakspe,” “William Shakspere,” ”Willm Shakspere,” and “William Shakspeare”--but never “William Shakespeare."_[1]
Shakespeare was baptized during a plague outbreak
He was baptized on April 26, 1564, which was just three days after Stratford-upon-Avon recorded an outbreak of the bubonic plague._[9]
Shakespeare is traditionally believed to have been born on April 23
April 23 was St. George’s Day, England’s national holiday, and later became associated with both Shakespeare’s birth and death._[6]

Most of what we know about Shakespeare's life is based on circumstantial evidence

Most details of Shakespeare’s early life are uncertain
Other than what is found in a few church records and legal documents and in a few contemporary documents such as playgoers' diaries, most evidence of Shakespeare's life is circumstantial. Very little is known for certain._[1]
Shakespeare’s father rose to high political office
John Shakespeare was a glover and leather-worker who rose through a series of positions of authority until, in 1568, he became high bailiff, the highest elective office in Stratford._[3]
Shakespeare's father later fell into legal trouble
A document from 1576 mentions Shakespeare's father, “John Shappere alias Shakespere of Stratford upon Haven,” and accuses him of usury. Shortly afterward, John Shakespeare retired from public life._[1]
Shakespeare married Anne Hathaway
In November 1582, Shakespeare applied for a license to marry Anne Whateley. “Anne Whateley” could be a scribal error for Anne Hathaway, whom he married on or about November 30. She was three months pregnant at the time._[6]
Anne Hathaway may have been significantly older than Shakespeare
Anne Hathaway Shakespeare's tombstone states she was 67 when she died in 1623, it is generally believed that she was eight years older than her husband. However, the figures 1 and 7 are easily confused--so she might have been 61, only two years older than William Shakespeare._[9]
Shakespeare’s Family and the Story of Hamnet

Shakespeare had three children, including twins
William and Anne Shakespeare had three children. Susanna was christened in May 1583, and the twins Judith and Hamnet in February 1585._[11]
Shakespeare’s only son, Hamnet, died at age 11 in 1596
Hamnet died in 1596, a loss many scholars believe deeply affected Shakespeare’s writing. Shakespeare outlived his only son by 20 years._[1]
Hamnet’s death may have influenced Hamlet
While unproven, many scholars believe the timing and themes of Hamlet reflect Shakespeare’s grief over his son’s death._[8]

In his will, Shakespeare only left his "second best" bed and its bedding to his wife

Shakespeare's daughter Susanna inherited most of his estate
Shakespeare died on April 23, 1616. In his will, he left most of his real estate to his daughter Susanna. A statement was inserted between the lines in the will, which said: "I gyve unto my wief my second best bed with the furniture." The "furniture" was the bedclothes for the bed. This is all he left his wife in his will, and the only time she was mentioned._[3]
Shakespeare’s younger daughter Judith lost all her children
Judith had three children, but all died young without heirs._[1]
Shakespeare’s bloodline ended in the 17th century
His granddaughter Elizabeth, Susanna’s only child, died childless in 1670._[1]
Family loss is a recurring theme in Shakespeare’s plays
Themes of grief, lost children, and broken families appear repeatedly throughout his later works._[7]
Thomas Jefferson and John Adams took a souvenir from Shakespeare’s home
When Thomas Jefferson and John Adams visited Shakespeare's house in 1786, they chipped off a bit of his chair as a souvenir, as was, Adam's words, "according to the custom."_[4]
The Lost Years and Rise to Fame

Shakespeare’s whereabouts were unknown for seven years
Between 1585 and 1592, there are no records of Shakespeare’s activities, a period known as the “lost years."_[1]
Shakespeare likely moved to London during the lost years
Most scholars believe he relocated to London to begin working in the theater._[10]
Shakespeare likely worked as an actor
Shakespeare is listed as an actor on documents from 1592, 1598, 1603, and 1608. It is supposed that he played mostly unassuming parts, such as the ghost in Hamlet, to allow him more time to write._[1]
Shakespeare was publicly insulted as an “upstart crow"
The first definite reference to Shakespeare as a playwright is in a pamphlet by Robert Greene, who wrote, “There is an upstart Crow, beautified with our feathers, that with his Tiger's heart wrapped in a Player's hide, supposes he is as well able to bombast out a blank verse as the best of you: and being an absolute Johannes fac totum, is in his own conceit the only Shake-scene in a country.” “Tiger's heart wrapped in a Player's hide” is an allusion to a line from Henry VI, Part 3._[11]
Shakespeare’s early success came from history plays
A diary entry by Phillip Henslowe records a performance of a play called “harey VI” at Henslowe's Rose theater in March 1592. Many scholars believe this is a reference to Shakespeare's Henry VI, Part 1. However, there is no other record of Shakespeare being involved with Henslowe's company, so the reference cannot be confirmed. However, plays such as Henry VI helped establish Shakespeare’s reputation in London._[6]
Shakespeare and the Theater

Shakespeare was a co-owner of the Globe Theatre
In February 1599, the land for the Globe was leased to Cuthbert and Richard Burbage as well as five other members of the troupe, including Shakespeare, for 31 years. Shakespeare's share of the lease varied over the years, from one fourteenth to one tenth._[1]
Elizabethan plays used minimal scenery
Shakespeare relied on language rather than sets to establish setting and mood._[5]
The Globe Theatre burned down during a performance
In 1613, a cannon fired during Henry VIII ignited the thatched roof, destroying the theater._[6]
Shakespeare helped pioneer indoor theater
In 1608, Shakespeare’s troupe, The King’s Men, opened the Blackfriars Theatre, which became a model for all later indoor theaters. This innovation allowed performances in winter, introduced artificial lighting, and shaped how audiences experienced plays for centuries._[5]
Shakespeare’s company became the King’s Men
In 1603, Shakespeare's company became the official player for King James I and renamed themselves The King's Men._[5]
Shakespeare Language and Literacy Legacy

Shakespeare invented over 2,000 English words
His works contain first-ever recordings of over 2,000 English words, including critical, frugal, excellent, barefaced, assassination, and countless._[1]

Even today many popular quotes come from Shakespeare's works

Shakespeare wrote some of the most quoted lines in English
According to the Oxford Dictionary of Quotations, Shakespeare wrote about one-tenth of the most quotable quotations ever written or spoken in English. These include one fell swoop, vanish into thin air, play fast and loose, be in a pickle, foul play, tower of strength, flesh and blood, be cruel to be kind, and with bated breath._[1]
Shakespeare’s sonnets explore love, obsession, and identity
Unlike traditional love poems, many of his sonnets are introspective and emotionally complex._[1]
Some scholars believe Shakespeare collaborated with other playwrights
Later works such as Pericles and The Two Noble Kinsmen are believed to be collaborations._[1]
Controversies and Authorship Debates

About 50 candidates have been suggested as having written his plays
However, there is more evidence that Shakespeare wrote his own work than there is that he did not._[6]
Edward de Vere is a leading alternative candidate
Edward de Vere, seventeenth Earl of Oxford, is a leading candidate in the theories about who really wrote Shakespeare's plays. Sometimes called “spear-shaker,” de Vere died in 1604, before many of Shakespeare's plays were produced. Because de Vere led a rival theater company, scholars who support Shakespeare's authorship consider it unlikely that de Vere would have given his best work to the Lord Chamberlain's Men and the King's Men._[6]
Handwritten pages confirm Shakespeare revised his work
Manuscript pages from The Life of Sir Thomas More is believed to be written in Shakespeare's hand and show that he did, indeed, revise._[3]
Shakespeare frequently adapted existing stories
Borrowing plots from earlier works was common practice in Elizabethan theater._[6]
Death and Enduring Influence

Shakespeare revised his will shortly before his death
His signatures are shaky, suggesting that he was not well._[3]
Shakespeare’s tomb carries a famous curse
Shakespeare is buried near the altar of Holy Trinity Church, where he was baptized, in Stratford-upon Avon. The slabstone over his tomb includes the following inscription, believed to have been written by Shakespeare himself:_[11]

Good friend, for Jesus' sake forebeare
To digg the dust enclosed heare;
Bleste be the man that spares thes stones,
And curst be he that moves my bones.

- William Shakespeare

The First Folio preserved many of Shakespeare’s plays
The First Folio, the primary source for most of Shakespeare's plays, was published by the last of the Lord Chamberlain's Men, John Heminges and Henry Condell, in August 1623. It is the only source for 18 of Shakespeare's plays, which would otherwise be lost._[6]
Hamlet was banned under Joseph Stalin's regime
Under Joseph Stalin's regime, "Hamlet" was banned. The official reason: Hamlet's indecisiveness and depression were incompatible with the new Soviet spirit of optimism, fortitude, and clarity._[2]
Shakespeare's birthday doesn't fall on the same date today
Shakespeare was born under the old Julian calendar, not the modern Gregorian calendar used today. Because England did not adopt the Gregorian calendar until 1752, dates from Shakespeare’s lifetime don’t align exactly with modern ones. His traditionally cited birthday of April 23 would fall in early May on today’s calendar._[1]
Shakespeare was technically a Jacobean playwright
Shakespeare is usually considered an Elizabethan playwright, much of his greatest work was produced after James I took the throne. Thus, Shakespeare could be more accurately considered Jacobean._[1]
Shakespeare’s company rebuilt the Globe Theatre
In 1597, Shakespeare's company, the Lord Chamberlain's Men, leased the Theatre. The owner was reluctant to renew the lease. On December 28, 1598, the Lord Chamberlain's Men and about a dozen workers dismantled the Theatre and rebuilt it across the Thames. The new theater became known as the New Globe, the iconic theater that would host many of Shakespeare's greatest plays._[3]
Little is known about Shakespeare’s sonnets
Almost nothing is known about when Shakespeare’s 154 sonnets were written, to whom they were addressed, or whether they were arranged in the order we read them today. This uncertainty adds to the mystery surrounding one of his most personal and celebrated works._[3]
Some scholars believe Shakespeare may have been bisexual
Based on textual evidence in his sonnets and certain plays, some scholars believe Shakespeare may have been bisexual. The identities of the people addressed in his sonnets remain debated, adding to the mystery surrounding his personal life._[3]

Henry Wriothesley may have been an object of Shakespeare's affections

Henry Wriothesley may have inspired Shakespeare’s sonnets
A leading contender for the beautiful Young Man referred to as a lover in William Shakespeare's sonnets is the effeminate youth Henry Wriothesley, third Earl of Southampton and Baron of Titchfield, to whom Shakespeare dedicated his narrative poems, Venus and Adonis and The Rape of Lucrece._[3]
Shakespeare’s sonnets were published without his permission
On May 20, 1609, Thomas Thorpe published Shakespeare’s sonnets in a quarto volume, apparently without the poet’s permission. This unauthorized publication contributes to the enduring mystery around the sonnets’ intended audience and order._[3]
Elizabethan theatergoers sometimes threw fruit at actors
Theatergoers, such as those in William Shakespeare's time, could purchase apples and pears to eat during the show. These snacks were often thrown at the actors by dissatisfied members of the audience._[1]
Shakespeare's list of possessions were mostly in the Great Fire
The full inventory of Shakespeare's possessions, which would have listed his books and other historically important information, was probably sent to London, where such records were kept at the time. It was most likely destroyed in the Great Fire of 1666._[1]
All or part of William Shakespeare's 300 original First Folios still survive
These volumes preserve many of his plays that might otherwise have been lost, cementing his legacy for centuries of readers and performers._[1]
Hamlet exists in multiple versions
Shakespeare's Hamlet survives in three versions: a bad 1603 quarto of 2,200 lines, a better 1604 quarto of 3,800 lines, and the First Folio edition of 1623 with 3,570 lines. Some scholars believe that the bad quarto is most likely the one closest to the play that was performed._[1]
Shakespeare's King Lear survives in two copies
The quarto edition includes 300 lines and a whole scene that do not appear in the First Folio. The two versions give important speeches to different characters, altering the nature of three key characters. The endings are also significantly different._[3]
King Lear may have been adapted for indoor performances
Scholars believe that Shakespeare’s King Lear might have been rewritten for an indoor stage when his company, the King’s Men, moved into the Blackfriars Theatre. This adaptation shows how he tailored his plays to different performance spaces._[11]

Writer Sir Francis Bacon was outspoken about Shakespeare not writing his own works

Sir Francis Bacon is sometimes proposed as Shakespeare
Some scholars suggest that Sir Francis Bacon may have written some of Shakespeare’s works. Bacon’s surviving writings show a style and word usage that differ from Shakespeare’s, and his poetry is generally considered more formal and stilted._[1]
Shakespeare often collaborated with other writers
Even if Shakespeare wrote his own work, he did not always write alone. As many as a dozen of his later plays are believed to have been collaborations with other authors--including The Two Noble Kinsman, known to be written with John Fletcher, Timon of Athens with Thomas Middleton, and Pericles with George Wilkins._[6][11]
Why Shakespeare Still Fascinates Us
Despite being dead for over 400 years, Shakespeare remains endlessly relevant. His works survive through fragile manuscripts, disputed authorship, lost family members, and emotional depths that still resonate today. Each new discovery adds to the mystery rather than resolving it, and that may be why Shakespeare continues to captivate the world._[5][7][8]