A Literary Genius - traditional birthday of William Shakespeare
- Jade Lynch
- 2 hours ago
- 2 min read
Portrait of William Shakespeare © Roberto A Sanchez
Famously known as England’s national poet and playwright, writer of beautiful ballads, heartbreaking tragedies, hilarious comedies and impactful dramas, William Shakespeare’s birthday is traditionally celebrated on the 23rd of April.
Born in Stratford-upon-Avon in the West Midlands region of England, William Shakespeare was the third child of John Shakespeare, a glove maker and leather merchant, and Mary Arden, the daughter of a wealthy landowning family. John and Mary had eight children altogether, but three of them did not survive into adulthood [1].
While we know lots about Shakespeare’s works, it is ironic that we don’t really know much about the man himself, including his actual birthday! Unfortunately, the exact date of his birth was not recorded, and what we do know about his life ‘comes from registrar records, court records, wills, marriage certificates and his tombstone in Holy Trinity Church, Stratford-upon-Avon’ [2].
Shakespeare’s birth date was estimated using records of his baptism, which took place on 26 April 1564. Traditionally, baptisms were celebrated within three days of birth, so his birthday is celebrated on 23 April, which is also St George's Day. At the time, parents were instructed by the Prayer Book to ensure that their children were baptised no later than the first Sunday after birth. This means that it is ‘unlikely that Shakespeare was born any earlier than the previous Sunday, 23 April’, as three days ‘would be a reasonable interval between birth and baptism’ [3].
Interestingly, very little is known about Shakespeare as he entered education and grew up. However, we know that his talent for writing took off in 1593 when he published an erotic poem, Venus and Adonis. His earliest plays include Henry VI Parts I, II, and III The Two Gentlemen of Verona, and Titus Andronicus [2]. Over the course of his life, Shakespeare’s works, including collaborations, ‘consist of some 39 plays, 154 sonnets, three long narrative poems and a few other verses, some of uncertain authorship’ [4].
Around age 52, Shakespeare died on the exact same date of his suggested birth, solidifying this day as the celebration of his life and his forever iconic works of literature.
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