Not Your Average 19 year old

I thought the best place to start my familial focus of Shakespeare's works would be to go to the roots of Shakespeare's life. I came across the PBS series "In Search of Shakespeare" earlier this semester. It's a four part series that follows Shakespeare's life from the cradle to the grave:

"...the core of the series is a biography. The story of one Elizabethan, his life, family and friendships, his triumphs and disasters, his loves and his losses....it is the first time that a full-scale life of William Shakespeare has been attempted on TV. Presenter-led, mixing travel, adventure, interviews and specially shot documentary and live action sequences with the RSC on the road..." 

see PBS's website "In Search of Shakespeare" 

I know we've all heard how mysterious Shakespeare's life is and that there isn't much out there, but this series fills in some of the missing pieces with the back round of other family members and the history of the time. Most of the information recorded during Shakespeare's early life is by "informants" or royal spies that were all over the country, as well as government and religious records. 

First evidence of the existence of William Shakespeare

The first record we have of Shakespeare is that he was baptized in the Catholic church on April 26, 1564 in Stratford Upon Avon. He was the first child in his family to survive (preceded by two older sisters that died). 

Shakespeare's family was devote Catholic, and in the religious tumult of the reign of the Tudors this turned into a dangerous life. But, Shakespeare was fortunate to also grow up during an "educational revolution" where 160 new schools were built in England. They called his generation the "most literate generation." 

Shakespeare lived in a nice home, considered "stylish" at the time. His father was a politician as well as an illegal wool dealer which brought wealth to their family. Unfortunately, at the age of 12 his family's income dropped during a time of recession. Shakespeare was taken out of school early by the age of 14 and worked with his father at home.

During this time, William's father, John Shakespeare, was called to appear in London with nearly 200 other people on reasons of "national security." Queen Elizabeth was especially nervous of the Catholics and the government gained a tighter grip on "heretics." Nothing serious happened to him, but his (John Shakespeare) wife's family, the Ardens, weren't as lucky in the later years. When William Shakespeare was 19 most of the Arden's were taken to the Tower of London, tortured and killed.

Jump to Shakespeare's late teen years when he meets Anne Hathaway. She was about 8-9 years older than him, but we don't know much else about her--she's more mysterious than Shakespeare. We do have a sketch of her but how much does that reveal?

Anne got pregnant so they ended up having quite the shot-gun wedding: Shakespeare around 19 years old and Anne around 27 years old. During that time you weren't allowed to get married within 6 weeks of Christmas so historians figure they were married at the end of November in 1583. Many people say Shakespeare was obligated to marry Anne, but after reading this sonnet, believed to be written by Shakespeare for their wedding feast (the first known poem written by Shakespeare), I don't necessarily believe that was the driving force any more than love. What do you think? (the bold is what is thought to be a pun on her name)

Those lips that Love's own hand did make

Breathed forth the sound that said 'I hate'

To me that languish'd for her sake;

But when she saw my woeful state

Straight in her heart did mercy come,

Chiding that tongue that ever sweet

Was used in giving gentle doom,

And taught it thus anew to greet:

'I hate' she alter'd with an end,

That follow'd it as gentle day

Doth follow night, who like a fiend

From heaven to hell is flown away;

'I hate' from hate away she threw,

And saved my life, saying 'not you.'

Can you spot Shakespeare written with an "x"?

On their actual marriage license it gives permission for "William Shaxespeare" to marry "Ann Whately." Isn't that sad? I found out when I was nineteen that on my birth certificate my name is actually spelled with an "h" and that was traumatizing enough; think about your marriage license not even having the right name for your spouse? Poor thing. And without further ado, five months later Shakespeare's first child, Susanna, was born.

At the age of 19 Shakespeare had dropped out of school, experienced troubles at home financially as well as the scare of his father's life, and knocked up Anne Hathaway consequently becoming a husband and a father. In today's world, that's not a promising start. 

How does this 19 year old become William Shakespeare? And how does his relationship with his family shape his future? These are some questions I will be coming back to explore when I have finished this biographical series of Shakespeare. If you're interested in watching it too, and have a Netflix account, you can stream it online.