William Shakespeare's wife Anne Hathaway was 8 years older than him. The couple almost did not live together, and were reunited only a few years before the death of the great playwright. As he passed away, Shakespeare made a very strange will against Anne.
William Shakespeare and his work
William Shakespeare is an English playwright, poet, and Renaissance actor. He was born in 1564 in Sratford, near London. William's family was very prosperous and he received an excellent education at that time. When the young man was 16 years old, he was forced to go to work, because his father started having problems, things were not going very well. Biographical information regarding this time varies. According to some sources, Shakespeare worked as a village teacher, and according to others - as a butcher's assistant.
At the age of 19, William moved to London. There he got a job at the theater and first played on stage, then rewrote the plays in a new way. Shakespeare soon became a theater playwright and began writing original works. This is how the brilliant tragedy Romeo and Juliet, the comedy A Midsummer Night's Dream, and The Merchant of Venice were born. The already accomplished creatively and financially playwright wrote the plays "Hamlet", "Macbeth", "King of Lear", "Othello". The performances of these works made the Globe Theater, where Shakespeare worked, extremely popular.
William Shakespeare's wife
William Shakespeare married early. At the age of 18, he began an affair with Anne Hathaway, who lived next door. At that time she was 26 years old. Her father was a large farmer. William and Anne's parents not only communicated well, but were also business partners. The newlyweds have known each other since childhood. The wedding was played suddenly due to Ann's pregnancy. She gave birth to her first daughter, Susan, 5 months after the wedding. Documents have been preserved that confirm that Shakespeare had to take the bishop's blessing for this marriage. In those days, there were laws in accordance with which it was possible to get married only after three times announcement in the church. It would take several weeks, and the young people could not wait any longer.
Historians who have studied the life and work of Shakespeare have come to the conclusion that this marriage was accidental. William did not love his wife and married her only because of her pregnancy. A few years after the wedding, Ann gave birth to twins. Shakespeare had a son, Hemnet, and a second daughter, Judith. For some reason, the famous playwright paid more attention to his eldest daughter and treated her with special warmth.
Shakespeare went through a personal tragedy. His son died at the age of 11. This was a real blow for the playwright and further alienated him from his wife.
Calling Shakespeare the ideal father is difficult enough. When the twins were not even a year old, he left for London, and the family remained to live in Stratford. William visited his hometown only occasionally. Anne Hathaway tried to be a good wife. She raised her children, waited for the return of her husband. Her second birth was very difficult, so there were no more children in the family, although initially Ann wanted a large family.
The last years of his life and the famous testament
3 years before his death, Shakespeare decided to leave London. He returned to his hometown. For some time he lived with his son-in-law, and then came to his wife. Thanks to his savings in 1597, William was able to afford to buy a spacious mansion in Stratford. Anne has been courting William for the past few years. His health was very weak.
William Shakespeare died in 1616. Before his death, he made a very strange will. Historians are still debating what meaning the great playwright put into it. Shakespeare bequeathed almost all the acquired property to his eldest daughter. He instructed her to decide where Ann will live after his death. He left his wife exactly as much as was due to her by law. In those days, the spouse could count on a third of the husband's fortune. William also wrote that he will bequeath Anne "the second best quality bed with all the accessories." Some researchers find this formulation unpleasant and offensive. It is not known for certain what William meant. Perhaps he wanted to show that he gives his daughter all the best. "The first in quality" expensive solid wood bed was in Shakespeare's mansion and cost so much that the money could buy a small house. Some historians do not consider the will as offensive. At that time, the best bed in the house was usually intended for guests, and the playwright bequeathed to his wife their marriage bed.
The daughters did not leave their mother and helped her after she became a widow. They got married and had children, but all of Shakespeare's grandchildren died early or remained childless, so his family was interrupted. Ann Shakespeare survived her husband by 7 years and died in 1623.
