A Bard's Journey: William Shakespeare's Youthful Escapades in 16th Century Europe.

William Shakespeare was born in 1564, in Stratford-upon Avon , England. His father, John Shakespeare, was a glover (someone who makes gloves) and his mother, Mary Arden, was the daughter of an aristocrat. When William was 3 years old, his father became a town official and left the family to live in London. This separation upset both the parents and young William and he was sent off to live with his grandmother in the country.

William stayed with his grandmother until he was 7 years old. His father returned home when William turned 8. He enrolled William in school, where he joined the choir and acted in local church plays. As a teenager, Shakespeare fell in love with Anne Hathaway, a girl from a neighboring village. They were married at age 18 and had 3 children together: Susanna, Hamnet (who died at age 11), and Judith.

At age 24, Shakespeare began writing poetry for fun. He eventually led a group called The Lord Chamberlain's Men, who performed plays and traveled around the country performing them.

Shakespeare wrote 37 plays during his life time: 10 tragedies, 16 comedies, 8 histories and 1 romance! These became popular plays and are still performed today!