William Shakespeare, the master storyteller and wordsmith, has captivated hearts and minds for centuries with his timeless tales and dazzling prose. From the rollicking comedies of “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” to the heart-wrenching tragedy of “Romeo and Juliet”, Shakespeare’s works have left an indelible mark on the world of literature and beyond. But behind the ink and parchment lies a mystery waiting to be uncovered. So come along on an exciting journey to discover the man, the myth, and the genius of William Shakespeare!
1-5 Fun Facts About Shakespeare
1. Shakespeare may have enjoyed a little puff-puff-pass. As scientists found traces of cannabis on pipes in his garden.
2. Talk about a full-circle life – Shakespeare was born and died on the same day!
3. Despite being one of the greatest writers of all time, Shakespeare only mentioned America once in his works.
4. The moons of Uranus have some literary flair. A Whopping 25 of them are named after Shakespeare’s characters.
5. Shakespeare was word wizard, inventing about 1,700 words that we use today.
6-10 Unusual Facts About Shakespeare
6. Shakespeare was so worried about grave robbers stealing his bones that he wrote his epitaph as a curse. It says, “Good friend, for Jesus’ sake, forbear To dig the dust enclosed here. Blessed be the man that spares these stones, and cursed be he that moves my bones.”
7. The word “swagger” was first used by Shakespeare in “A Midsummer Night’s Dream.”
8. His six surviving signatures have different spellings, including “Shakspere,” “Shaksper,” and “Shakspeare.” People have been arguing about the correct spelling for centuries.
9. In a surprising twist, Shakespeare’s daughter was illiterate, despite growing up surrounded by some of the greatest works of English literature.
10. Shakespeare’s signature is worth a whopping $5 million – talk about a valuable autograph!
11-15 Interesting Facts About Shakespeare
11. At just 18 years old, Shakespeare tied the knot with Anne Hathaway, who was 27 and three months pregnant at the time.
12. Since 1993, the complete works of Shakespeare have been available online, hosted by MIT at shakespeare.mit.edu. So, you can now brush up on your Shakespearean knowledge anytime, anywhere!
13. Despite having written more than a million words, only 14 pieces of Shakespeare’s handwriting still exist today.
14. The Rev. Gastrell, who owned William Shakespeare’s residence, New Place, was so fed up with tourists visiting the house that he demolished it himself in 1759. He was kicked out of town for his actions!
15. Romeo and Juliet wasn’t entirely Shakespeare’s creation. He borrowed the plot from Matteo Bandello and turned it into the classic play we know and love.
16-20 Surprising Facts About Shakespeare
16. Shakespeare was a clever guy. He would intentionally make grammatical mistakes in his plays to keep his audiences on their toes.
17. Tupac, the legendary rapper, was a fan of Shakespeare.
18. If Shakespeare were alive today, he’d get a cool $15 million per year from his work.
19. Leo Tolstoy wasn’t a fan of Shakespeare. He considered him to be just an “average author.”
20. Shakespeare’s handwriting was so bad that scholars would have a hard time deciphering what he wrote!
That’s it for this post guys, I hope you had fun while reading 20 Interesting facts about Shakespeare.
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