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 WHO WERE SHAKESPEARE’S CHILDREN? WHAT WAS SHAKESPEARE’S RELATIONSHIP WITH THEM LIKE? //Prepared by Clifford P.//  Shakespeare had three children. Susanna, born in May 1583, and his set of twins, Hamnet and judith. Hamnet was a boy and Judith was a girl. they were born two years later in 1585. Susanna was Shakespeare's first child. Their isn't much we hear about Susanna except that she was baptized at the Stratford Parish Church on May 26, 1583. On June 5th, 1607, she married a man named John Hall and took his last name. She became Susanna Hall. Eight and one half months after her wedding, she gave birth to a beautiful baby girl named Elizabeth. Elizabeth was baptized February 21, 1608 at Holy Trinity Church in Stratford. Shakespeare two twins named Hamnet and Judith. They were Williams last children. He had three children all together. Little is known about his twins also. He was raised in his grandfather's house mostly by his mother Anne because his father's work in the theatre was based in London and he was their most of the time. There are no records that show that Hamnet Shakespeare ever attended a school although it was customary for a boy from Hamnet's background to have had an education. Both of Hamnet's sisters didn't have an education and they weren't able to read or write. The Black Death, also known as the Black Plague had constant outbreaks in England. Hamnet contracted the deadly disease and got very sick. He got so sick that at age eleven, he past away. He was buried in Stratford on August 11, 1596. As a young adult, she married Richard Quiney. He was a a vintner and tavern owner from Stratford, on February 10th 1616. Judith was 31 and Thomas Quiney was 27 years old. The initial approval of the marriage quickly changed with the gossipy news that Thomas Quiney had made another girl pregnant. The scandal would have spread through Stratford. Their was a shocking turn of events when the public found out about Quiney not receiving the special licence necessary for a wedding during lent before his marriage. The situation was really serious and on March 12, Judith and Thomas were not able to see each other. William must have been mortified with the turn of events. He summoned his lawyer and promptly modifies and signs his will on March 25, 1616. The modification of the will was to ensure that Judith would receive a sum of money inherited in her own name. Shakespeare leaves most of his fortune to his daughter, Susanna. On March 26th Quiney was prosecuted for "carnal copulation" with a woman named Margaret Wheeler, who had died in childbirth that month along with her baby by Quiney. He confessed and was sentenced to perform public penance. His penalty, however, was commuted to a small fine of five shillings and private penance. All of this shows that Shakespeare did not have a close relationship with his children. He rarely saw them and sent them into London. One reason he didn't get to see them was because he lived in one city and worked in another.. It was often difficult because in those times it took longer to go places than it is now. Also he was caught up in his job to take a vacation to see his children. He had to much going on that he barely had free time for himself. Let alone his children. These are the reasons why Their relationship was so distant. // Work Cited Alchin, Linda. "William Shakespeare His Children & Grandchildren ." William Shakespeare. 1 FEB 2007. William Shakespeare Info. 14 Apr 2009 .

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