8-5Parents&Siblings

 WHO WERE SHAKESPEARE’S PARENTS AND SIBLINGS? WHAT WAS SHAKESPEARE’S RELATIONSHIP WITH THEM LIKE? //Answer prepared by Clement G.// Shakespeare's father was named John. He had the same sirname, indeed, it originated from him. He came to Stratford before 1532, as a glover. He prospered in this business and soon became a dealer of farm goods and wool. He was married to Mary Arden, the daughter of a wealthy land owner. "We assume neither John nor Mary could write -- John used a pair of glovers' compasses as his signature while Mary used a running horse -- but it did not prevent them from becoming important members of the community." said the Shakespeare Online website, on their portion called Shakespeare of Stratford. He had many important positions in the local government, and due to this and his great wealth, he rightfully applied for a coat of arms. This was considered a status symbol, as only true gentlemen had them. Soon after that, he mysteriously withdrew the application. As an even further mystery, he soon became in debt. This quick transition between wealthy and poor is still a mystery to all that study Shakespeare. He had to mortgage Mary Shakespeare's(his wife's) estate to pay off creditors, and he was soon down to one house. By the end of his life though, his economic standing was beginning to flourish once more. He applied for a coat of arms, and this time his wish was granted. Shakespeare had a lot of siblings, but few of them list to adulthood. Almost all of them succumbed to the plague in their early stages of life. Almost all of them were also born in the same house. This quaint half timbered building on Henley Street was passed on to William Shakespeare after the death of his father. Mary and John's first child was named Joan. Little is known about her, because she was killed by the plague. Their second child was Margaret. She fell to the same ending as Joan. Their third child was William Shakespeare himself. He was born on April 26, 1564. Their fourth child, Gilbert, survived to adulthood, and became haberdasher. Their third girl, Joan(named after their first girl) achieved an amazing feat, living until the age of seventy-seven. She outlived her parents, and all her siblings by decades. They had their fourth daughter Anne when Shakespeare was seven years old. She too died though, and the family was saddened once more. Later on they had another boy, named Richard. Not much is known about him. They had another boy after that, whose name was Edmund. He survived childhood, and became one of Shakespeare's troops. He had become very enthralled with the countless stories that William had been telling him about being an actor, and no doubt felt that the family business was not for him. He would have assuredly appeared in many of the Bards plays, as he was a kind man. He was either not very good, or had bad luck, because he didn't have a good reputation, but his life was cut short at the age of 27. The Bard probably felt a sense of responsibility towards Edmund, and thus funded a very extravagant funeral. It was customary for funerals to be held in the afternoon, which is why his funeral was unusual. Plays were also normally held in the afternoon, and so Shakespeare held it in the morning. He was buried at St. Saviour's Church, in Southwark, on December 31 1607. "Southwark, which teemed with brothels and taverns, was the theater district of Elizabethan England," said Mrs. Barth on her extremely informational sheet called Shakespeare Comp endium Grammar and MLA. Tolling bells were heard across the Thames.

Works Cited Claybourne, Anna, and Treays. Rebecca. London: Usborne Publishing Ltd, 2001.

Laroque, Francois. The Age of Shakespeare. New York: Harry N. Abrams, inc., 1991.

Mabillard, Amanda. "William Shakespeare of Stratford." Shakespeare Online. 20 Aug. 2000. (4/14/09). http://www.shakespeare-online.com/biography.

"Shakespeare's Birthplace." //Shakespeare Birthplace Trust// Web.14 Apr 2009. .

"William Shakespeare Brothers and Sisters." //William Shakespeare Info//2005 Web.14 Apr 2009..