8-5Children

// Answer Prepared by Robby S. //** Germaine Greer author of the book //__Shakespeare's Wife__// states that Shakespeare had three children. The first was a daughter was named Susanna. He then had twins, one was named Judith who is a girl, and the other twin is a boy named Hamnet. Judith and Susanna survived childhood but Hamnet did not. When Hamnet was born he was much smaller and weaker. The website Shakespeare Resource Center says that Hamnet died at age eleven on August 11, 1596. Shakespeare didn’t have a big connection with his son Hamnet because he was gone for most of his childhood. "Following the birth of his twins, William Shakespeare disappears from all records, finally turning up again in London some time in 1592.” This period is known as the "Lost Years," from the website Shakespeare Resource Center. Linda Alchin the author of the webpage William Shakespeare His Children & Grandchildren explains that all three of the children had their baptism at Stratford Parish Church. Alchin also states that Susanna was baptized on May 26th 1583 and Judith and Hamnet were baptized on February 2nd, 1585. "The twins were named after two very close friends of William and Anne, the baker Hamnet Sadler and his wife, Judith," states Linda Alchin. Also at age twenty four Susanna announce she was going to marry,"Dr. John Hall. Hall also practiced medicine in Stratford. Anne and William were so pleased with Susanna that "Shakespeare appointed John and Susanna executors of his will," says Linda Alchin. So Susanna got pretty much everything that Shakespeare owned, but the younger sister Judith only got three hundred dollars. She also says that Shakespeare's daughter Judith married Richard Quiney. Shakespeare’s son Hamnet is not related to the character Hamlet in the play “Hamlet.” Linda Alchin states that the source he probably used was the Third book of Gesta Danorum (also called Historia Danica). As you can see Shakespeare wasn’t around for much of his children’s childhood. Shakespeare liked Susanna better because she married Dr. John Hall who Shakespeare liked while he didn’t like Richard Quiney the gentlemen who married Judith that much. Works Cited: Alchin, Linda. "William Shakespeare and his Grandchildren." __William Shakespear__ __Biography__ 21 May 2004 12 Mar 2009 .
 * WHO WERE SHAKESPEARE’S CHILDREN? WHAT WAS SHAKESPEARE’S RELATIONSHIP WITH THEM LIKE?

Greer, Germaine. __Shakespeare's Wife__. Harper Collins, 2007.

Pressley, J.M. and Shakespeare Resource Center. "Shakespeare Biography." Shakespeare Resource Center 1997 3/9/2009.