Think you know Shakespeare? Think again! We bring you 8 Shakespeare facts that will change how you view the bard.

1. Plays Didn’t Make Shakespeare Rich

Shakespeare died a wealthy man, but it wasn’t his plays that made him rich, as many people believe. Rather, land and property were the main assets upon which his wealth was built; so much so, that in Stratford-upon-Avon he became a gentleman and a well-respected businessman and acquired his own family crest. In London, where his creative life was booming, he took shares in his own theatre company.
2. The Lost Play

Shakespeare wrote 37 plays in his lifetime, but we know that isn’t an accurate number. Shakespeare would have co-written a number of plays and it is believed that he wrote (and performed in) a play called Cardenio, which is now lost.

3. We Were Not Supposed to Read the Sonnets

Today, Shakespeare’s collection of 154 sonnets form the cornerstone of modern literature; yet it is unlikely that Shakespeare ever wanted them to be published. Rather, they were printed without his consent in an unauthorized edition by Thomas Thorpe in 1609. Most critics agree that this was the case because the 1609 text is based on a draft copy of the poems which contained unfinished sonnets and errors.

4. Shakespeare Cursed His Own Grave

Travel into the Old Town of Stratford-upon-Avon, and you will come across Holy Trinity Church – the final resting place of William Shakespeare. Inside at the top end of the church, you can find his grave etched with a curse:

Good friend for Jesus’ sake forbear,
To dig the dust enclosed here:
Blest be the man that spares these stones,
And curst be he that moves my bones.

His plays show how wary Shakespeare was of sextons and gravediggers in his own lifetime, so perhaps the epitaph is a response to this. It was, after all, common for remains to be dug up when the burial grounds were full. Whatever the reasoning, it worked: Shakespeare’s grave remains undisturbed many centuries later.

5. Shakespeare was an Actor

Today, we think of William Shakespeare as a writer, but he was primarily a jobbing actor performing in his own and other’s plays. A number of historical documents list him as an actor. And he was good at it, performing in front of the two monarchs that reined during his lifetime, Queen Elizabeth I and King James I.

6. Boys for the Girls!

Shakespeare’s women characters were groundbreaking and remain the subject of feminist debate today. Yet, the irony is that in his own lifetime, female performers were not allowed on stage. All of the well-rounded, astutely observed female characters were played by boys. Imagine the complex Lady Macbeth or feisty Kate being played by boys today!

7. Scholarly Scorn!

In his own lifetime, Shakespeare proved popular with the general public and royalty. Today he is well-respected by scholars around the world – but he didn’t always attract adulation from the scholars of his own time.

8. Most Quoted Writer (Nearly!)

Other than the Bible, William Shakespeare is recognised as the most quoted writer of all time. To be second only to the Bible is quite an extraordinary feat and demonstrates how widely his texts have been translated and distributed around the world.

cool, sadly things like this don't make FP..... Seun

Intresting facts