The Marriage of Anne Hathaway and William Shakespeare

Time now to return to Shakespeare’s Seven Ages of Man before exploring the next stage in William’s development—

“And then the lover, sighing like furnace, with a woeful ballad made to his mistress' eyebrow. Then a soldier full of strange oaths and bearded like the pard jealous in honour sudden and quick in quarrel seeking the bubble reputation even in the cannon's mouth.”

There is no official record of Shakespeare’s entry into Stratford Grammar School or of his leaving but it’s generally accepted that this was where he was educated.

Most boys would leave at the age of 15 to either start earning their livings or the few that were very fortunate went on to university.

By the time William reached the age of 13, his father’s business dealings and grand social standing had fallen into decline and Shakespeare’s formal education came to an abrupt end.

Many suggestions are being made as to the work that Shakespeare turned his hand to ranging from the probable helping his family and the family glove making business through to the fanciful namely running away to sea aboard St. Francis Drake’s Golden Hind.

He might literally have been a butcher, a baker, or candle stick maker. The truth is, nobody will ever no for sure.

And so to Shakespeare the lover where his early amorous experience is a keen to the youthful Romeo’s with passion burning hot for his lady.

Sadly for Shakespeare, it would appear not to have been the case as the young William fell into the trap that many good-looking lands before and since has fallen into.

This irresistible fetched property now belonging to Shakespeare’s birthplace trust at Shottery is known the world over as Anne Hathaway’s cottage—the family home of Shakespeare’s wife.

The romantic guide books would have you believe that William regularly walked these pathways to court his lady love. But sadly for Shakespeare, the few facts that exist suggest it was a far from satisfactory liaison.

Anne Hathaway was 8 years Shakespeare senior. When he was just 18, he was undoubtedly pressured into marrying her having been named as the father of the child she was expecting.

Anne’s father had recently died and two of his friends obtained a special license having pledged the van huge sum of 40 pounds to guarantee the wedding would take place.

As Shakespeare was not of age and his prospective wife was already pregnant, the matter had to be approved by the highest church authorities in the area. And evidently, the supporters of Miss Hathaway would determine that young Shakespeare would do the right thing by her whatever his own views on the matter might be.