Shakespeare's life and inspirations

What inspired Shakespeare to write his most famous plays? Learn about his life and how he came to be one of the world’s most loved writers.

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Shakespeare’s life and inspiration

Learn about Shakespeare's childhood, family, and where he got the ideas for his plays.

1558 Elizabeth I becomes queen at 25 years of age.
1564 Shakespeare is born.
1580s Shakespeare comes to London sometime at the end of this decade.
1590 Shakespeare writes his first play – Henry VI Part 1.
1594 There are records of Shakespeare and his company performing plays for the queen from now on. This is the year Romeo and Juliet was first performed.
1603 Queen Elizabeth dies. Her cousin, James VI of Scotland becomes James I of England. This is a big upheaval because Elizabeth had ruled for 45 years. James also liked theatre and continued to commission plays from Shakespeare.
1605 The Gunpowder Plot intended to blow up the Houses of Parliament to kill the King.
1606 Macbeth is performed for the first time.
1606-16 Shakespeare keeps writing, but starts to live at home in Stratford-upon-Avon more.
1616 Shakespeare dies on 23 April, which coincidentally is St George’s Day which remembers the English patron saint.
1623 The First Folio, a collection of Shakespeare’s plays, is published.