Portrayals of Shakespeare on Stage and Screen

While there have been many, many adaptations of William Shakespeare’s plays on stage and screen, the man himself is a trickier subject to take on. Despite being one of the world’s most famous playwrights, very little is known about his life. We know that he grew up in Stratford-upon-Avon, married Anne Hathaway at the age of 18, and went on to have three children with her (one of whom died). He traveled to London to pursue a theatrical career around 1592 and seems to have moved back and forth between the capital and his hometown. Shakespeare returned to Stratford in his later years and died there in 1616, aged 52. But here the facts about his personal life come to an end. While his literary canon is renowned, the man himself is an enigma and this allows for great variation in portrayals of the Bard.

Key Dates & Events

• 1564 - William Shakespeare was born and baptized in Stratford-upon-Avon.
• 1582 -Shakespeare married Anne Hathaway and their daughter, Susanna, was born six months later.
• 1585 - The beginning of Shakespeare's 'Lost Years'. He leaves Stratford and disappears from all records until he appears in London in 1592.
• 1609 - The first edition of Shakespeare's Sonnets were published.
• 1623 - 'Mr. William Shakespeare's Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies', commonly referred to as the First Folio, was published.
• 1810 - Alexandre Duval’s one-act play, Shakespeare Amoureux, was first produced in Paris.
• 1974 - Stephen Sondheim and Burt Shevelove’s The Frogs was originally produced in the swimming pool of Yale University. It was later revised by Nathan Lane and opened on Broadway in 2004.
• 1998 - Shakespeare in Love opened in cinemas, with the screenplay written by Marc Norman and Tom Stoppard.
• 2001 - Amy Freed’s The Beard of Avon was commissioned and produced by South Coast Repertory.
• 2014 - The play Shakespeare in Love was adapted from the film of the same name.
• 2015 - Something Rotten! opened on Broadway at the St. James Theatre.
• 2018 - Emilia opened at Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre, before transferring into London’s West End the following year.
• 2020 - & Juliet opened in London’s West End but was forced to suspend its run due to COVID-19.