William Shakespeare

  • Shakespeare basically fell off the face of the Earth between 1585 and 1592 as there is no record of what he was up to during that time. This period is known as the “Lost Years”

 

  • He married a woman named Anne Hathaway in 1582 (no, no relation to the actress)

 

  • He acted in many of his own plays, but usually in small parts like the ghost in “Hamlet.” Since he didn’t have a ton of lines to memorize for these parts, he had more time to keep writing other plays.

  • Shakespeare invented his own words and phrases, many of which are still used today. Do you recognize: one fell swoop, vanish into thin air, play fast and loose, be in a pickle, foul play, tower of strength, flesh and blood, be cruel to be kind, and with bated breath?