William Shakespeare

High school (ages 12+)
History & Culture

Name:

Date:

Step 1 · Read the article

Open the article and read it at the level above. Then answer the questions below in your own words.

https://smallwhale.org/articles/william-shakespeare

Write what each word means, using the article.

Do not copy the article. Write two things you learned, the way you would explain them to a friend.

Answers below are taken from the article’s stored facts, so they match what the student read.

1. When was William Shakespeare born?Circa April 23, 1564
2. When did William Shakespeare die?April 23, 1616 (aged 52)
3. Where was William Shakespeare born?Stratford-upon-Avon, Warwickshire, England
4. What is William Shakespeare known for?Being the world's pre-eminent dramatist and greatest writer in the English language
5. What is the career?Playwright, actor, and shareholder in the Lord Chamberlain's Men/King's Men theater company
6. Who was William Shakespeare?He was a playwright, actor, and businessman from Stratford-upon-Avon who wrote many plays and poems that people still read and watch today.

Bard of Avon: A poetic epithet for William Shakespeare, referencing his birthplace and his status as a master poet and playwright.
First Folio: The first collected edition of Shakespeare's dramatic works, published posthumously in 1623, crucial for preserving many of his plays.
Tragedy: A genre of drama characterized by serious subject matter, often involving the downfall of a protagonist due to fate or a fatal flaw.
Sonnet: A fourteen-line poem with a specific rhyme scheme, often exploring themes of love, beauty, and mortality.