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10 Facts About William Shakespeare’s Death

William Shakespeare, who is cited as the greatest playwright of all time, is claimed to have passed away on April 23, 1616, which is thought to have been his 52nd birthday. The only documented end-of-life evidence for Shakespeare is a record of his funeral on April 25, therefore the precise date of his passing isn’t known. It is believed that he passed away two days earlier.

Shakespeare moved back to Stratford-upon-Avon, a market town on the River Avon that is roughly 100 miles west of London after he retired from London in the early 1610s. He bought New Place in 1597 and lived there for several of his final years. It was the most significant residence in the town. It is said that Shakespeare also passed away here where as he received medical attention. 

Here are 10 facts about his death.

1. He wrote a will to protect his daughter

, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

Shakespeare’s daughter Judith’s partner Thomas Quiney was taken before the church court at Holy Trinity Church during the final months of his life, causing a controversy.

Shakespeare clearly loved his daughter because he made it clear that his son-in-law wouldn’t expect much from him by writing a will on March 25th, 1616 which was seen as vengeance against Thomas for impregnating another woman who later died in childbirth. 

2. His son-in-law was his doctor before he died

Shakespeare moved to Stratford upon Avon’s most prominent home, New House, in 1610 after giving up his professional life in London. Shakespeare is thought to have passed away on April 23, 1616, in New House, where the neighbourhood doctor, his son-in-law Dr John Hall, would have attended to him.

3. There is a theory that Shakespeare died after contracting a fever

Shakespeare’s cause of death is unknown, but there is a belief that he passed away after getting sick after drinking excessively with fellow playwrights Ben Jonson and Michael Drayton. Shakespeare, Drayton, and Ben Jonson “had a merry meeting, and it seems drank too hard; for Shakespeare died of a fever there contracted,” said John Ward, the vicar of Holy Trinity Church, in a letter sent many years after Shakespeare’s passing.

However, most historians believe that this is an exaggerated narrative with no basis in reality given Stratford upon Avon’s taste for scandalous stories and rumours in the 17th century.

4. The truth is Shakespeare was sick for over a month before he died

, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

Shakespeare being ill for over a month before his passing is a more believable situation. Shakespeare drew up his will on his deathbed in line with the 17th-century custom of doing so on March 25, 1616, barely four weeks before he passed away.

This is evidence. This suggests that Shakespeare might have been aware of the end of his life. Some scholars have also noted that the signature on his will was a little wobbly, which shows his age-related sickness.

5. Shakespeare died a wealthy man

Shakespeare passed away with plenty of money. His plays were very well-liked, and his London locations were regularly sold out, generating a respectable income. He had a number of homes in Stratford upon Avon and London at the end of his life. He left friends and family a lot of money.

6. He made sure his wife was well taken care of before his death

, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

He allegedly gave his wife his second-best bed, which is why some people believe he passed away in poverty. It was a kind act because it was customary to save the finest mattress for visitors and use the second-best bed for personal usage.

In addition to being the location of Shakespeare’s death, it was also where the couple slept together and had their children. He also knew that his wife would be cared for after his death and stay in the marital house.

7. Shakespeare wrote a few words to be inscribed on his tomb

, No restrictions, via Wikimedia Commons

Shakespeare passed away in the privacy of his close family, so no one is certain of his final words because there are no records of his passing. Shakespeare, however, wrote a few lines that were engraved on his tomb in advance of his passing as a safeguard against his remains being dug up and moved. Shakespeare’s epitaph is as follows:

“Good friend for Jesus sake forbeare,
To dig the dust enclosed here.
Blessed be the man that spares these stones,
And cursed be he that moves my bones.”

8. Shakespeare was buried in Holy Trinity Church

Shakespeare was laid to rest in the Holy Trinity Church in Stratford-upon-Avon, which served as his local parish. Shakespeare achieved this by buying a tithe deed for £440 that granted him the right to have a grave in the church’s chancel, where he would be laid to rest alongside other family members. It was uncommon for someone to be buried inside the church (rather than in the nearby graveyard).

9. A collection of 36 of Shakespeare’s plays was published 7 years after his death

Mr. William Shakespeare’s Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies, a collection of 36 plays, came out seven years after Shakespeare’s death in 1623. Shakespeare specialists usually refer to this work as the First Folio. The First Folio is seen as one of the most important pieces of English literature ever published because of its contents.

10. He was actually considered old at his time of death 

Shakespeare statue. Photo by Nottmpictures-Pixabay

Shakespeare died at the age of only 52, and despite all the ideas, his exact cause of death is still unknown. Shakespeare, however, lived a relatively long and healthy life and passed away as a grandfather in Elizabethan England, when the average lifespan was only 35 years.

Many centuries later in our classrooms, our conversations and anything to do with language we still honour this man that changed literature for us. He is remembered as the man who has challenged our creative abilities and his legacy will go on forever.