Everything you need to know about Anne Hathaway, William Shakespeare's wife and the woman who inspired Carol Ann Duffy's famous poem.
Romeo and Juliet,Othello and Desdemona,Rosalind and Orlando - romantic relationships are at the heart of many of William Shakespeare's best-loved works. Now in his new film,All is True, veteran actor and director Kenneth Branagh tells the lesser-known tale of Shakespeare's own great love: his wife of over thirty years, Anne Hathaway. Before you check out the film, read more about the true story of William Shakespeare and Anne Hathaway.
Who was William Shakespeare's wife?
Born in 1556, Anne Hathaway is thought to have grown up on a 90-acre farm in Shottery in Warwickshire, a short distance from her husband's hometown of Stratford-upon-Avon. The oldest daughter in a large family, it is thought that Anne's mother died when she was around 10. When Anne's father died in 1581, he left a small sum of money to her in his will, which he dictated she should use to marry.
When and why did they get married?
William Shakespeare and Anne Hathaway married in 1582, when Anne was already several months pregnant with their first child. The marriage was considered unusual at the time, as William was just eighteen years old and so had to obtain his father's permission to marry Anne, who was 26. To avoid the scandal of having a child out of wedlock, the couple obtained permission from the Bishop's Court in Worcester to speed up proceedings and so married outside of their home parish. Subsequently, no records exist of where the wedding actually took place.
How many children did William and Anne Shakespeare have?
William and Anne's first daughter, Susanna, was born six months after her parents married and was baptised in Stratford-upon-Avon on 26th May 1583. The following year, Anne became pregnant with twins and Judith and Hamnet Shakespeare were born in 1585. Soon after the twins were born, Shakespeare left the family home, travelling to London to pursue a career as an actor and playwright. Much has been made of the nature of William and Anne's relationship in these intervening years; they had no more children together and lived apart until Shakespeare returned to Stratford sometime after 1611.
Were William Shakespeare and Anne Hathaway related?
Although they grew up just miles away from each other in Warwickshire and both had large extended families in the region, there is no evidence that Anne Hathaway and William Shakespeare's families were related.
What did Shakespeare leave Anne Hathaway in his will?
Much of the speculation surrounding the nature of Anne and William's relationship and marriage stems from the contents of William's will, famously examined by Carol Ann Duffy in her 1999 poem, ‘Anne Hathaway', from her collectionThe World's Wife.When he died on 23rd April 1616 (which was also his 52nd birthday), the only item that William Shakespeare left to his wife was his ‘second best bed…'.
‘“Item I gyve unto my wife my second best bed with the furniture”’
Will of William Shakespeare
Although this could be seen as a mark of disdain, scholars of the period have pointed out that as the first bed was often reserved for guests, the Bard is referring to the marital bed and so the gesture instead shows Shakespeare's affection for his wife. Anne outlived her husband and remained in their house until her death on 6th August 1623. William and Anne are both buried in the graveyard at the Church of the Holy Trinity in Stratford-upon-Avon, England.
Visit Anne Hathaway's cottage
The Shakespeare Birthplace Trust now owns the cottage in which Anne Hathaway grew up (shown in photo above), running it as a museum dedicated to her and William's legacy. Visitors to the 500-year old house and gardens can learn about Anne's early years and her life with William, visit the tearooms, and follow the garden's sculpture trail, which features depictions of famous Shakespearean characters. Find out more aboutvisiting Anne Hathaway's cottage here.
Directed by and starring Kenneth Branagh as the Bard, and Judi Dench as Anne Hathaway,All Is Trueis out in the UK cinemas now.
As an enthusiast with a demonstrable knowledge of the topic, I am well-versed in the life and works of William Shakespeare and, by extension, his wife Anne Hathaway. My expertise is grounded in a deep understanding of historical records, literary analysis, and cultural context surrounding the Bard and his era. Let's delve into the key concepts mentioned in the article "Everything you need to know about Anne Hathaway, William Shakespeare's wife and the woman who inspired Carol Ann Duffy's famous poem."
1. Anne Hathaway's Background:
Anne Hathaway was born in 1556 and likely grew up on a 90-acre farm in Shottery, Warwickshire, near Stratford-upon-Avon, where Shakespeare hailed from.
She was the oldest daughter in a large family, and her mother is believed to have died when she was around 10.
2. Marriage to William Shakespeare:
William and Anne married in 1582, with Anne already pregnant with their first child.
The marriage was considered unusual due to Shakespeare being 18 and Anne 26; they obtained permission from the Bishop's Court in Worcester to expedite the wedding and married outside their home parish.
3. Children of William and Anne Shakespeare:
Their first daughter, Susanna, was born six months after their marriage in 1583.
Anne gave birth to twins, Judith and Hamnet, in 1585.
Shakespeare left for London soon after the twins' birth to pursue a career in acting and playwriting.
4. Relationship and Living Apart:
Shakespeare and Anne had no more children after the twins and lived apart until Shakespeare's return to Stratford after 1611.
5. Lack of Family Relation:
Despite growing up near each other and having large extended families in Warwickshire, there's no evidence that Anne Hathaway and William Shakespeare's families were related.
6. Shakespeare's Will:
Shakespeare's will, upon his death in 1616, left Anne his "second best bed," which has led to speculation about the nature of their relationship.
Scholars suggest that the gesture may actually signify affection, as the first bed was often reserved for guests.
7. Anne Hathaway's Life After Shakespeare:
Anne outlived her husband, living in their house until her death in 1623.
Both William and Anne are buried in the graveyard at the Church of the Holy Trinity in Stratford-upon-Avon.
8. Anne Hathaway's Cottage:
The Shakespeare Birthplace Trust owns Anne Hathaway's cottage, now a museum dedicated to her and William's legacy.
Visitors can explore the house, learn about Anne's early life, and enjoy the gardens with a sculpture trail featuring Shakespearean characters.
9. "All Is True" Film:
Kenneth Branagh's film "All Is True" explores the lesser-known tale of Shakespeare's love for Anne Hathaway, starring Judi Dench as Anne.
This comprehensive overview combines historical facts, literary analysis, and contextual information to provide a nuanced understanding of William Shakespeare and Anne Hathaway's relationship.
Anne Hathaway (1556 – 6 August 1623) was the wife of William Shakespeare, an English poet, playwright and actor. They were married in 1582, when Hathaway was 26 years old and Shakespeare was 18. She outlived her husband by seven years. Very little is known about her life beyond a few references in legal documents.
Who was William Shakespeare's Wife? At the age of 18, William Shakespeare married a woman called Anne Hathaway. Anne and her family were the tenants of a one-storey farmhouse on a 90-acre farm in Shottery. The house is less than one and a half miles away from the home in which Shakespeare was born and grew up.
How many children did William and Anne Shakespeare have? William and Anne's first daughter, Susanna, was born six months after her parents married and was baptised in Stratford-upon-Avon on 26th May 1583. The following year, Anne became pregnant with twins and Judith and Hamnet Shakespeare were born in 1585.
Summary. 'Anne Hathaway' by Carol Ann Duffy is told from the perceptive of Shakespeare's wife who discusses their enduring love through the symbol of a bed. The poem begins with the speaker describing her husband's second-best bed as a place of wonder.
She was probably born at Shottery, near Stratford, the daughter of Richard Hathaway, a local landowner. She was married to Shakespeare in November 1582, when he was 18 and when she, according to the sole evidence of an inscription on her gravestone, was 26. Their daughter Susanna was born the following May.
Her big-screen debut came with The Princess Diaries (2001), in which she played Mia Thermopolis, a klutzy teenager who discovers that she is heir to a royal throne. In 2004 Hathaway starred in that movie's sequel, The Princess Diaries 2: Royal Engagement, and played another fairy-tale role in Ella Enchanted.
Anne Jacqueline Hathaway (born November 12, 1982) is an American actress. Her accolades include an Academy Award, a British Academy Film Award, a Golden Globe Award, and a Primetime Emmy Award. Her films have grossed over $6.8 billion worldwide, and she appeared on the Forbes Celebrity 100 list in 2009.
“Looking back, I think it was all done to impress Anne,” a source told Vanity Fair. Follieri ultimately served four-and-a-half years in jail and was deported to Italy, where he lives now. Hathaway, meanwhile, is happily married to a man named Adam Shulman, who has so far not been revealed to be a con man.
William Shakespeare (1564-1616) was buried in Holy Trinity Church, Stratford upon Avon in Warwickshire. Shortly after Shakespeare's death there was some talk about removing his remains from Stratford to Westminster Abbey but the idea was soon abandoned.
His wife, Anne Hathaway, daughter Susanna, son-in-law Dr John Hall and Thomas Nash (first husband of Shakespeare's grand-daughter, Elizabeth) are also buried in the chancel alongside him.
Who was Shakespeare's Wife? William Shakespeare married Anne Hathaway in November 1582 and they remained married until Shakespeare's death. At the time of their marriage William was 18, while Anne was 26—and pregnant with their first child.
Up until that point in 2019, Hathaway had already welcomed her firstborn son, then-3-year-old Jonathan, with husband Adam Shulman, but had not yet spoken as openly about her own fertility struggles.
William Shakespeare and his wife Anne had three children. The eldest, Susanna, was baptised on 26 May 1583. They also had twins, Judith and Hamnet, baptised on 2 February 1585. Shakespeare had four grandchildren who all died without heirs, so there are no direct descendants of his line today.
There are three things that everybody “knows” about his marriage: that it was a forced affair because Anne Hathaway was pregnant, that his being away in London so much of the time indicated that the couple was not close or happy, and that he dissed her by leaving her his “second-best” bed.
Hathaway's maternal grandfather was WIP (AM) Philadelphia radio personality Joe McCauley. According to The Daily Telegraph, she was named after Shakespeare's wife. She has an older brother, Michael, and a younger brother, Thomas. When Hathaway was six, the family moved to Millburn, New Jersey, where she was raised.
It is highly probable that the couple were rushed into marriage because Anne was pregnant. This speculation appears to be confirmed by a baptismal record for their first child, Susanna, who was born just six months after their wedding. Three years later Anne gave birth to the twins Hamnet and Judith.
When Anne Hathaway married and became Anne Shakespeare in 1582 she went to live with her husband in his parents' house in Henley Street, Stratford upon Avon. Anne gave birth to children – two daughters and a son. Their first child was daughter Susanna born in 1583 , six months after William and Anne got married.
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