Timon of Athens, 1609. No early mention made of this play.
Titus Andronicus, 1593. Printed 1600.
Twelfth Night. Acted in the Middle Temple Hall, 1602.
Two Gentlemen of Verona, 1595. Mentioned by Meres 1598.
Winter’s Tale, 1604. Acted at Whitehall, 1611.
First complete collection in folio; 1623, Isaac Jaggard and Ed. Blount; 1632, 1664, 1685. The second folio is of very little value.
Shakespeare’s Parents. His father was John Shakespeare, a glover, who married Mary Arden, daughter of Robert Arden, Esq., of Bomich, a good country gentleman.
Shakespeare’s Wife, Anne Hathaway, of Shottery, some eight years older than himself; daughter of a substantial yeoman.
Shakespeare’s Children. One son, Hamnet, who died in his twelfth year (1585-1596). Two daughters, who survived him, Susanna and Judith, twin-born with Hamnet. Both his daughters married and had children, but the lines died out.
Voltaire says of Shakespeare: “Rimer had very good reason to say that Shakespeare n’etait q’un vilain singe.” Voltaire, in 1765, said, “Shakespeare is a savage with some imagination, whose plays can please only in London and Canada.” In 1735 he wrote to M. de Cideville, “Shakespeare is the Corneille of London, but everywhere else he is a great fool (grand fou d’ailleur).”