William Shakespeare: The Prose and the Playwright

Question: How many plays did William Shakespeare write?

Answer: William Shakespeare wrote 37 plays that were produced in his lifetime, as well as 154 sonnets, and two long narrative poems.

Question: The only dog to have a name in William Shakespeare’s plays is named:

Answer: A dog named Crab appears in Shakespeare’s play Two Gentlemen of Verona. Other dogs appear in other plays, but they are not named.

Question: In what country does William Shakespeare’s Two Gentlemen of Verona take place?

Answer: Verona is a city in northern Italy. William Shakespeare may have visited there, but this is not proven. Still, he set many of his plays in Italy.

Question: When did William Shakespeare die?

Answer: On April 23, 1616, Shakespeare died at the age of 52. This date is according to the Old Style, or Julian, calendar of his time. The New Style, or Gregorian, calendar date is May 3, 1616.

Question: Who was the British monarch during most of William Shakespeare’s life?

Answer: Elizabeth I was the queen of England during much of William Shakespeare’s life.

Question: How many avian species are mentioned in Shakespeare’s works?

Answer: Shakespeare refers to more than 600 kinds of birds throughout his work.

Question: Where is William Shakespeare buried?

Answer: William Shakespeare is buried in the chancel of the Church of the Holy Trinity in Stratford, the town in which he was born.