William Shakespeare was born in Stratford upon Avon in 1564. His father sold gloves and became an important
person in the town. William, one of eight children, was the eldest son and was probably educated at the local
grammar school. He married when he was only 18 and his wife, Anne Hathaway, was eight years older than him.
They had two girls and a boy (who died aged 11)
he became a leading member of the theatre troupe known as 'The Lord Chamberlain's Men'. The company
proved very popular and later, when King James I granted them the right to perform at his court, the troupe
became known as 'The King's Men'. Shakespeare wrote over 30 plays for 'The King's Men', making it the most
important theatre company in the country, and he often wrote parts for particular actors. He was very successful
and wealthy in his time
Macbeth is one of Shakespeare's best known plays. There are all sorts of reasons for this but perhaps the main
one is that the basic story still strikes a chord with modern audiences. It is a bloodthirsty tale of ambition, and the
evils we will go to in order to get what we want. We follow the central character, Macbeth, as he plots and kills in
order to become king. And as soon as he is crowned, we watch as his world falls apart around him