Everyone knows the name Shakespeare. The English playwriter, poet, and actor has gone down in history as one of the greatest writers in the English language and the world’s pre-eminent dramatist. Often called the national poet, his work spans from roughly 39 plays, 154 sonnets, to even long narrative poems.
Even to this day, William Shakespeare is one of the most influential writers ever. But even though the world is familiar with his name and legacy, as well as some of his most famous works like Romeo and Juliet, Hamlet, and Macbeth, there are some weird facts about Shakespeare you might not have known.
For the history and literature nerds who want to know more about this brilliant creator, dive into these top seven weird facts about Shakespeare.
7. Origin of Many Words and Phrases
William Shakespeare didn’t just give us beautiful stories and thought-provoking narratives, but also common phrases that all of us in our day-to-day lives. One of the many weird facts about Shakespeare is that he was so influential that many of us still use his terms to this day.
Some examples of the words that he created include “lackluster” from As You Like It, “in a pickle” from The Tempest, “wild goose chase” from Romeo and Juliet, and “fashionable” from Troilus and Cressida.
But’s it not just words and phrases, he’s also been credited with coming up with a few names such as Olivia, Miranda, Jessica, and Cordelia. So if you’re looking for literary-specific baby names, you might want to see which names Shakespeare came up with all those years ago.
6. Cursing His Grave
Because why not? Cursing your grave is a great way to keep people talking after you die. William Shakespeare was known to be dramatic anyway, plus he had quite an imagination for all the ways he killed people in his plays. So the thought of his placing a curse on his tombstone doesn’t seem farfetched.
His grave is located at the Church of the Holy Trinity in Stratford-Upon-Avon with the description saying “Good friend for Jesus sake forebear, to dig the dust enclosed here. Blessed be the man that spares these stones, and cursed be he that he moves my bones.” This is a great way to have a peaceful afterlife.
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5. Surviving Pandemics
We’re not the only ones living with the threat of pandemics over our heads. While it’s gone and passed, the fear of a quickly spreading disease has been ingrained in us since 2020. Strangely enough, Shakespeare has been through one himself as well and lived to tell the tale.
Elizabethan England wasn’t the safest place to live to begin with due to poor sanitation, rampant diseases, and food shortages. Several plagues fell upon England during Shakespeare’s life, and even his birth, with 200 people in his small town dying the year he was born.
But how did he cope with being stuck inside and avoiding containment? One of the many weird facts about Shakespeare is that he wrote King Lear, as well as a few narrative poems like Venus and Adonis while sheltering during surges of plagues.
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4. The Conspiracy Theory
Is it even a conspiracy theory? One of the many weird facts about Shakespeare is that many actually think Shakespeare is a fraud, and that he didn’t write all those pieces of literature. Some go as far as to say that he wasn’t even real. While this creates tension for many, others are bold enough to admit they have doubts.
The idea began in 1785 when James Wilmot coined the idea that Shakespeare did not write the plays as poetry, and was based on a classist argument.
Simply put, Wilmot was in the process of writing a comprehensive biography of Shakespeare and couldn’t find any record that Shakespeare ever read a book wrote a letter, or even left a paper trail. That being said, Shakespeare couldn’t have been the author, but instead was highly educated Francis Bacon. The theory grew in the 19th century and is still talked about.
Even so, professional Shakespeare scholars think the theory is just plain ridiculous, and frankly, classist.
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3. He Couldn’t Spell
It’s hard to believe that a literary genius such as William Shakespeare can’t spell, but it’s true. Several accounts have come to the conclusion that Shakespeare not only couldn’t spell, but he also spelled his name differently in almost every manuscript.
Granted, back in the day, they were taught Latin, but the spelling wasn’t that important. As long as you could understand Latin, that’s all that mattered. But still, the inconsistent spelling of Shakespeare’s name is something that is constantly talked about.
Unfortunately, though, that means we probably aren’t spelling his name correctly either. While “Shakespeare” is the most common, there are several other versions like “Willm Shakp”, “William Shaksper”, “Wm Shakspe”, and more.
2. His Disappearance in 1585
How many times have you read up about a historical figure and could find out exactly what they were doing their entire life? Unfortunately, for those wanting to dive into the entire history of Shakespeare, it’s likely impossible.
Between the years 1585, when his twins’ baptism was recorded, and 1592, when the playwright Robert Greene denounced him in a pamphlet as an “upstart crow”, Shakespeare disappeared. Historians haven’t been able to piece together where William Shakespeare was for those seven years.
But since he was newly married, some suspect that he worked as a schoolteacher, studied law, traveled around Europe, or joined an acting troupe that passed through Stratford. According to one account in the 17th century, he fled his hometown after poaching deer from a local politician’s estate, but that fact is unconfirmed.
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1. The King of Insults
At the number one spot for weird facts about Shakespeare, we have him being known for creating some ruthless and crazy insults. Throughout his many pieces of work, the dramatics can get really intense. And with it comes insults that would make readers gasp.
What’s interesting is that they’re similar to the insults we have today, just a bit more fancy. Some insults that still sting today include “Thou art as fat as butter” from Henry IV, part 1, “Thou art a boil, a plague sore, an embossed carbuncle in my corrupted blood” from King Lear, as well as “I desire that we be better strangers” from As You Like It. If you ever want to say the final word, memorize a few of Shakespeare’s insults.
