Stratford, Shakespeare–Part Two

William Shakespeare was not borne into wealth, but he married a woman Anne Hathaway, whose family had money, and a nice thatched-roof house on the edge of town, which they called a cottage in a quaint part of Stratford. Will on the other hand, was born in town, and baptized in Holy Trinity Church, where both he and Anne are buried as well. We know Shakespeare as a playwright, but he was known mainly in his early days as an actor on the stage in London. And as the recent movie Hamnet attests, he and Anne had a rough go, losing their son Hamnet at too early an age. She stayed in Stratford, even while Will had become famous and was mostly in London. As so often happens, family tragedy provides pathos and inspiration for writing, as it did for Will. It is no accident that the main character in one of his most famous plays is named Hamlet. Today of course there are statues erected to both Will and his characters in Stratford. Yes that’s guilt stricken Lady MacBeth shouting ‘out out damn spot– to the blood on her hands’ And of course the unforgettable Falstaff… Here is Holy Trinity Church where Shakespeare was baptized and buried. There is much more to this church than just the Shakespea...