Exploring the Early Life of William Shakespeare

Summary

This video script explores the origins of William Shakespeare, delving into his family's background and the historical context of 16th century Warwickshire. It follows a journey through places like Salford Hall and Middleton Tithe Barn, revealing how the Reformation and agricultural life shaped Shakespeare's early years. Experts provide insights into his parents' marriage, the significance of the Forest of Arden, and the impact of religious upheaval on his work. The script offers a deep dive into the history that influenced the Bard's life and literature.

Takeaways

• 🏠 The script begins with a personal connection to the area known as the home of William Shakespeare, where the narrator was also born and raised, and has a deep interest in Shakespeare's origins.
• 🎭 The journey to understand Shakespeare's background starts at Salford Hall, which dates back to the 1470s and might have been visited by Shakespeare, serving as a base for the exploration.
• 📚 The Stratford room is equipped with maps, books, and plays to piece together the story of Shakespeare's early years, indicating the importance of literature and geography in understanding his life.
• 🌳 The significance of the Forest of Arden is highlighted, as it is tied to Shakespeare's family history and is referenced in his plays, showing the influence of his upbringing on his work.
• 🏡 The script discusses the family backgrounds of Shakespeare's parents, John Shakespeare and Mary Arden, who both came from farming families in the area, emphasizing the agricultural roots of his family.
• 🛍️ The role of the tithe system and its transformation due to the Reformation is explored, with Shakespeare himself investing in the Stratford tithes, revealing his business acumen and connection to the local economy.
• 🏛️ The Middleton tithe Barn is introduced as an example of a medieval building that would have been familiar to Shakespeare's family, illustrating the historical context of his life.
• 🏘️ Snitterfield, the village where Shakespeare's father grew up, is visited to understand the early life of John Shakespeare and how his marriage to Mary Arden represented a social climb.
• 🏫 The importance of education in Shakespeare's life is mentioned, as he attended the local King Edward VI School, which would have been a significant factor in his development as a playwright.
• ⛪️ The impact of the Reformation on the religious landscape of England and its potential influence on Shakespeare's worldview and writing is discussed, particularly in relation to the dissolution of the monasteries.
• 🎨 The script hints at further exploration of Shakespeare's life, including visits to Catholic houses and uncovering of historic wall paintings, suggesting a multifaceted approach to understanding his historical context.

Q & A

What is the significance of Warwickshire in relation to William Shakespeare?

Warwickshire is significant as it is the birthplace of William Shakespeare and the setting where he spent his formative years. It is also the location of many places and historical events that influenced his life and works.

What was Salford Hall and its relevance to Shakespeare?

Salford Hall was built in the 1470s as a guest house for the monks of Evesham Abbey. It is suggested that Shakespeare may have visited the place, and it served as a base for the exploration of Shakespeare's origins in the documentary.

What is the importance of the Forest of Arden to Shakespeare's family?

The Forest of Arden was central to Shakespeare's family history. His mother, Mary Arden, was named after the forest, and the family had lived in the surrounding villages for generations, with ties to the area dating back to the Doomsday Book.

What was the role of Middleton Tithe Barn in the medieval period and its connection to Shakespeare's world?

Middleton Tithe Barn was used to store the annual tithes, or one-tenth of the produce, from the surrounding lands to support the upkeep of Evesham Abbey. This system was part of the landscape that Shakespeare was familiar with, and he later invested in the Stratford tithes.

How did the Reformation impact the tithes and the life of Shakespeare's family?

The Reformation led to the confiscation of church wealth and assets, including tithes. These were often redistributed to civic authorities or private individuals, changing the way tithes were managed and collected. Shakespeare himself invested in the Stratford tithes, which had become a private enterprise.

What was the profession of Shakespeare's father, John Shakespeare, and how did it reflect his social status?

John Shakespeare was a glover by trade, dealing in white leather, and also involved in the wool trade. His profession and the fact that he owned a house on Henley Street indicated his rise in social status from an agricultural laborer to a respected townsman.

What can be inferred about Mary Arden's background and her marriage to John Shakespeare?

Mary Arden came from a farming family that owned land and was of a lower status than a yeoman but higher than a laborer. Her marriage to John Shakespeare, a glover and the second son in his family, might have been seen as a move upward in social status for her.

What was the impact of the Reformation on the religious landscape of England during Shakespeare's time?

The Reformation resulted in the dissolution of monasteries and the confiscation of church wealth and assets. This led to a radical transformation in the religious landscape, with the church's influence on daily life and the distribution of resources being significantly reduced.

What is the significance of the bed in the downstairs room of Shakespeare's birthplace?

The bed in the downstairs room was a symbol of social wealth and status. It was meant to be seen by passersby as a sign of the family's prosperity, and it also played a significant role in Shakespeare's plays, often used as a theatrical device.

What was the educational background of William Shakespeare and its importance?

William Shakespeare attended the local King Edward VI School for Boys, a grammar school in Stratford-upon-Avon. His education was important as it provided him with a strong foundation in language and literature, which was crucial for his later success as a playwright.

What was the role of wool trade in the economy of Warwickshire during Shakespeare's time?

The wool trade was the most significant industry in Warwickshire and the whole country during Shakespeare's time. It was extremely lucrative, providing a source of income for many, including Shakespeare's father who dealt in wool, which contributed to his family's social rise.

Outlines

00:00

🎭 Journey Through Shakespeare's Roots

The script begins with a personal connection to the region known for William Shakespeare's birthplace. The narrator reminisces about performing at the RSC and visiting places with historical ties to Shakespeare. A quest to uncover the origins of Shakespeare and his family is introduced, with a focus on the documentary format that includes top historians. The base for this exploration is Salford Hall, an old guesthouse with potential connections to Shakespeare's time. The Stratford room, filled with maps, books, and plays, sets the stage for unraveling the story of Shakespeare's early life.

05:01

🏰 Uncovering the Historical Landscape of Shakespeare's England

This section delves into the historical and geographical context of Shakespeare's upbringing. The speaker discusses the significance of the area between Stratford and other medieval centers, highlighting the importance of the Arden Forest to Shakespeare's family history. The mention of Mary Arden's connection to the forest and the family's deep roots in the region are emphasized. The script also explores the impact of the Reformation on the local economy, particularly the tithe system, and how it was adapted by Shakespeare himself in his investments. The Middleton tithe Barn serves as a tangible link to the past, illustrating the medieval practice of tithing and its transformation over time.

10:03

🌾 Exploring the Agricultural Origins of Shakespeare's Family

The focus shifts to Shakespeare's parents, John Shakespeare and Mary Arden, and their backgrounds in farming families. The narrative explores the social and economic status of the Arden and Shakespeare families, including the land ownership and tenancy practices of the time. It discusses how John Shakespeare, being the second son, needed to find a trade and how Mary Arden's marriage into the Shakespeare family could have been seen as a social advancement. The section also describes the architecture of the period, providing insight into the living conditions of the era, and ends with a look at the surviving buildings from the 16th century in Snitterfield.

15:03

🛕 The Reformation's Impact on Shakespeare's World

This part of the script discusses the profound changes brought about by the Reformation and its effects on the landscape and the lives of Shakespeare's family. It describes the transformation of the religious and social structures, including the dissolution of the monasteries and the redistribution of their wealth and assets. The script mentions the shift from the church's role in food distribution to private enterprise and how Shakespeare himself became involved in the Stratford tithes, reflecting his business acumen and knowledge of farming practices.

20:05

🏡 Discovering the Birthplace and Early Life of William Shakespeare

The script takes us to the house where William Shakespeare was born, providing a detailed look at the living conditions and social aspirations of his family. It describes the significance of the house as a symbol of John Shakespeare's rise in social status and the importance of education for young William, who attended the local grammar school. The section also explores the role of the wool trade in the region and its impact on the family's fortunes, suggesting that John Shakespeare's involvement in the trade may have contributed to the family's financial stability.

25:07

🎨 The Artistic and Cultural Influences on Shakespeare's Early Years

This section delves into the artistic and cultural environment that may have influenced Shakespeare's early years. It discusses the significance of the Glover's Workshop, where John Shakespeare worked, and its potential impact on the young Shakespeare's understanding of language and drama. The script also touches on the religious turmoil of the 16th century and its effects on Shakespeare's family, schooling, and writing. The exploration of the attic room as a potential birthplace and the international significance of the site as a memorial to Shakespeare are highlighted.

30:08

📺 Invitation to Further Exploration of Shakespeare's Stratford

The final part of the script serves as an invitation to viewers to join the exploration of Shakespeare's Stratford in part two of the series. It teases the discovery of long-lost wall paintings and an unexpected surprise found in the attics of Salford Hall. The call to action encourages viewers to subscribe to the History Hit YouTube channel for more content and to visit historyhit.tv for a dedicated history experience.

Keywords

💡William Shakespeare

William Shakespeare is a pivotal figure in the video, renowned as the world's greatest playwright and poet of the English language. His works have had a profound impact on literature and the performing arts. The video script discusses his origins, family background, and the environment that shaped his genius, such as his connection to the Forest of Arden and his upbringing in Stratford-upon-Avon.

💡Stratford-upon-Avon

Stratford-upon-Avon is the birthplace of William Shakespeare and serves as the geographical and historical backdrop for the video. It is depicted as a significant location that influenced Shakespeare's life and work, with references to the local grammar school he attended and the family home that has become a site of historical interest.

💡Forest of Arden

The Forest of Arden is a historical area in England that is deeply connected to Shakespeare's heritage. In the video, it is mentioned as a key element of his family's history, with his mother, Mary Arden, named after the forest. It is also referenced in Shakespeare's plays, symbolizing a place of refuge and freedom.

💡John Shakespeare

John Shakespeare, William's father, is a key character in the video as it explores the family's social and economic background. He is described as a glove-maker and a farmer, whose social aspirations and business acumen influenced his son's upbringing and possibly his understanding of social dynamics.

💡Mary Arden

Mary Arden, William's mother, is highlighted in the script as a member of the Arden family, which had ties to the Forest of Arden. Her marriage to John Shakespeare is depicted as a social advancement, moving from a rural farm to a townhouse in Stratford-upon-Avon.

💡Reformation

The Reformation is a significant historical event discussed in the video, which had profound effects on the religious and social landscape of England during Shakespeare's time. It involved the dissolution of monasteries and the redistribution of church wealth, impacting the economic and religious practices familiar to Shakespeare's family.

💡Tithe Barn

A tithe barn is a type of agricultural building historically used to store a tenth (tithe) of the produce as a tax to support the local church. In the video, the Middleton Tithe Barn is visited as an example of the agricultural practices and the role of the church in the community that would have been familiar to Shakespeare.

💡Evesham Abbey

Evesham Abbey represents the ecclesiastical power and influence before the Reformation. The video script describes it as a once-great monastic site that was dissolved and left in ruins, reflecting the religious upheavals of the 16th century that affected the social fabric of the time.

💡Catholicism

Catholicism is mentioned in the context of the video as a religious tradition that some families, like the Throckmortons, adhered to during the Tudor period. The video suggests that the religious tensions and affiliations of the era may have influenced Shakespeare's environment and possibly his work.

💡Grammar School

The grammar school that Shakespeare attended is referenced as a place where he would have received a classical education, learning Latin and the humanities. This education is considered crucial for his development as a playwright and his mastery of language.

💡Social Climbing

Social climbing is a theme in the video that describes the aspirations of Shakespeare's family, particularly his father, to improve their social and economic status. The video illustrates this through the move from a rural setting to a townhouse in Stratford-upon-Avon and the various trades John Shakespeare engaged in.

Highlights

The exploration of Shakespeare's origins and the influence of his family and upbringing on his work.

Salford Hall, a 15th-century guesthouse with potential connections to Shakespeare's life.

The significance of the Forest of Arden in Shakespeare's family history and his plays.

Shakespeare's parents, John and Mary, both came from farming backgrounds which influenced his work.

The role of the tithe system and its transformation during the Reformation, which Shakespeare later invested in.

Middleton tithe Barn as an example of medieval architecture and the agricultural practices of Shakespeare's time.

The impact of the Reformation on monastic sites like Evesham Abbey, which was connected to Shakespeare's ancestors.

Shakespeare's birthplace in Stratford-upon-Avon and the social climbing of his father, John Shakespeare.

John Shakespeare's glove-making workshop and its importance in the local economy.

The religious and social upheavals during the 16th century and their potential influence on Shakespeare's writings.

The importance of education in Shakespeare's life and his attendance at the local grammar school.

The discovery of long-lost wall paintings in the attics of Salford Hall.

The Throckmorton family's connection to the Gunpowder Plot and their influence on the region's history.

The preservation efforts of Shakespeare's birthplace by figures like Charles Dickens.

The historical significance of Stratford-upon-Avon as the backdrop to Shakespeare's life and work.

The video's promise of uncovering more secrets about Shakespeare's Stratford in part two.

Transcripts

foreign

[Music]

is known to the world as the home of

William Shakespeare but it's also where

I was born and bred and I have many fond

memories of this place I performed on

the stage at the RSC and I've even been

to school discos at the school where

Shakespeare once attended

and I've always been fascinated with

Shakespeare but I've never really known

where he's quite come from I've always

had a curiosity about his parents and

where they came from

I'm on a mission to get to the bottom of

it all and I brought down along to help

me piece the whole story together and

ReDiscover the people and places that

shaped this genius

[Music]

documentary is an ad-free podcasts with

top historians watch on your smart TV or

mobile device by downloading the history

hit app

our Quest begins at the place that's

going to be our base throughout this

Shakespearean Adventure Salford Hall

[Music]

so Dan welcome to Warwickshire and

welcome to Salford Hall this looks like

uh this looks pretty old which

Shakespeare I mean this this was here

with Shakespeare so I'm guessing well

yeah it was built in the 1470s um as a

guest house for the monks of Evesham

Abbey so yeah Shakespeare May well have

come here so there's a guest house back

then it's a guest house still it is it's

one of perhaps one of the oldest hotels

in the area you could say amazing

it's a perfect place for rhq a perfect

place

[Music]

here we go Dan here we are in the

Stratford room look at this

sick

well I've got some maps and I've got

some books and I've got a lot of plays

so hopefully we're going to work out

the story of Shakespeare's early years

Greatest Hits this is your you know this

area so well don't you yeah this is my

neck of the words I have to say I don't

know it's cool so here we go Stratford's

and we've come to here and we sort of

almost between these two great medieval

centers this is Shakespeare's country

this is Shakespeare's country so this is

Stratford Haven which obviously everyone

knows as Shakespeare's home yeah but

actually

um you know we've got Evesham down here

to the west southwest yeah we've got a

Warwick on this side to the East and

then it goes up towards Coventry in

Birmingham and that sort of thing and

Shakespeare of an intimately familiar

with this kind of landscape he came from

was it some somebody came for kind of

farming background this area yeah that's

true so if we look at this map yeah

um so you can see there's lemington's

spa and Warwick and Stratford and

Shakespeare was from the area in between

here so kind of towards Henley and Arden

and that's the center of the Arden

Forest which was key to his family so

key in fact that his mother was called

Mary Arden and it's it's these Villages

around Henley in Arden where there have

been shakespearees living there for

years and years and years all the way

back in fact to the Doomsday Book here's

a little family tree that I've managed

to work out

so this is this is the core of it really

here he is William Shakespeare the

playwright these are all his siblings

here he had there were eight of them and

his parents were John Shakespeare and

Mary Arden and these are the two kind of

forks that we're going to look at so

John Shakespeare and Richard Shakespeare

and John they go back and they are the

Shakespeare Clan and they're from

smitter fields and then there's Mary

Arden and Robert Arden who are the

family that are named after the Alden

forest and this was a this was a kind of

one of the one of the famous great

forests of England wasn't it yeah so the

forest Island was really important part

of Shakespeare's life he grew up there

and his family were from there for

generations and even you know he

mentions it in his plays so if you look

at as you like it there's sections here

they say he is already in the forest of

Arden and are many merry men with him

and there they live like the old Robin

Hood of England

great yeah that would have been I guess

really familiar to his audience because

they've known about this vast stretch of

Woodland in the middle of England

exactly and it's interesting that they

they talk about Forest of Arden it's

both a place where it's kind of Refuge

people can go there and you know hide

away especially where all these families

were catholic but also it can be a place

of freedom and actually Shakespeare

talks about that as well he says now my

cremates and brothers in Exile have not

old custom made this life more sweet

than that of painted pump are not these

Woods more free from Peril than the

envious cause correct much rather be

among the Oaks than the wrong the blokes

at court well advice when I was studying

Shakespeare's kid I was studying through

through English classes really so it was

all about the text and the drama but

what I was always quite interesting is

where this stuff's coming from so like

mentions of Arden what was Ireland like

so all I just want to find out more

about this area in the 16th century how

it shaped Shakespeare in his writing and

what was going on at that time well you

are in the perfect place to find out

about that just along the road in fact

that is one of the oldest tide barns in

the area and I'm going to send you there

to find out those answers brilliant that

would have been there when he was here

so that's good so what about you where

are you going okay so I'm gonna go to

smitterfield which was the family home

of John Shakespeare and Richard

Shakespeare so the grandfather and the

father to find out how Mary Arden and

young John Shakespeare met okay so

you're so we're doing The Life and Times

of Shakespeare you're doing the life

ending the times let's go let's go

with a plan of action we're parting ways

through the Warwickshire Countryside

Dan's first point of call is one of the

most remarkable medieval buildings in

the country Middleton tithe Barn the

shakespearees were so familiar with this

landscape of course it's changed

enormously over the last four to five

hundred years but if you know where to

look there are Clues to what it was like

and how it operated in their time

helping us with the first piece of the

puzzle is Joe Turney from The National

Trust

Hey Joe hello Dan how are you well very

well but all the better for seeing this

extraordinates a huge Barn it's

magnificent isn't it wow

I mean that's a gigantic structure what

when when does it take from well we

think it might be from the 13th or

perhaps slightly later in the 14th

century and it's connected with Evesham

Abbey that's right yeah it's a tithe

Barn which is a sort of a system whereby

annually uh tithe or attacks is

collected to support the upkeep of that

ecclesiastic institution so I guess the

priests spend all day praying for The

Souls of their parishioners you know

it's the least they can do is just give

them attempt to their Harvest you'd

think so you'd think so payment for

prayer all right let's go in have a look

foreign

just bring in a few bushels and stuff in

the corner oh how does it work well uh

it tends to be done on an annual basis

so the word tithe from the old English

for one tenth one-tenth of your produce

or your income most people in the

medieval period when this Barn is

constructed are of course working in

farms so they tend to give a tenth of

their crop now when you've got such a

wide rural Hinterland as we do here you

need a lot of space to store all of

those crops so probably around Harvest

Time This Barn possibly fall right to

the ceiling wow and the monks are able

to come and you know to sustain

themselves all through the winter and

all through well the rest of the year

just full of food in there absolutely

and it's possible that they also sold

off parts of it it's all about

generating income as well as supporting

themselves through just means of eating

the crops so this would have been a

feature of life in England right across

the country

right up until the Reformation in the

16th century just before Shakespeare's

life I guess absolutely yeah this was a

very common practice as I say it goes

back to the early medieval period so

something that Shakespeare would have um

been intimately familiar with and sort

of you know passed through generations

and generations of of History what

happens then when the Reformation goes

like we don't still do tithing today do

we no well tithing actually exists in

various forms and guides is right

through up until the 20th century

um but by Shakespeare's time 30 years

before he's born of course around about

that anyway we get the reformation and

the confiscation of all of that church

wealth and their assets and quite often

the crown will seize these assets and

redistribute them to Civic authorities

perhaps or sometimes private individuals

and so the tithes remain as they are at

this period and in Shakespeare's

lifetime but they go to fun slightly

different things and what's really

interesting is that we know about

Stratford times the corporation of

Stratford who granted the times that the

dissolution then start to lease them to

private individuals so it becomes a

private Enterprise

and what's really remarkable is that

Shakespeare himself in the early 17th

century actually ends up investing a

portion of his own wealth into the

Stratford times generating a source of

income still collecting ties but it's no

longer going to local Abbey it's just

going to the local tithe reception

pretty much and you can and individuals

can just buy shares of it pretty much in

the case of Stratford certainly

Shakespeare's world has been got turned

upside down by this and he actually he

actually ends up benefiting from it yeah

absolutely and uh you know it's probably

in part due to his intimate knowledge of

of farming practices throughout his

lifetime and of course his business

credentials throughout his lifetime that

um allow him to make these Investments

so even though we yeah we think of

Shakespeare's this kind of city boy

who's working on the Mean Streets of

London but he comes back here and gets

involved in the trade that he knows best

absolutely trade he was raised with yeah

so farming played an important role in

Shakespeare's world and later on he even

invested his profits from writing plays

in London back into the local Stratford

tithes Shakespeare's parents John

Shakespeare and Mary Arden were both

raised in farming families I'm Keen to

find out what kind of Life they LED in

their early years and how did they meet

I'm hoping I can find the answers in

snitterfield a village just three miles

outside Stratford this was where

Shakespeare's Father John Shakespeare

grew up to help me get to the bottom of

a tool I'm meeting Professor Carol

Rutter her Shakespearean expert from the

University of Warwick

so Carol I've been looking at

Shakespeare's family tree and I have to

confess it's been a bit of a Minefield

there are shakespearees everywhere there

are all sorts of different spellings

there seem to be ardents everywhere as

well please can you enlighten me as to a

bit of clarity in this matter well I

think what we can say is what we know is

that uh the the land over here that

we're looking out at was farmed by the

Shakespeare's uh by the father of John

Richard Shakespeare he had two sons the

Elder son was going to take the tenancy

of the farm leaving John to find his own

way in the world but the shakespearees

also were tenant farmers who rented

their Farmland from a man called Robert

Arden of wilmsgood who eventually had a

daughter named Mary who was going to

marry into the Shakespeare's bringing

these two families of John Shakespeare

Mary Arden together both of these farmer

families were farming families the

Arden's owned land he was described as a

Hundred Acre husbandman so that means

that he was of a lower status from a

yeoman who owned land and owned a small

estate but he was higher than a laborer

he was certainly not part of the

aristocracy but he did have a hundred

acres or thereabouts that he was going

to farm nobody in an age where

everything had to be done by hand could

Farm a hundred acres on their own so

what he did was he parceled out parts of

the farm to uh to tenants and the farm

over on this side on the snitcher field

side then became part of that tenancy

that was being farmed by Richard

Shakespeare and then after that his son

Henry can you tell me how you know Mary

Arden and John Shakespeare got together

was Mary Arden marrying down then not

necessarily at all on John's side of the

family because he was the second son he

needed to find a trade that he was going

to be able to work his way in the world

he's been apprenticed to a Glover on the

Arden side Mary Arden

was the youngest of Five Daughters born

to uh to Robert Arden who was the last

daughter living at home when her father

died her father her she she rode all the

way 30 miles to Worcester to prove her

father's will in 1556 uh we therefore

imagined that she might have been of age

so she was 21 years of age in 1556 and

probably a year later in 1557 married

John Shakespeare and it may have been a

real move upward for her to move off a

farm into town where she might have had

servants she moved from a house that was

just an Open Hearth open Hall

architecture into a townhouse that had

separate bedrooms not a sleeping

platform as she'd been used to out on

the farm so in terms of her family

stages being one of the extended Arden

and it was called The Forest of Arden of

course the name meant something in this

territory but in terms of her status she

might have been moving into a different

kind of category of family name even at

the same time that she was moving into a

different stages of town living as

against remote Farm living out there in

notionally the wilderness

sadly the house where John Shakespeare

was born no longer survives but there

are a few buildings still dotted around

the village which were standing in the

1530s

a stone's throw from the church is this

delightful Barn a glimpse into the

snitter field which local boy John

Shakespeare would have known it's

wonderful isn't it it's amazing that so

much

of 15th 16th century building has

survived now if you if you look beyond

the modern Edition so the bricks

wouldn't have been there in 1530 and

neither would the tile roof have been

there but if you actually look at the

structure the timber framing the Oak

Timber framing shows how early modern

buildings were literally pinned together

out of Oak so here you see pins that are

holding all of the structure together so

that a building was literally framed and

then put on site you know like like Lego

it also explains why in 1599 in London

the players could literally take apart

the theater and take it across the river

and rebuild it as the globe using all of

the Timber framing wow what a lovely

place to live you know in centralville

looking out over the Warwickshire fields

and indeed of course the road that we

have going past here that takes us right

back up to the church is the Kings Road

so he would have seen all of the world

pass hustle and bustle in front of his

house

having got to grips with the Shakespeare

family and their farming background it's

time for me to head back to our base at

Salford Hall and compare notes with Dan

so Dan what did you think well that was

great was it I mean I'm just a scale

that bomb was extraordinary it's a

reminder of just the centrality of land

and food and Gathering Harvest and and

the importance of course of the church

within that system most people's lives

was all about getting food in those

Barns and and surviving the winter yeah

I mean Shakespeare's parents Mary Arden

and John Shakespeare were farmers and

that was their lives so he'd have known

this world of of farming of food of of

rural life but what's really interesting

as well is I was of remind there

Shakespeare is being born into a world

that is just transformed there's a

Revolution going on in in religion the

church had dominated this landscape

spiritually but also practically

organizing how food is distributed and

things like that and and that's all

suddenly changed it's one of the great

discontinuities of English History and

so this world is it's people it is it is

and I'm going to go and send you there

are two amazing sites near here which

will Enlighten you about these kind of

issues that are going on Eve stream

Abbey or the remains well that's because

that was connected with a type I want to

go check it out see what's left of it

yeah so check that out and then also

you're going to go and have a look at

Cotton court which is one of the big it

was the home of one of the big families

at the time the Throckmorton family who

became a bit more famous with their

involvement in the Gunpowder Plot a bit

later on because this area was quite

famous Infamous for big old-fashioned

Catholic families that clone to the

Catholic region and and yeah a lot of

involvement a lot of adjacency to the

Gunpowder Plot absolutely so there's a

lot of upheaval around and actually

there's a big period of upheaval for the

Shakespeare family because John and Mary

newly married for some reason uproot and

move to stratford-upon-avon so they

leave this Rural Life Behind in slitter

fields and become townsfolks they do and

I'm going to go and have a look at what

it was like

Dan's heading to Evesham a pretty Marcus

town just across the border in

Worcestershire

in the medieval period and into Henry

VII's Reign Evesham was known as a great

ecclesiastical Center home to one of the

largest Abbeys in Europe

I've come now to what was once one of

the most vibrant and important monastic

sites in England now little remains of

it there's some Stones here on the

ground that lay out where the chapter

house once have stood

here at Evesham which was an Abbey that

Shakespeare was suddenly seen his

forebears would have been very familiar

with the community of monks would

gathers every day to listen to a lesson

of Saint Benedict being read out by the

Abbot they were Benedictine monks and

you know come through here from their

beautiful well-lit almost round chapter

house you can still see a very nice

Westminster Abbey in London which

managed to survive the Reformation

through this beautifully carved arch in

to The Cloisters and the reason there's

not much left now and the reason that

this would have been a ruin even by the

time young William Shakespeare was born

because of the was because of the

Reformation

in the race

1530s in fact here it was January 1540

Henry VII dissolved the monasteries he

sent his men as Commissioners out to 900

religious sites across England friaries

monasteries nanerees to take possession

of them to make sure that their income

became his income their land his land

and what began was one of the most

radical transformations in the last

thousand years of English History vast

full wealthy religious sites religious

centers like this one were

strips of their valuables their rules

were taken off the monks the nuns were

put on pensions and and let go and

slowly

the site became a quarry people land was

sold off local people came in to get

bits of cut stone to use for their

building projects all the houses and

evening will be made from a stone that

was originally probably here in this

Monastery and this Cloister here which

would have been one of the beautiful

enclosed squares grass in the middle

colonnaded walkways around each side an

architectural style inherited from the

great Roman Villas of 1500 years before

this was left to rack and ruin except

for the one bit that remains upstanding

which this Bell Tower this clock tower

here was pretty much the last thing to

be built here at the Abbey it was built

in the 1530s just before it got

dissolved and for some reason it's been

left some people say it's because the

locals rather liked having a clock

prominently displayed high above the

town but for whatever reason that now is

almost all that's left of this monastic

complex it gives you a little hint of

just how magnificent it must have been

[Music]

foreign

[Music]

Shakespeare would have no doubt been

shocked that much of the world which

shaped their childhood was literally

being reduced to a pile of rubble but

what did it mean for their children what

about the childhood of their son William

Shakespeare himself where was he born

and what shaped his early years luckily

there is a treasure Trove of information

in the heart of Stratford upon Avon I'm

meeting Dr Paul Edmondson at the very

house where William was born

welcome to Shakespeare's birthplace

garden thank you you're welcome it's

great to be here flowers mentioned in

the place look the show the Shakespeare

Rose oh wow yeah Shakespeare Rose helped

you support safe out my rose in it Thou

Art my all Sonic 108 Rosemary for

remembrance the marigold that goes to

bed with the sun and with him Rises

weeping

Shakespeare but very different in his

time more like a working backyard than

full of industry and livestock

well here we are at the birthday this is

where he was born let's go look inside

Alice welcome to Shakespeare's

birthplace I first came here when I was

14 and it rolled me over oh wow how

exciting

this is a room which John Shakespeare

Shakespeare's father would have been

especially proud of it shows social

climbing it shows his rise in social

status just come from up the road as an

agricultural laborer from slitter field

and he's making it in life he comes here

establishes himself on Henley Street by

1552. he's fine for having a muck Heap

outside the house and in 1557 he marries

Mary Arden from nearby wilmcote and so

they move in to this house and they

start to establish a family so why do

they move what's the big move what's the

big upheaval from the countryside

business and self-improvement and that's

the key phrase for anything we look at

on Shakespeare's life that rise are

always at Social rise the earning more

money the wanting to do well for

yourself and his father taught him how

to do that in this very house and this

bed which we see downstairs really odd

to have a bed downstairs but this was

part of the social rise this is what you

wanted as your best to bed your guest

room and you wanted people to see it as

they passed the house and there you are

looking at it and I'm thinking about

beds in Shakespeare's plays I'm thinking

about how the culmination of one of the

greatest tragedies ever written Othello

ends on a bed that tragic laiding of the

bed as he's murdered Desdemona strangled

her smothered her in the bed and he

himself dies upon a kiss on top of her

and and beds in measure for measure and

also other ends well when people are

tricked into sleeping with the wrong

people the so-called bed trick so not

only a sign of social wealth but a great

theatrical part of Shakespeare's own

imagination as he went on to make it

himself

[Music]

so what's this room we find ourselves in

here

this is the main family room the main

room of the day for the the midday meal

which was dinner which was a big dinner

kept you going throughout the rest of

the day because days started so early he

attended the local kid with the sixth

grammar school and he would have gone

there probably from six o'clock in the

morning in the summer seven o'clock in

the morning in Winter you've been ready

for a good dinner come midday and here

they all gathered the family so so

Shakespeare had five brothers and

sisters

um Anne and Richard and Gilbert and Joan

and then eventually Edmund and here of

course he would have come back and told

them what he'd been studying at school

during the day because education really

really mattered and if your father is

aspiring as John Shakespeare you want

your son to do well for himself so he

sends him to the local Grammar School

where Shakespeare learned that language

is power well I just like to think of

all the Shakespeare's sitting here all

of those little children John

Shakespeare just come back from you

making big decisions about Stratford

coming back with you know reporting back

on what you've been up his mouth full of

news as we're hearing as you like it

really

great well onwards

and this is the Glover's Workshop oh wow

so this is where it all happened well

John Shakespeare was a widower which

means he made white leather so he had

access to some of the towns tanneries

and he's bringing this back in plentiful

Supply the white leather up there for

example that sort of Witter did so he

moved into Stratford from

online and he

and he adds another as a widow and as a

glove okay sure and a Glover was a

popular trade in Stratford people wanted

gloves for working purposes so like

practical gloves for for falconry and

birding and and other uh Sports and

labor but then extremely fine gloves and

white leather was the most expensive of

course different kinds of animal skin

lots of different references to leather

in Shakespeare's plays so you know

genius grows often in Humble Origins Ben

Johnson Shakespeare's contemporary you

know playwright his father was a

bricklayer so John Shakespeare's father

made gloves he made white leather but he

also dealt in wool and a basket over

there very significantly and well he was

fined for illegal wool dealing but he

was making a lot of money from it and

when the floorboards of this room were

uplifted in the 19th century they found

traces of wool under the under the

floorboards they're doing having well

secretly hidden monster poses yeah not

wanting to be found so was Walt tell me

about the world trade in this area that

must be pretty important yes it was the

most significant industry of the whole

County and the whole country and why was

that well because it was extremely

lucrative people needed to make class

um you had to be buried in a Woolen

shroud so all of this is how things was

an industry

um and there was there was money to be

made there one traditional story about

Shakespeare's father is that he rises to

a certain pitch of success and then

loses everything

another version of that is he rises to a

pitch of success but the illegal wool

dealing keeps him going

even when he's not in the Town Council

anymore which is quite interesting and I

I think it has a ring of Truth for me

the family bedroom

seven seven people living in this house

members of the family by the time

Shakespeare is

16. gosh above this room is where the

apprentices slept oh really so this is

both the house Anna works yeah so this

has been a family bedroom and then

upstairs in the Attic is where you put

your practices

well this is the so-called birth room it

being the master bedroom and of course

the birthplace is

an international icon really and we're

interested aren't we in points of origin

so when our Victorian ancestors saved

this house from just going into private

ownership through public subscription

Charles Dickens among them yeah on the

fundraisers

um it was it was because they wanted a

National Memorial to Shakespeare and the

point of origin so for many years people

have been visiting this house really

from as early as the late 1660s I'd say

coming to Stratford in those days you

could be shown around by descendants of

Shakespeare's Sister who lived in the

house next door wow yeah so um you know

the great great nephews

the birthplace so they were showing

around their great uncle they were using

it's their great uncle's house and an

income stream thank you very much yeah

yeah but but that's that's what they did

so this is really the iconic route so

this is the this is the birthing room

it's called yeah so the birth room so

this is the room where William

Shakespeare was born by tradition this

is what we say wow here it is this is

where it all started

[Music]

Dan and I dig deeper into how the

religious turmoil of the 16th century

played a crucial part in William

Shakespeare's life how did it affect his

family his schooling and what about his

writing

we'll be heading to warwickshire's

Historic gems Dan will visit one of the

great Catholic houses of the Tudor age

and I'll be exploring some long-lost

wall paintings which have been covered

up for centuries

and I've even found an unexpected

surprise right here in the attics of

Salford Hall

join us in part two for more secrets

from Shakespeare's Stratford

[Music]

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