William Shakespeare was born on April 26, 1564, in Stratford-upon-Avon, England. He was the third of eight children born to John Shakespeare, a well-respected glove-maker and trader in the town, and Mary Arden, the daughter of a wealthy landowner. Shakespeare lived in Stratford-upon-Avon for most of his life and went to the local grammar school, where he received a basic education.
Despite the lack of formal education, Shakespeare's upbringing was rich in culture, and he was exposed to many different forms of literature, music, and theater. At the age of 18, he married Anne Hathaway, a woman eight years his senior, and they had three children together.