An engaging, beautifully presented 15-page introduction to the life and world of William Shakespeare, designed for Key Stage 3 students.

This illustrated resource explores Shakespeare beyond his plays, introducing students to the fascinating, often surprising realities of life in Elizabethan and Jacobean England. Combining historical context, biographical detail and interesting lesser-known facts, it encourages students to see Shakespeare not only as a famous playwright, but as an individual shaped by the society in which he lived.

Topics covered include:

Shakespeare’s birth and childhood in Stratford-upon-Avon

Everyday life in Tudor England, including education, literacy, poverty and plague

Shakespeare’s grammar school education and classical influences

His marriage to Anne Hathaway and family life

The mysterious ‘lost years’ (1585–1592)

Elizabethan London’s thriving theatrical culture

The Globe Theatre and the experience of attending a performance

Shakespeare’s plays, dramatic genres and theatrical innovations

His death, the First Folio and his enduring literary legacy

The resource also explores intriguing historical details, from the cost of attending an Elizabethan play to the destruction of the original Globe Theatre and the mystery surrounding Shakespeare’s surviving signatures.

Ideal for: Introducing Shakespeare at KS3, establishing historical and cultural context before studying a play, or supporting wider learning about Tudor and Stuart England.

Written by a postgraduate student specialising in Shakespeare Studies at the Shakespeare Institute, University of Birmingham, the resource aims to make Shakespeare’s world accessible, engaging and historically informative.

Includes a selection of useful websites for further exploration and independent research.