Are there any existing copies of Shakespeare's work in his own handwriting?
Although Shakespeare's signature appears on several legal documents, we have no copies of any plays (in the accepted canon) in his own handwriting. Some handwriting experts claim that three pages of the original manuscript of the play Sir Thomas More (1593) are in Shakespeare's own handwriting. The whole play is in five different hands, and "hand D" is said to be Shakespeare's. This theory, however, is not universally accepted.

Did Shakespeare have a happy childhood?
Shakespeare appears to have had a typical childhood growing up in Stratford. Although his early years were marred by family tragedies, he seems to have been well adjusted. For more on his childhood, please see my biography section.

When were the "lost years" in Shakespeare's life?
We know very little about Shakespeare's life during two major spans of time, commonly referred to as the "lost years": 1578-82 and 1585-92. The first period covers the time after Shakespeare left grammar school, until his marriage to Anne Hathaway in November of 1582. The second period covers the seven years of Shakespeare's life in which he must have been perfecting his dramatic skills and collecting sources for the plots of his plays.

Which play did Shakespeare write first?
Shakespeare probably began to write for the stage in the late 1580s, and, as far as we can tell, he started with the Henry VI trilogy. For more information about Shakespeare's play chronology, and an answer to why we cannot tell exactly which play he wrote first, please visit my play chronology section.

What can you tell me about Shakespeare's writing style?
Shakespeare used a metrical pattern consisting of lines of unrhymed iambic pentameter, called blank verse. His plays were composed using blank verse, although there are passages in all the plays that deviate from the norm and are composed of other forms of poetry and/or simple prose. The sonnets were written in iambic pentameter. Shakespeare's style of writing and metre choice were typical of the day, and other writings of the time influenced how he structured his compositions.

Can you tell me about Shakespeare's coat-of-arms?
John Shakespeare, William's father, tried more than once to obtain a coat-of-arms. His first attempt was unsuccessful; however, near the very end of John Shakespeare's life, he once again applied to the College of Heralds for a coat-of-arms, and, likely due to the success of William in London, this time his wish was granted. So, on October 20, 1596, by permission of the Garter King of Arms (the Queen's aid in such matters) "the said John Shakespeare,Gentlemen, and...his children, issue & posterity" were lawfully entitled to display the gold coat-of-arms, with a black banner bearing a silver spear (a visual representation of the family name "Shakespeare"). The coat-of-arms could then be displayed on their door and all their personal items. Their motto was "Non sanz droict" or "Not without right". The reason cited for granting the coat-of-arms was John's grandfather's faithful service to Henry VII, but no specifics were given as to what service he actually performed. The coat-of-arms appears on Shakespeare's tomb in Stratford.

What was Shakespeare's religion?
Since we do not know much about the personal life of William Shakespeare, we cannot say for sure what religion he practiced in private. We do know that he was born under the rule of Elizabeth I, who was Protestant and outlawed Catholicism. Thus, Shakespeare's public faith would have been Protestant. Shakespeare's parents, however, were very likely covert Catholics and Shakespeare's father, John, was close friends with William Catesby, the father of the head conspirator in the gunpowder plot to blow the Protestant monarchy to smithereens.

Was Shakespeare homosexual?
The only indication we have that Shakespeare might have been gay comes from the sonnets. In the early sonnets, Shakespeare writes about his great love, who happens to be a young man. While many people assume this to mean that he had a male lover and thus was either gay or bisexual, there are others who still believe that his male friend was not his lover but someone who was simply very close to him emotionally. We will never know for certain because we have such little information about Shakespeare's personal life. To find out more information on the subject, read the analysis of sonnets 1, 2, 18, 44, 104, and 144 in my 'Sonnets' section.

Was Shakespeare a feminist?
While Shakespeare had a deep sensitivity toward women, we cannot say that he was a feminist as we define the term. Shakespeare, despite his brilliance, was very much a product of his time, and accepted societal norms and values. Take, for example, his treatment of Shylock. Here we see that, although Shakespeare makes 'the Jew' a more developed character than Jewish characters we find in other literature of the day, he deviates little from the standard stereotypes in Tudor England. The same can be said for his treatment of women in his plays. It is true that many of his female characters could be classified as 'heroines', equal to men in intelligence and wit (as is Beatrice in Much Ado About Nothing). But, look at other characters Shakespeare created, like Katerina, for example (in The Taming of the Shrew), who reinforce stereotypes of women as childlike and animal-like, in need of a man to tame them or guide them to salvation. The sonnets too show that Shakespeare cannot be called a feminist. Examine the sonnets where he discusses the 'dark lady' and you will see what I mean.

What things inspired Shakespeare?
From great classical authors like Ovid and Seneca, to English historians like Holinshed, Shakespeare's greatest influences were the works of other great writers. He also found nature an inspiration (for example, no other playwright mentions birds more than Shakespeare!).

When did Shakespeare retire from the theatre?
Shakespeare's last appearance on the stage was in late 1603.

In 1603, what did Shakespeare's theatre company become known as?
In 1603, James I took the throne of England, and so, Shakespeare's company became known as the King's Men.

Was Shakespeare really the one who wrote all those plays and sonnets or was it really a member of Queen Elizabeth's court?
As you probably know, a debate currently rages over whether Shakespeare was really Shakespeare. Some think he might have been Sir Francis Bacon, and others believe he was the Earl of Oxford. No concrete proof has ever been given to show that Shakespeare was anyone but himself, and I personally think that the authorship debate is pointless. So, until conclusive proof comes our way, we can safely say that, yes, Shakespeare wrote the plays and the sonnets. For more information, please see my About.com articles: Who Was the Real Shakespeare? and Was Shakespeare Italian?.

Who are five other people that were thought to have written the plays of Shakespeare?
Many people have been named in the search to find the 'true' author of Shakespeare's plays, including Francis Bacon, the Earl of Essex, Christopher Marlowe, the Earl of Derby, the Earl of Rutland, the Earl of Oxford, and even Queen Elizabeth herself! The majority of people who still believe that Shakespeare's works were not his own credit the Earl of Oxford, although supporters of Bacon are plenty. Despite the authorship debates, there is no real reason whatsoever to assume that Shakespeare did not write his own works.

What was the primary source Shakespeare used when writing his history plays?
The primary text that Shakespeare used in constructing his history plays was Holinshed's Chronicles of England, Scotland, and Ireland.

Who is "the Bard" and what does it mean?
The word "bard" actually means "poet", but for centuries people have used it primarily as a nickname for William Shakespeare. So, whenever you hear someone say 'the Bard', or the 'Bard of Avon' (Stratford-upon-Avon being his home town) they are referring to Shakespeare.

I heard somewhere that "Shakespeare" was originally a nickname? Is this true?
In 1875, Mr. Charles W. Bardsley proposed that the name Shakespeare belonged to a class of nicknames in Renaissance England. He claimed that: "the nicknames given to lower-class officials some centuries ago were invariably hits at the officious and meddlesome character of their duties. Such names generally referred to the implement or badge of office, with the additional wag or shake . Thus we find Shake-buckler, shake-lock (as the designation of a turnkey), Waggestaff, Wag-tail, Wagspere; and the still existing Waghorn, Simon Shake-lock, Henry Shake-launce, and Hugh Shakeshaft occur in ancient records. In the year 1487 a student at Oxford of the name of Shakespeare changed it into Sawndare (Saunders) because he considered his name too common (Hugh Sawndare, alias dictus Shakespeare, sed mutatum est istud nomen ejus, quod vile reputatum). (William Rolfe, A Life of William Shakespeare, Boston: Estes & CO., 1904 (19)). For more information about the name 'Shakespeare' be sure to read The Spelling and Pronunciation of Shakespeare's Name by Dave Kathman.

Where was Shakespeare buried and how old was he when he died?

He was buried in the chancel of Holy Trinity Church in Stratford, at the age of 52, on April 23, 1616.

What is written on Shakespeare's tombstone?
On Shakespeare's tomb is the message:

Good friend for Jesus sake forbeare,
To dig the dust enclosed here.
Blessed be the man that spares these stones,
And cursed be he that moves my bones.