The Life and Career of William Shakespeare Over four hundred years ago, in a small town in central England, a child was born into a well-to-do family. This child was William Shakespeare. For more than four centuries, people have lamented that too little is known about Shakespeare’s life, and all that can be said has already been said. Indeed, this is undoubtedly a regret in Shakespearean research. However, while these limited biographical records fill later generations with endless regret, they