Picture of King Edward IV Grammar School Stratford-upon-Avon
The Education of William Shakespeare
THE EDUCATION OF WILLIAM
SHAKESPEARE
There are no
specific records relating to the education of William
Shakespeare or his attendance at school but reasonable
assumptions can be made based on the information that is
available
William
Shakespeare's parents were both his father's election to the
position of Alderman in Stratford-upon-Avon brought with it
free education for his sons
William
Shakespeare would have attended King Edward IV Grammar
School in Stratford-upon-Avon from the age of 7 in 1571 and
left school and formal education when he was fourteen in
1578
King Edward IV
Grammar School is also referred to as the King's New School
as it was named according to a charter by King Edward VI
(Queen Elizabeth's younger brother) in 1553
THE PETTY SCHOOLS
Elizabethan boys
were at first sent to a 'Petty School' between the ages of 5
and 7 years old to start their education
Petty Schools
were run by a local housewife and were often referred to as
'Dame Schools'. Petty School education would have consisted
of being taught lessons in behaviour and to learn the
catechism
The early
education of William Shakespeare would include respecting
his mother and father, asking his parents blessing, rising
early in the morning and saying his prayers
The early
education of William Shakespeare relating to basic manners
would have included learning table manners such as eating
small morsels, chewing properly , using a knife and using a
napkin!
EDUCATION OF WILLIAM
SHAKESPEARE AT GRAMMAR SCHOOL
The Grammar
School education of William Shakespeare would have included
Latin taught from the Tudor text-book known as Lily's Latin
Grammar and boys would be expected to translate Latin to
English and English to Latin
The education of
William Shakespeare continued by studying the works of the
great classical authors and dramatists such as Ovid, Plautus,
Horace, Virgil, Cicero and Seneca
Greek was taught
at some schools but is not clear if this was part of the
curriculum at King Edward IV Grammar School
The teachers of
William Shakespeare were predominantly Catholic so William's
education would have been influenced by their beliefs
One of his
teachers, Robert Dibdale was ordained a Catholic priest, and
was martyred in 1586
LIFE AT GRAMMAR SCHOOL FOR
WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE
Life at the
Grammar school would have been very strict
Summer school
for William Shakespeare started at six o'clock in the
morning and finished at five o'clock in the evening.
Elizabethan Education was hard work!
Because of the
dark nights the hours changed during the winter starting at
seven in the morning and finishing at four o'clock in the
afternoon
Education for
William Shakespeare consisted of a five full days and a
half-day on Thursday for 40 to 44 weeks of the year - 2,000
hours in school per year (more than double the current
school hours)
Lessons were
based on constant repetition of subjects - so would have
been quite boring for lively students!
There were also
continuous examinations!
A typical week
at King Edward IV Grammar School for William Shakespeare
would cover an examination on the previous Sunday’s sermon
on Monday and examinations on Friday and Saturday
William
Shakespeare would have been expected to converse in Latin at
all times in order to improve his fluency in the language -
any boy caught speaking English at school was punished
The punishments
were carried out on Fridays so this, along with the
examinations, must have been the worst day of the week for
William Shakespeare!
The Punishments
were severe and painful - fifty strokes of the cane was not
uncommon
William
Shakespeare may well have been involved in performing some
Greek and Latin classical drama as entertainment at the end
of term - is this where he received his first 'taste' of
acting?
WILLIAM
SHAKESPEARE FINISHES HIS EDUCATION AT THE AGE OF 14!
William
Shakespeare was withdrawn from education in 1577 at the age
of fourteen due to his father's financial problems
Boys would
normally attended Grammar school until they reached the age
of fourteen when they would have continued their education
at University
William
Shakespeare therefore missed any form of higher education
where he would have had the choice of studying the Arts,
Philosophy, Rhetoric, Poetry, History, Music, Astronomy,
Arithmetic, Geometry, Theology, Law or Medicine
It is amazing
that William Shakespeare achieved so much after leaving
school at the age of fourteen - with only seven years of
formal education !
