Who was this man, William Shakespeare, who died nearly five hundred years ago and is known in all the corners of the world? He was a man of mystery and there has been endless speculation about his life, the certainties of one age being overturned by the findings of the next. There is not a single undisputed line of his own writing remaining, although he left behind him 36 plays, 154 Sonnets and poems as well as other works. All we have in Shakespeare's own hand are six signatures. A score or more of his works will be being performed around the world at any one time and much is known about him, factually at any rate. He was born in Stratford-upon "Avon, on 23 April 1564, and was baptised in the parish church of Holy Trinity three days later. He was the third of eight children born to John Shakespeare and his wife Mary Arden. His father was a successful glove maker and wool dealer in the prosperous market town of Stratford and became mayor and a justice of the peace. His fortunes, however, declined and by the time of William's marriage the family was hard up.