John Shakespeare, the father of William, was a merchant and glovemaker living in Stratford-upon-Avon, Warwickshire. Records show that in his later years he incurred debts and some loss of high status in the town. He married Mary Arden, the member of a prosperous local family. Their first child was William, probably born on St George's Day, 23 April 1564, in the now-famous house on Henley Street in the centre of town. Seven more children followed.
William Shakespeare almost certainly attended the Grammar School in Stratford, where the standard of education would have been as fine as anywhere in England.
He was taught by Oxford graduates, and his Classical and Biblical learning is evident in all of his plays.