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A disclaimer for today's entry: Today was one of the most exhausting days I have ever had, but well worth the work. We started our journey to Stratford-upon-Avon with a bang! Three minutes into our trip, we blew a tire. Thankfully, with our combined brain power and some teamwork we figured out how to get the spare off the rent-a-car, changed the tire, and were on our way. This would seem like plenty of chaos for one morning but navigating the roads of England was far trickier than any of us imagined. Luck was on our side and we eventually made it to our first stop, the house William Shakespeare was born in.
It was easy for me to imagine a young Will Shakespeare growing up here. Sallie, who works at Shakespeare's Birthplace, told us all about the way of life during the time Shakespeare was alive. It was so completely different than our own. For one thing, babies were born at home rather than hospitals.
I could not believe how big the house was. Before our visit, I pictured a small cottage. Our perspective may have been a bit off though. We are used to small NYC apartments, so the house looked massive to us. Not only was this the house where the Shakespeare family lived, it was also where William Shakespeare's father had his shop. At its busiest, there would have been apprentices living in the house as well.
Today, the house is set up to look the way that it did when Shakespeare lived there. We looked in every room and found out some great facts about the Shakespeare family's way of life and social status. There are several items in the house that provided clues to the type of life they had. Sallie pointed out some hand-painted wall hangings which would have been quite expensive. As a glove-maker, Shakespeare's father must have been quite prosperous.
Sallie shared her favorite part of the house, a trunkle bed, which is where the saying "Good Night, Sleep Tight" comes from. To find out, you will have to watch the video.
More tomorrow,
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For Extra Credit:
Learn about another great writer born the same year as Shakespeare, Christopher Marlowe.
Go to the next day >
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