---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Mr. William Shakespeare was born at…"
description: "\"Mr. William Shakespeare was born at Stratford upon Avon in the county of Warwick. His father was a butcher, and I have been told heretofore by some of ..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/eb6/john-aubrey-29611_avon_mr-william-shakespeare-was-born-at-strat_49528.jpg"
---

#  Mr. William Shakespeare was born at Stratford upon Avon in…

![“Mr. William Shakespeare was born at Stratford upon Avon in the county of Warwick. His father was a butcher, and I have been told heretofore by some of the neighbors, that when he was a boy he exercised his father's trade, but when he killed a calf he would do it in a high style and make a speech…” quote by John Aubrey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/eb6/john-aubrey-29611_avon_mr-william-shakespeare-was-born-at-strat_49528.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/eb6/john-aubrey-29611_avon_mr-william-shakespeare-was-born-at-strat_49528.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/eb6/john-aubrey-29611_avon_mr-william-shakespeare-was-born-at-strat_49528.jpg)

> “Mr. William Shakespeare was born at Stratford upon Avon in the county of Warwick. His father was a butcher, and I have been told heretofore by some of the neighbors, that when he was a boy he exercised his father's trade, but when he killed a calf he would do it in a high style and make a speech. Ben Jonson and he did gather humors of men daily wherever they came.”

[John Aubrey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-aubrey/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

Anecdote illustrating Shakespeare’s early exposure to everyday life and his emerging talent for dramatizing even mundane events.

**In simple terms:** Shakespeare’s humble origins shaped his keen observation of human character.

Key Takeaway

Early experiences can seed artistic insight.

Themes

origin observation human nature humor social class

Mood

curious reflective

Type

anecdotal historical

When to use this quote

- biographical study
- literary criticism
- education on playwrights

Key Concepts

social mobility theatrical craft historical anecdote

Practical Applications

- teaching Shakespeare’s background
- informing cultural documentaries

Questions to Reflect On

- How might modest beginnings influence creative voice?
- What does this story reveal about class perception in Elizabethan England?

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Avon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/avon/) [Boys](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/boys/) [Exercise](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/exercise/) [Father](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/father/) [Men](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/men/) [Neighbor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/neighbor/) [Parenting](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/parenting/) [Shakespeare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/shakespeare/) [Speech](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/speech/) [Style](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/style/) [Trade](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/trade/)

## Related quotes

> [ The classic theology of my tradition comes from the French Renaissance. \[William\] Shakespeare was born in 1564, the year \[John\] Calvin died, and that… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marilynne-robinson/the-classic-theology-of-my-tradition-comes-from-the-french/)

[Marilynne Robinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marilynne-robinson/)

> [“was an English poet and playwright, widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and the world's pre-eminent dramatist. He is often…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-shakespeare/was-an-english-poet-and-playwright-widely-regarded-as-the-greatest/)

[William Shakespeare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-shakespeare/)

> [Entirely incidentally, a little-known fact about Shakespeare is that his father moved to Stratford-upon-Avon from a nearby village shortly before his son's birth. Had…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-bryson/entirely-incidentally-a-little-known-fact-about-shakespeare-is-that/)

[Bill Bryson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-bryson/)

> [I'm from a normal household. I haven't always had millions to spend on creams and clothes. I like something that's affordable, but good quality.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abbey-clancy/i-m-from-a-normal-household-i-haven-t-always-had-millions-to-spend-on/)

[Abbey Clancy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abbey-clancy/)

> [I use the Clarisonic electronic skin cleansing system. It's great for removing excess oil and make-up and leaves my face feeling really smooth and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fergie/i-use-the-clarisonic-electronic-skin-cleansing-system-it-s-great-for/)

[Fergie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fergie/)

> [Avon is a unique place to work; we've got family-friendly policies. We have more senior women in high-level management than any other company; 46…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrea-jung/avon-is-a-unique-place-to-work-we-ve-got-family-friendly-policies-we/)

[Andrea Jung](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrea-jung/)

> [I started off as a theatre designer, and by some extraordinary circumstance I saw something in Stratford-upon-Avon, and realized that that's the kind of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/judi-dench/i-started-off-as-a-theatre-designer-and-by-some-extraordinary/)

[Judi Dench](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/judi-dench/)

> [Le temps qui change les e" tres ne modifie pas l'image que nous avons garde e d'eux. Although time changes people, it cannot change…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marcel-proust/le-temps-qui-change-les-e-tres-ne-modifie-pas-l-image-que-nous-avons/)

[Marcel Proust](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marcel-proust/)

> [I finally found the product that helps mend my damaged hair and prevent breakage. Avon's Advance Techniques Damage Repair 3D Rescue Leave-In Treatment makes…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fergie/i-finally-found-the-product-that-helps-mend-my-damaged-hair-and/)

[Fergie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fergie/)

> [Ever since the Evil Empire turned out to be a collection of third-world countries, Americans aligned on the far right have tried to cast…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anna-quindlen/ever-since-the-evil-empire-turned-out-to-be-a-collection-of-third/)

[Anna Quindlen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anna-quindlen/)

> [We have always had dogs, and they have faithfully performed many valuable services for us, such as: 1. Peeing on everything. 2. When we're…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dave-barry/we-have-always-had-dogs-and-they-have-faithfully-performed-many/)

[Dave Barry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dave-barry/)

> [Few footprints of the great remain in the sand before the ever-flowing tide. Long ago it washed out Homer's. Curiosity follows him in vain;…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-aris-willmott/few-footprints-of-the-great-remain-in-the-sand-before-the-ever/)

[Robert Aris Willmott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-aris-willmott/)

> [In Brazil there are more Avon ladies than members of the army. In the United States more money is spent on beauty than on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nancy-etcoff/in-brazil-there-are-more-avon-ladies-than-members-of-the-army-in-the/)

[Nancy Etcoff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nancy-etcoff/)

> [The company was actually founded on creating earnings opportunities for women, even before it went into skincare, lipstick, and fragrance. The founding Avon principle,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrea-jung/the-company-was-actually-founded-on-creating-earnings-opportunities/)

[Andrea Jung](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrea-jung/)

> [Five years after Boston 1967, I went to the Munich Olympics. I realized that major sponsorship could help me create the opportunity. I wrote…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kathrine-switzer/five-years-after-boston-1967-i-went-to-the-munich-olympics-i-realized/)

[Kathrine Switzer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kathrine-switzer/)

## More by John Aubrey

> [Arise Evans had a fungous nose, and said, it was revealed to him, that the King's hand would cure him, and at the first…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-aubrey/arise-evans-had-a-fungous-nose-and-said-it-was-revealed-to-him-that/)

[John Aubrey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-aubrey/)

> [How these curiosities would be quite forgot, did not such idle fellowes as I put them down.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-aubrey/how-these-curiosities-would-be-quite-forgot-did-not-such-idle/)

[John Aubrey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-aubrey/)

> [ He \[William Harvey\] bid me to goe to the Fountain-head, and read Aristotle, Cicero, Avicenna, and did call the Neoteriques shitt-breeches. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-aubrey/he-william-harvey-bid-me-to-goe-to-the-fountain-head-and-read/)

[John Aubrey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-aubrey/)

> [There is to some men a great Lechery in Lying, and imposing on the understandings of beleeving people.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-aubrey/there-is-to-some-men-a-great-lechery-in-lying-and-imposing-on-the/)

[John Aubrey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-aubrey/)

> [I have been in danger of being drowned twice.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-aubrey/i-have-been-in-danger-of-being-drowned-twice/)

[John Aubrey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-aubrey/)

> [Sir Walter, being strangely surprised and put out of his countenance at so great a table, gives his son a damned blow over the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-aubrey/sir-walter-being-strangely-surprised-and-put-out-of-his-countenance/)

[John Aubrey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-aubrey/)

> [This Earle of Oxford, making of his low obeisance to Queen Elizabeth, happened to let a Fart, at which he was so abashed and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-aubrey/this-earle-of-oxford-making-of-his-low-obeisance-to-queen-elizabeth/)

[John Aubrey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-aubrey/)

> [About Thomas Hobbes: He was 40 years old before he looked on geometry; which happened accidentally. Being in a gentleman's library, Euclid's Elements lay…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-aubrey/about-thomas-hobbes-he-was-40-years-old-before-he-looked-on-geometry/)

[John Aubrey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-aubrey/)

> [Box about: 'twill come to my father anon.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-aubrey/box-about-twill-come-to-my-father-anon/)

[John Aubrey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-aubrey/)

> [ He \[William Harvey\] did not care for chymistrey, and was wont to speake against them with an undervalue. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-aubrey/he-william-harvey-did-not-care-for-chymistrey-and-was-wont-to-speake/)

[John Aubrey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-aubrey/)

> [The silver Thames takes some part of this county in its journey to Oxford.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-aubrey/the-silver-thames-takes-some-part-of-this-county-in-its-journey-to/)

[John Aubrey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-aubrey/)

> [The astrologers and historians write that the ascendant as of Oxford is Capricornus, whose lord is Saturn, a religious planet, and patron of religious…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-aubrey/the-astrologers-and-historians-write-that-the-ascendant-as-of-oxford/)

[John Aubrey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-aubrey/)

> [How these curiosities would be quite forgott, did not such idle fellowes as I am putt them downe!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-aubrey/how-these-curiosities-would-be-quite-forgott-did-not-such-idle/)

[John Aubrey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-aubrey/)

> [“As he lay expiring in the agony of death, the standers-by could hear him say softly 'I have seen the glories of the world.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-aubrey/as-he-lay-expiring-in-the-agony-of-death-the-standers-by-could-hear/)

[John Aubrey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-aubrey/)

> [ I have heard him \[William Harvey\] say, that after his Booke of the Circulation of the Blood came-out, that he fell mightily in his… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-aubrey/i-have-heard-him-william-harvey-say-that-after-his-booke-of-the/)

[John Aubrey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-aubrey/)

[Explore all 18 John Aubrey quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-aubrey/)

## More Avon quotes

> [Five years after Boston 1967, I went to the Munich Olympics. I realized that major sponsorship could help me create the opportunity. I wrote…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kathrine-switzer/five-years-after-boston-1967-i-went-to-the-munich-olympics-i-realized/)

[Kathrine Switzer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kathrine-switzer/)

> [The company was actually founded on creating earnings opportunities for women, even before it went into skincare, lipstick, and fragrance. The founding Avon principle,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrea-jung/the-company-was-actually-founded-on-creating-earnings-opportunities/)

[Andrea Jung](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrea-jung/)

> [In Brazil there are more Avon ladies than members of the army. In the United States more money is spent on beauty than on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nancy-etcoff/in-brazil-there-are-more-avon-ladies-than-members-of-the-army-in-the/)

[Nancy Etcoff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nancy-etcoff/)

> [Few footprints of the great remain in the sand before the ever-flowing tide. Long ago it washed out Homer's. Curiosity follows him in vain;…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-aris-willmott/few-footprints-of-the-great-remain-in-the-sand-before-the-ever/)

[Robert Aris Willmott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-aris-willmott/)

> [We have always had dogs, and they have faithfully performed many valuable services for us, such as: 1. Peeing on everything. 2. When we're…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dave-barry/we-have-always-had-dogs-and-they-have-faithfully-performed-many/)

[Dave Barry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dave-barry/)

> [Ever since the Evil Empire turned out to be a collection of third-world countries, Americans aligned on the far right have tried to cast…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anna-quindlen/ever-since-the-evil-empire-turned-out-to-be-a-collection-of-third/)

[Anna Quindlen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anna-quindlen/)

> [I finally found the product that helps mend my damaged hair and prevent breakage. Avon's Advance Techniques Damage Repair 3D Rescue Leave-In Treatment makes…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fergie/i-finally-found-the-product-that-helps-mend-my-damaged-hair-and/)

[Fergie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fergie/)

> [Le temps qui change les e" tres ne modifie pas l'image que nous avons garde e d'eux. Although time changes people, it cannot change…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marcel-proust/le-temps-qui-change-les-e-tres-ne-modifie-pas-l-image-que-nous-avons/)

[Marcel Proust](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marcel-proust/)

> [I started off as a theatre designer, and by some extraordinary circumstance I saw something in Stratford-upon-Avon, and realized that that's the kind of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/judi-dench/i-started-off-as-a-theatre-designer-and-by-some-extraordinary/)

[Judi Dench](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/judi-dench/)

> [Avon is a unique place to work; we've got family-friendly policies. We have more senior women in high-level management than any other company; 46…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrea-jung/avon-is-a-unique-place-to-work-we-ve-got-family-friendly-policies-we/)

[Andrea Jung](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrea-jung/)

> [I use the Clarisonic electronic skin cleansing system. It's great for removing excess oil and make-up and leaves my face feeling really smooth and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fergie/i-use-the-clarisonic-electronic-skin-cleansing-system-it-s-great-for/)

[Fergie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fergie/)

> [I'm from a normal household. I haven't always had millions to spend on creams and clothes. I like something that's affordable, but good quality.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abbey-clancy/i-m-from-a-normal-household-i-haven-t-always-had-millions-to-spend-on/)

[Abbey Clancy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abbey-clancy/)

> [Entirely incidentally, a little-known fact about Shakespeare is that his father moved to Stratford-upon-Avon from a nearby village shortly before his son's birth. Had…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-bryson/entirely-incidentally-a-little-known-fact-about-shakespeare-is-that/)

[Bill Bryson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-bryson/)

> [I recommend Avon Skin-So-Soft. It’s a bath product. It smells like someone fed a Disney Princess through a juicer, but it works better than…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mira-grant/i-recommend-avon-skin-so-soft-it-s-a-bath-product-it-smells-like/)

[Mira Grant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mira-grant/)

> [Avon invented the concept of direct marketing and direct selling beauty. And that's still very valid to us. We'll have a firm that will…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrea-jung/avon-invented-the-concept-of-direct-marketing-and-direct-selling/)

[Andrea Jung](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrea-jung/)

[Browse all 28 Avon quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/avon/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "Mr. William Shakespeare was born at Stratford upon Avon in the county of Warwick. His father was a butcher, and I have been told heretofore by some of the neighbors, that when he was a boy he exercised his father's trade, but when he killed a calf he would do it in a high style and make a speech. Ben Jonson and he did gather humors of men daily wherever they came.",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "John Aubrey"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-aubrey/mr-william-shakespeare-was-born-at-stratford-upon-avon-in-the-county/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Avon"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-aubrey/mr-william-shakespeare-was-born-at-stratford-upon-avon-in-the-county/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/eb6/john-aubrey-29611_avon_mr-william-shakespeare-was-born-at-strat_49528.jpg",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/eb6/john-aubrey-29611_avon_mr-william-shakespeare-was-born-at-strat_49528.jpg",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/eb6/john-aubrey-29611_avon_mr-william-shakespeare-was-born-at-strat_49528.jpg",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“Mr. William Shakespeare was born at Stratford upon Avon in the county of Warwick. His father was a butcher…” — John Aubrey",
                "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
                "creator": {
                    "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
                }
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "BreadcrumbList",
            "itemListElement": [
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 1,
                    "name": "Home",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 2,
                    "name": "Quotes",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 3,
                    "name": "John Aubrey",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-aubrey/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "Mr. William Shakespeare was born at...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-aubrey/mr-william-shakespeare-was-born-at-stratford-upon-avon-in-the-county/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-aubrey/mr-william-shakespeare-was-born-at-stratford-upon-avon-in-the-county/#breadcrumb"
        },
        {
            "@type": "WebSite",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "publisher": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "Organization",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "logo": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png",
                "width": 512,
                "height": 512
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
