Date: 17/11/2022 Shift: 9:00 AM – 11:00 AM Q. No: 200

Due to the fact that Shakespeare didn’t produce an autobiography, (1)______ is known about many parts of his life and some of it remains a (2)______! Sometime before 1590, Shakespeare left Stratford. But where did he go? Again, it is not clear why, although one story suggests it is because he had been forced to run away from home after poaching deer! Little is known about what he did but eventually he travelled to London, which was the biggest city in England, though much (3)______ than it is today. London provided opportunities unavailable anywhere else in the country and many poor people went hoping to make their fortunes. Importantly for Shakespeare, London had theatres! The first of these was opened in 1576 and by 1590 there were several ‘playhouses’ including the Rose, the Theatre and the Curtain. (4)______, Shakespeare became an actor. However, he was soon writing plays too and by 1592, Shakespeare’s work was being spoken about. One (5)______ writer – Robert Greene – wrote rude things about this newcomer and referred to him as an ‘upstart crow’. Disaster struck in 1593 when a terrible disease called the plague hit London. Thousands of people became unwell and died and this caused the theatres to shut. Rather than giving up, Shakespeare turned to writing poems rather than plays and soon the theatres were re-opened.