Undergraduate Research at the Folger: Imagining Shakespeare's School Days

On Christmas of 1878, American artist Edwin Austin Abbey found himself in Stratford-upon-Avon, England, where he created the snowy scene of The Guild Chapel & Grammar School in watercolor and ink. Abbey’s illustration shows an everyday scene in Stratford-upon-Avon, the historic town of Shakespeare’s childhood. Monotone watercolor of varying cold grays forms the shadows and vague shapes of the scene, while the black pen drawing atop defines the illustration. White ink highlights the shiny snow and bright details, especially on the now-yellowed paper. This, overall, offers a quaint yet bustling view of Shakespeare’s hometown, with a variety of figures going about their jobs and everyday life. Included in these vague figures is a line of school children exiting the grammar school, and though the illustration was created long after his death, it allows a glimpse into what Shakespeare’s youth may have been like. 

Though originally born in Pennsylvania in 1852, Abbey consistently held a fascination with British art and history throughout his artistic career. His paintings, illustrations, and murals were heavily influenced by the ongoing Pre-Raphaelite movement, as well as the Shakespearean plays of the past.¹ This interest in Shakespeare can be seen in one of his most popular paintings, Who Is Sylvia? What Is She, That All The Swains Commend Her?, in which he embraces the Pre-Raphaelite style to depict a scene from Shakespeare’s Two Gentlemen of Verona.

However, as the illustration of The Guild Chapel & Grammar School suggests, Abbey’s work derived from Shakespearean scenes were not confined to large oil paintings. Throughout his career, Abbey created many illustrations of Shakespeare’s plays, some of which were printed alongside Shakespeare’s works. His illustrations came at a time of renewed interest in Shakespeare in the Victorian Era, during which many people sought to revitalize his work and learn more about him. Much of this interest stemmed from national pride, as many felt that Shakespeare was in their “bones and blood” due to their shared English heritage.²

While Abbey did not have this common heritage, he spent the majority of his life in England. This stay began with a contracted trip in December of 1878, when Abbey moved to England with the support of Harper’s Monthly. In the same month, he created the illustration of Shakespeare’s hometown and supposed school, which was published in Harper’s Monthly in May of the following year.³

While Abbey’s illustration depicts a version of Stratford-upon-Avon during the 1800s, his ink and watercolor sketch transports the viewer into the daily scene Shakespeare may have experienced during his childhood in the 1500s. For many reasons, he and his family would have been closely acquainted with the area in the illustration. Not only did Shakespeare’s family live on Henley Street, the same street as both the chapel and adjoining school, but his father, John Shakespeare, was also a member of the Stratford governing body. Though John Shakespeare was a successful man in Stratford, he and his wife likely found it difficult to proficiently read due to a lack of schools in the areas they were raised. However, their son, William Shakespeare, would have learned at the grammar school next to his father’s place of work.⁴

In 1571, Shakespeare is supposed to have started his education at age seven in the building depicted next to the chapel, known as The Grammar School of King Edward VI. In grammar schools during the Elizabethan era, reading and writing were two separate subjects that would be taught at different stages of adolescence. In their studies, students eventually would have learned proficiency in both English and Latin by reading various texts, translating passages, and copying lines.⁵ This work was often carried out through the use of textbooks, and one of these books that Shakespeare may have been acquainted with is William Lily’s A Short Introduction of Grammar. This book would have been used inside the classroom by students as an introduction to Latin grammar. In a well-worn 1557 copy housed at the Folger Shakespeare Library (Folger STC 15613), a student made ample use of the book, with many pen scribblings throughout. As these notes suggest, these textbooks would have been each student’s personal companion in their language learning, just as workbooks are for students today.

In addition to his instruction in Latin, Shakespeare certainly would have found inspiration for his plays from his earlier education, as the works of important authors like Virgil and Chaucer were likely to have been taught at King Edward VI’s school. Shakespeare also directly learned about playwriting through instructions in verse and rhyme, as well as topics in Latin drama. These would have ultimately aided him in writing his future plays, with the grammar school depicted in the illustration serving as the starting point for his written imagination and deeper understanding of the English language.⁶

The Grammar School of King Edward VI depicted by Abbey, therefore, was vital to Shakespeare’s development as a writer. In Shakespeare’s As You Like It, Jaques says the lines, “Then the whining schoolboy with his satchel / and shining morning face, creeping like snail / unwillingly to school” (2.7, lines 152-154). One cannot help but wonder if this whining schoolboy was not based in the writer’s own reality, from the days when he went creeping down Henley Street towards the school next to the Guild Chapel.