Today, as I sat in the large classroom at the King Edward VI Grammar School, I wondered what it must be like to go to school at such a unique place. We were met by Mr. Biddle who teaches in the same room in which William Shakespeare may have gone to school.

The room is filled with old wooden desks that are marked with deep carvings from past students. These desks are not from Shakespeare’s time, but they ARE about 200 years old. Though much of the room still remains the same, some modern conveniences have been added to make the school day more comfortable. For example, the school now uses heat and electricity, and students no longer have to bring their own candles.

In Shakespeare’s time, the school day was very long and education was a privilege for only boys. Girls were expected to stay home and help around the house. About 40 boys would have gone to school in this single room and their studies would have centered around Latin. Learning Latin was important because it got you in to university. During Shakespeare’s day, to be a lawyer, doctor, or teacher you had to know Latin.

Shakespeare’s education would have ended at this school as well. He did not become one of the university wits like other writers from the time period. All the same, Shakespeare’s plays are filled with subjects such as art, science, geography, and politics. A very smart writer indeed!

Today, the King Edward VI Grammar School is still an all-boys school, but there is now a girls school nearby in Stratford.

Die dulci fruere (Latin for have a good day),

Keep Going: Meet Shakespeare’s Lady Love.

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