Shakespeare only married once, to Anne Hathaway, on November 28, 1582.

The marriage was unusual for its time in several respects. Hathaway was eight years older than Shakespeare. She was also already several months pregnant with their first child at the time (they would later also have twins).

A few years later, when William began to actively pursue his career as an actor and dramatist, their lives diverged. William was often on the road or in London, while Hathaway stayed home with the children. It is generally believed that William engaged in extra-marital affairs while away. There is not much of anything known about the home life of Anne and the children during this time. It is believed by some that their marriage may have become strained. William eventually returned home and died in 1616. In his will he left her his "second best bed." Historians disagree on the significance of this and whether or not it was considered a slight to her. Anne lived another seven years and was buried next to William at the Church of the Holy Trinity in Stratford upon Avon.