Did William Shakespeare have a wife or girlfriend?

Yes, William Shakespeare had a wife named Anne Hathaway. They were married in 1582, when Shakespeare was 18 years old and Anne was 26. It is believed that Anne was pregnant at the time of the marriage, as their first child, Susanna, was born six months later. Shakespeare and Anne had two more children together, twins Hamnet and Judith, in 1585. Hamnet died at the age of 11, in 1596.

There is some evidence to suggest that Shakespeare may have also had a mistress named Mary Fitton, who was a maid of honour to Queen Elizabeth I. However, this is not certain and there is no definitive proof that they were ever lovers.

Shakespeare's wife, Anne Hathaway, died in 1623, at the age of 67. Shakespeare himself died in 1616, at the age of 52.