Did you know Shakespeare's grave was . . .
CURSED?
Even though he knew he would be buried under a stone slab inside a church, Shakespeare was worried about grave robbers and people disturbing his bones. He actually had a lot of reasons to worry (see the articles below). In order to scare off any potential thieves, Shakespeare wrote the following epitaph as a deterrent:
Good friend for Jesus sake forbeare,
To dig the dust enclosed here.
Blessed be the man that spares these stones,
And cursed be he that moves my bones.
The curse is taken so seriously that as recently as 2008 construction workers were careful to work around the bones without disturbing them. Unfortunately, at some point someone less reputable, and less afraid of curses, seems to have stolen his skull.
Holy Trinity Church in Stratford-upon-Avon is open to the public, so feel free to walk in and visit Shakespeare’s grave. But please keep in mind that this is working church, so be respectful.
For information and open hours, visit their webpage here.
Also, Shakespeare's Grave has it's own Trip Advisor page!
"Shakespeare's Grave" by Dave Hamster. License: CC-BY-2.0