Short answers, pulled from the story.
William Shakespeare wed Anne Hathaway on the 27th of November 1582. The consistory court of the Diocese of Worcester issued a marriage license that day, and neighbors posted bonds to ensure no legal impediments blocked the union.
A diary entry by John Manningham from March 1602 describes an anecdote where William Shakespeare entertained a woman who invited him under the guise of Richard the Third. Additionally, twenty-six sonnets are love poems addressed to a married woman known as the Dark Lady, suggesting he pursued relationships with multiple partners while living in London.
One hundred twenty-six poems appear to be love letters addressed to a young man called the Fair Lord or Fair Youth, though their true identity remains unclear. Popular candidates include Henry Wriothesley, 3rd Earl of Southampton, and William Herbert, 3rd Earl of Pembroke, both considered handsome during their youth.
Literary theorist Stephen Greenblatt assumes something occurred between William Shakespeare and Henry Wriothesley whether they stared longingly or embraced passionately. Art historian Elizabeth Goldring speculates Shakespeare could have received a miniature portrait depicting Henry Wriothesley before returning it after his marriage in 1598.
John Benson published a second edition of the sonnets in 1640 where he changed most pronouns from masculine to feminine so readers would believe nearly all poems addressed the Dark Lady. This modified version became the best-known text until Edmond Malone re-published them in original form in 1780.