Shakespeare is buried just below the altar in the Chancel of Holy Trinity Church, Stratford-upon-Avon. A bust of Shakespeare, in the wall beside the grave was set up about seven years after his death and within the lifetime of his wife, Anne Hathaway. Its tanned and vaguely piratical appearance is said to be a good likeness of the Bard.
In Shakespeare's day it was customary to move bones from the graveyard, and the tombs within the church, into a charnel house to make way for more burials. From time to time, the bones in the charnel house were burned. This was commonly known as the bonefire (thus bonfire) of the vanities.
Shakespeare was having none of that! He had the following curse inscribed on his grave:
GOOD FRIEND FOR JESUS SAKE FORBEARE,
TO DIGG THE DUST ENCLOASED HEARE.
BLESE BE THE MAN THAT SPARES THES STONES,
AND CURST BE HE THAT MOVES MY BONES.
A rubbing of the inscription is displayed on the tombstone.
