Of course Shakespeare is a very suspicious person in history. Evidence for the existence of the great poet and playwright is based on the mention of his name in historical documents. Doubts about the historicity of Shakespeare are expressed mainly because there is no evidence of his education, and after all, the poet's vocabulary, judging by the works, ranges from 17,500 to 29,000 words. The literary genius grew up in a family where they could not read and write, and Shakespeare's daughters were illiterate. In addition, not a single manuscript (or one) written by Shakespeare's hand has survived. Proponents of this theory are inclined to believe that behind the name of William Shakespeare was a group of poets and writers who did not want to make their names public. But this is just a theory.
Modern science does not doubt the authorship of one person (collective?) For such great works as "Hamlet", "Romeo and Juliet" and others.
Here are some of the facts that you almost certainly never heard of William Shakespeare.
1. There is a possibility that Shakespeare's work was influenced by his father's problems with the law
When William Shakespeare was only 5 years old, his father, John, a glove maker, was accused of providing illegal cash loans and illegal wool trade. Trouble of this kind followed Shakespeare Sr. for the next ten years. Thus, William's growing up fell on this unfortunate period, when the social and financial situation of his father deteriorated significantly. And it was this that played a decisive role in shaping the social and political views of the future playwright.
2. Shakespeare got married due to an unexpected pregnancy
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Shakespeare was 18 when he learned that Anne Hathaway, who was eight years his senior, was pregnant. Apparently, William had no choice, and already in November 1582, the wedding took place. And in May 1583, little Suzanne was born. Twins Judith and Hamnet were born two years later. Unfortunately, Shakespeare's direct descendants were not destined to survive to this day. Hamnett died at the age of 11, presumably from some illness. Judith was destined to outlive her children, of whom she had three. Suzanne had this one daughter, Elizabeth, who died childless.
3. It is absolutely unknown what happened to Shakespeare from 1585 to 1592
After the birth of the twins, William Shakespeare, in modern parlance, "disappeared from the radar." It is speculated that between 1585 and 1592 he earned his family's living as a lawyer or clerk. This theory is supported by the fact that many of his works use legal terms. And this is done very competently. However, this idea does not quite fit with the phrase from Shakespeare's work dedicated to King Henry VI: "Let's kill all the lawyers!"
4. Shakespeare was, first of all, a theatrical actor The
craft of the actor in Shakespeare's time was considered, frankly, far from prestigious. The English vagrancy laws in force at that time were rather harsh in relation to the actors. Itinerant troupes were required to have a patron from among the aristocracy. The violator could be whipped, branded, and eventually even hanged.
Little is known about the stage preferences of Shakespeare himself. However, it is believed that he enjoyed playing kings. He, among other things, periodically played the role of the shadow of Hamlet's father.
An alleged portrait of Anne Hathaway, Shakespeare's wife.
5. There is a suspicion that Shakespeare was involved in organized crime
In the 1590s, many of London's theaters served as cover for organized crime. Thus, the Lord Mayor of London at that time openly called theaters "a meeting place for thieves, horse thieves, libertines, swindlers and other people of this kind." There is evidence that the great playwright was accused of threats to his life. How fair these charges were is unknown.
6. Shakespeare was engaged in pimping and reconciliation of spouses
Perhaps it’s not surprising that the author of Romeo and Juliet helped to unite loving hearts. It is known that he once facilitated the marriage of his landlord's daughter. However, this fact is known to us solely due to the fact that after the wedding, things did not go well. In particular, a controversy arose over the dowry, and Shakespeare was forced to appear in court as a witness to testify about the reputation of his landlord. To whom, I must say, he gave the most flattering description. Incidentally, the court records contain the only true record of the famous playwright's speech.
7. The first written mention of Shakespeare as a playwright is an insult
This mention dates back to 1592, when Shakespeare's colleague Robert Green reproached him for allegedly imagining himself to be a jack of all trades, but in fact did not know how to do anything. I must say that similar accusations pursued William in the future.
8. Shakespeare may have contributed to one theater being literally taken apart
In 1596, business at the theater in Shoreditch, where Shakespeare began his career, was not going well. The lease of the land on which it was built expired, and the actors were forced to look for a new place to perform. Two years later, a desperate plan to reclaim their property matured in the minds of the former owners. On one winter night in 1598, armed with swords and axes, they entered the territory and began to disassemble everything piece by piece. Most likely, they did not manage overnight. There is no evidence that the playwright himself was involved in this raid. However, he could hardly have been aware of this undertaking. In the end, the stolen parts of the old theater were used in the construction of a new one, called the Globe.
9. Only one text, written by Shakespeare with his own hand, has survived
Only a few signatures made by the hand of William Shakespeare and representing eerie scribbles have survived to this day. A full text, written directly by the playwright, is available in a single copy. This is an excerpt from the manuscript of The Book of Sir Thomas More, a political play against the xenophobia that reigned in British society at the time. Much of it was written by playwright Anthony Munday. However, Shakespeare also contributed by composing a monologue in which the protagonist encourages the crowd to feel in the place of displaced persons. The play, by the way, was never staged because of fears of a riot.
A page of handwritten text allegedly written by Shakespeare.
10. Shakespeare may have used drugs
South African scientists have found traces of cannabis in smoking pipes found in the garden near Shakespeare's house in Stratford-upon-Avon. Some other pipes also contained residues of cocaine and hallucinogenic substances. However, the analyzes performed are not completely accurate. Moreover, it is impossible to establish whether these pipes belonged to Shakespeare or to someone else. The only thing that is certain is that drugs were already readily available at that time.
11. Shakespeare evaded taxes
At the end of the 16th century, there was already a personal property tax in England. Shakespeare, according to available documents, never paid for it, despite the invoices he was billed. The reasons for non-payment remain a mystery. It is possible that the tax was charged by mistake at all, since at that time the playwright had not lived in the territory of the corresponding parish for a long time.
12. Shakespeare speculated in grain
It is known that in the period from 1604 to 1914, more than 5,200 legislative acts were adopted in England restricting the rights to use agricultural land. In 1607, there were food supply interruptions that led to the outbreak of riots. There is evidence that Shakespeare at that time was engaged in the acquisition and storage of grain for the purpose of its further resale.
13. The famous Globe Theater burned down during the performance of one of Shakespeare's plays
The renowned Globus Theater was killed by a props cannon salvo during a performance of Henry VIII based on Shakespeare's play. Sparks hit the thatched roof, and it quickly caught fire. According to eyewitnesses, the monastery of the Muses burned down to the ground in just an hour. Fortunately, almost no one was injured in the fire, with the exception of one man, whose burning trousers were extinguished with a bottle of ale.
14. Shakespeare put a curse on his own grave
In 1616, when Shakespeare left the mortal world, grave robberies were quite common. Therefore, on the gravestone of the playwright it was inscribed: "May the one who disturb my dust be cursed." Apparently, the inscription was made on the initiative of Shakespeare himself. Alas, the threat of a curse did not stop the robbers. According to a 2016 survey using GPR, the attackers most likely stole the skull of a genius.
Shakespeare's tombstone.
15. Shakespeare's legacy caused the tree to die
And we are not talking about spending paper on publishing millions of copies of the great playwright's works. In 1762, a magazine claimed that once a drunken Shakespeare, after a glorious evening, fell asleep under an apple tree in the town of Bidford-upon-Avon. Most likely, this is nothing more than a legend. However, especially ardent admirers of his talent began to literally take away the tree for souvenirs. As a result, by 1824, only one stump remained from the ill-fated apple tree, which was uprooted.
16. Shakespeare's legacy has survived thanks to two of his fellow actors
Shortly after Shakespeare's death, two of his friends and colleagues, John Heming and Henry Condel, put together his plays and in 1623 published them in a book called Mr. William Shakespeare's Comedy, Chronicle and Tragedy. This edition is now known as the First Folio. It is thanks to him that the creative heritage of the famous native of Stratford-upon-Avon has been preserved, and the book itself is considered one of the greatest that has ever been published in English.
The restored Globe Theater in London.