Image via the cathedral Hereford and Hereford Mappa Mundi Trust
At this stage, all aspects of William Shakespeare's life produced more speculation than any of us could digest in a life. This applies to his professional life, of course, but also his personal life even more slightly documented. Regarding his marriage, the known facts are as follows: on November 27, 1582, a marriage license was issued in Worcester in William Shakespeare, 18, and Anne Hathaway, 26. Six months later, the first of their three children, Susanna. For most of his professional life, William lived in London, while Anne – wanted her husband's “second best bed” – remained in her hometown of Stratford -Upon -Avon.
According to a common interpretation, the Shakespeares were a wedding of hunting rifle Before the lettermotivated less by romance than the opportunity. This would certainly explain their apparent choice to live separately, although William's career would probably have brought it to London anyway, and without a good reason to be in the city, it was not a bad idea to keep children out of the plague range. (As for his best bed, he was usually reserved for guests.) But according to a new interpretation of a former document by the Professor of the University of Bristol Matthew SteggleThe couple could not only stay in communication, but also live together in the capital for a while.
“The Library of the Hereford cathedral holds a fragmentary letter from the 17th century addressed to an” Mrs. Shakspaire “, concerning the relations of her husband with a fatherless apprentice,” writes Steggle in His research article recently published in the journal Shakespeare. “Shakespeares recorded in London, William Shakespeare is the only viable candidate to adapt to the details of the letter.” In Steggle's analysis, he “painted an image of William and Anne Shakespeare together in London, and living, perhaps around 1599-1603, in Trinity Lane. This also suggests an Anne Shakespeare who is not absent from her husband's life of London, but present and engaged in her financial and social networks. ”
The New York Times‘Ephrat Livni quotes Steggle By saying that “this letter, if it belongs to them, offers an overview of the Shakespeares in London, both involved in social networks and business, and, on the occasion of this request, presenting a united front against importal requests to help the poor orphans.” This adds Livni, “would give a little weight to the feminist readings of the life of Shakespeare”, as well as to the trend of pop culture of “rethinking marriage and the role of Hathaway in her”. Each era continues to create the Shakespeare for which it feels the need – and the Mme Shakespeare also.
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Based in Seoul, Colin MArshall Written and broadcastTS on cities, language and culture. His projects include the substack newsletter Books on cities And the book The stateless city: a walk through Los Angeles from the 21st century. Follow it on the social network formerly known as Twitter in @ColinmArshall.
