This book is becoming more and more interesting. I was thinking of puting it down, but I kept at it. Now I am glad. The author, Stephen Greenblatt has spent the last couple of chapters refuting some of the common wisdom on the life of William Shakespeare. One of the more interesting investigations is into the reason why Shakespeare left his hometown, Stratford to go to London. Greenblatt speculates that it may be because William got into trouble poaching deer off another man's land as a prank, or that he was anxious to get away from the wife he was forced to marry because he got her pregnant, or maybe it was because he was afraid authorities would find out about his Catholic family background.
When Shakespeare was a young man, the pope announced to the world that it would not be a sin to murder Queen Elizabeth since she headed a country that was against the authority of the church. Elizabeth took this very seriously, going as far as public excutions for people who were even suspected of being Catholic. These descriptions were very suprising to me. There are more than a few examples of beheadings, disembowlment, drawing and quartering, as well as the display of heads on London Bridge.
The last chapters I have read focus mostly on William's early acting and playwriting career, and the sources he may have used in his research. Once again, I am glad I have continued reading this book; I needed to add something a little more challenging to my list anyhow.
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