Shakespeare final:Mind doc rev
3/7/08
16:24
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S t r a t f o r d - u p o n - Av o n ontext is everything, because no one knows who Shakespeare (the man) really was. Some of the very few absolute facts about the man himself that we know for definite are that
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R There was once a man called William Shakespeare. R He was born in Stratford-upon-Avon. R He married Anne Hathaway, a girl at least seven years older than him, from his home town of Stratfordupon-Avon; they had three children together. R He is buried in Stratford-upon-Avon. R A number of really quite wonderful plays have been written under this name. Add to that a few details of property we know he owned, of legal issues he was involved in, and half a dozen signatures. And that’s all we’ve got. But no manuscripts – with the exception of a small part of a play, Sir Thomas More, thought to be written by Shakespeare – no notes, or diaries. •
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