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Shakespeare’s Money: How Much Did He Make and What Did This Mean? By Robert Bearman

2017; Oxford University Press; Volume: 66; Issue: 253 Linguagem: Inglês

10.1093/english/efx011

1756-1124

Paul Frazer,

Shakespeare, Adaptation, and Literary Criticism

John Madden’s now iconic 1998 representation of Will Shakespeare (played by Joseph Fiennes) depicted a playwright who lived like a true prodigal, using his ‘talents’ to escape poverty from one haphazard play-payment to the next. 2015’s Bill took the spendthrift Bard (played by Matthew Baynton) several penurious steps further, recounting the Stratfordian’s ‘lost years’ as partially spent dressed like a giant tomato, extolling (in vain) the virtues of healthy eating to the carnivorous citizens of Elizabethan London. But whilst these popular depictions take pride in the romanticized myth of Shakespeare’s humble player-origins (safe in the knowledge of his forthcoming rise to gentility), perhaps there is a more complex story to be told about his financial dealings. And perhaps today’s economic situation offers a useful standpoint from which to deconstruct and reassess the relationship between this ambiguous poet–playwright and the cold, hard capital that he generated. For even a cursory glance around most local, high-street bookshops will find shelves of biographical studies of Shakespeare, despite the renowned sparsity of evidence relating to any aspect of his life. Yet this popular (and more lucrative than ever) market remains ironically silent about the pounds, shillings, and pennies that motivated Shakespeare’s acting and writing career.