Why is William Shakespeare’s Life Considered a Mystery?
He was the greatest Western playwright of all time. His plays are still burned in our cultural memory and performed the world over. But William Shakespeare (1564-1616), the man, has remained an elusive figure. He left behind little documentation — no letters, no handwritten manuscripts, few contemporary accounts, and only six signatures, all spelled differently. In the words of Charles Dickens: “The life of Shakespeare is a fine mystery, and I tremble every day lest something should turn up.