The Unaccounted for Period of William Shakespeare's Life

In this essay, the author

• Explains that william shakespeare was born on april 26th 1564 in stratford on-avon to parents john and mary. he attended the village elementary school, was tutored by his mother, and learned a great deal by himself.
• Explains that there are dozens of theories regarding shakespeare's whereabouts, but three main explanations are widely accepted in the historical community. the theories include shakespeare fleeing stratford after being caught poaching game on sir thomas lucy’s property.
• Explains that shakespeare poached game on sir thomas lucy's property and was whipped, put in prison, and then forced to flee stratford altogether to escape further punishment. this theory originated in the writings of a gloucestershire clergyman.
• Opines that shakespeare was given to all unluckiness in stealing venison and rabbits, particularly from sir lucy who oft had him whipped and sometimes imprisoned and at last mad [sic] him fly his native country to his great advancement.
• Analyzes how rowe's writings give shakespeare a little more credibility than saying it was solely he who stole the game.
• Narrates how a young fellow fell into ill company and robbing the park belonging to sir thomas lucy of cherlecot, near stratford. he was prosecuted by that gentlemen, as he thought, somewhat too severely.
• Explains that the "ballad" referred to in this passage was never positively identified. however, there have been other early writings discovered that contain anti-lucy ideas.
• Analyzes how shakespeare's play the merry wives of windsor contains a character, justice robert shallow, who many believe is sir thomas lucy himself.
• Explains that the second theory of shakespeare working as a law clerk in the offices of the country attorney in stratford has even less evidence to back it up than the prior one.
• Analyzes how the third theory presented to explain shakespeare's whereabouts between leaving stratford and arriving in london fits the modern view of his personality better than the other two.
• Explains that shakespeare was living with the catholic family of the houghton's in lancashire. john cottom was shakespeare’s last schoolmaster in stratford.
• Argues that shakespeare must have been involved in writing, directing, and acting in plays at the lancashire school at which he worked. early play scripts show significant sources for some of shakespeare’s earliest plays including the comedy of errors.
• Explains that shakespeare traveled to italy, held horses outside theatres in london, or was a conscript in the low countries.
• Opines that shakespeare's whereabouts between 1586 and 1592 leans towards the third theory about his working as a schoolmaster in lancashire.
• Analyzes how a traveling theatre company of the queen's men visited stratford in 1587 and asked the locals to help in their performances. shakespeare impressed them with his natural talent and was asked to come to london.
• Opines that the lost years, in which the greatest writer in the history of the world disappeared for six years, will be a mystery forever.
• Explains that william shakespeare was born april 23rd 1564 on st. george's day.
• Explains that william taught himself how to write from a book. the merry wives of windsor was commissioned by queen elizabeth after her love of henry iv and the character of falstaff.
• Explains that the comedy of errors was originally performed on december 28th, 1594, but was thought to have been written in or before 1592.