Who was William Shakespeare? He is far more elusive, and his life more obscure, than his fans and biographers will admit. We consider the massive, bloated mythology that has built up around the great Bard over the centuries, and then examine the remarkably scant surviving documentary records from the writer's own lifetime, which tend to paint a both bizarre and unflattering picture. The first of three installments examining the reality of Shakespeare. Please support this podcast in order to keep the lectures coming and make them regular and dependable! -- www.patreon.com/user?u=5530632 Suggested further reading: S. Schoenbaum, "William Shakespeare: A Compact Documentary Life"; James Shapiro, "Contested Will: Who Wrote Shakespeare?"; Diana Price, "Shakespeare's Unorthodox Biography."