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F E E L A T H O M E www.azindiatimes.com PAGE - 8 Apr 2019 1-844-AZINDIA Shakespeare's Secrets By Aanchal Sethi aanchalvsethi@icloud.com To be, or not to be, that is the question: Whether 'tis nobler in the mind to suffer The slings and arrows of outrageous fortune, Or to take arms against a sea of troubles And by opposing end them. To die—to sleep, The above paragraph is the very essence of life, every action in my life is based on analyzing the situation and deciphering " To Be or Not Be ". These days I have decided Not To Be FAT!!! So I have taken arms against a sea of troubles and ex- ercising but I'd really rather sleep. This article is Not To Be a feeble at- tempt at amateur psychology but rather an exploration of some less- er known facts about Shakespeare, the Bard who lived at Stratford- upon-Avon and is the highest read author in English literature only second to the Bible. This month on April 23 we will be celebrating both his 455th birth anniversary and his 403rd death anniversary. 1. Shakespeare married an older woman who was three months preg- nant at the time. In November 1582, 18-year-old William wed Anne Hathaway, a farmer’s daughter eight years his senior. The church wedding was a hasty affair because of the sensitive and scan- dalous situation of Anne. Six months after the wedding, the Shakespeares welcomed a daughter, Susanna, and twins Hamnet and Judith followed in February 1585. Very lit- tle is known about their relationship besides that they often lived apart and he only be- queathed her his “second-best bed” in his will. 2. Nobody knows what Shakespeare did between 1585 and 1592. Much To the amazement of his biographers, Shakespeare disappears between 1585, when his twins’ baptism was recorded, and 1592, when the playwright Robert Greene denounced him in a pamphlet as an “upstart crow.” The insult suggests he’d already made a name for himself on the London stage by then. What did the newly married father and future literary icon do during those seven “lost” years? 3. Shakespeare did not know how to spell his name: Neither do WE Sources from William Shakespeare’s lifetime spell his last name in more than 80 different ways, ranging from “Shappere” to “Shaxberd.” In the handful of signa- tures that have survived, the Bard never spelled his own name “William Shake- speare,” using variations or abbreviations such as “Willm Shakp,” “Willm Shaks- pere” and “William Shakspeare” instead. 4. Shakespeare’s epitaph wards off would-be grave robbers with a curse. William Shakespeare died on April 23, 1616, at the age of 52—the cause of his death is not entirely known but it is believed that the Bard fell ill after a night of heavy drinking with fellow playwright Ben Jonson. Despite his swift demise, Shakespeare supposedly had the wherewithal to pen the epitaph over his tomb to discourage the numerous grave robbers who plundered England’s cemeteries at the time, the verse reads: “ Good friend, for Jesus’ sake forbeare, / To dig the dust enclosed here. Blessed be the man that spares these stones, / And cursed be he that moves my bones. ” It must have done the trick, since Shakespeare’s remains have yet to be disturbed. 5. Some people actually think Shakespeare was a fraud. How did a common man who had never gone to college become one of the most worldly and eloquent writers in history? Even early in his career, Shakespeare was spinning tales that displayed in-depth knowledge of international affairs, Eu- ropean capitals and history, as well as familiarity with the royal court and high so- ciety. For this reason, some theorists have suggested that one or several authors wishing to conceal their true identity used the person of William Shakespeare as a front. Most historians remain skeptical about this hypothesis, although many suspect Shakespeare sometimes collaborated with other playwrights. Shakespeare has been a part of my growing up, my favorite being The Tempest, do share with us your favorite Shakespeare work and your interpretation of his writings. Hope you enjoyed the lesser known facts of Shakespeare.