Quite possibly one of the most revealing passages about Shakespeare as a man comes from one of the roughest of the jottings made by gossip John Aubrey from his interview with William Beeston, son of the Christopher Beeston who had acted with Shakespeare’s company. The partly cancelled note reads: ‘the more to be admired, he was not a company keeper. [He] … wouldn’t be debauched, and if invited to, writ [i.e. wrote] he was in pain.’ [Ch.24]

Report Quote Report Quote Report Quote Submit Quote Submit Quote Submit Quote