New Research Debunks Shakespeare’s Rags To Riches Story
Some people would assume that the best art is created from struggle; when the artist is down on his luck, he can use that turmoil to craft a masterpiece. It’s not an ironclad rule, but it does add flavor to those afflicted by the struggle. William Shakespeare is a prime example — or at least he was, if new evidence is to be believed.
The assumption was that William Shakespeare went from a mere scribbler to the world’s greatest playwright by virtue of his effort and talent — the typical rags to riches story. But financier David Fallow, who’s been studying the Shakespeare family for ages, has effectively proven otherwise. Previously, historians thought that his father, John Shakespeare, was a glove and leather worker who was eventually forced into bankruptcy. If anything, the reverse is true; he ran a successful wool business, and became even wealthier after he moved into illegal sales of his product.
Even without money earned from William Shakespeare’s works, the father figure made his fair share of wealth. He managed to buy acres of land and a massive house, and only slipped out of the public eye to avoid having his shady practices outed. Presumably, the son had plenty of resources to fall back on — but given that he would see self-made successes, they ended up being a formality, not a requirement.
