8-3LostYears

What Were the "Lost Years" of Shakespeare's Life? //Answer prepared by Emma K.// The term “the lost years” refers to the period of Shakespeare's life from the time he left school at about 14 or 15 years of age to his reappearance in London in 1592 at age 21 or 22 as an up-and-coming playwright. No one knows for sure what he did during this period of his life, though there has been much speculation on the subject. Still, historians are unable to agree on just one theory, as there is virtually no evidence to back up most of the stories and legends about what happened to Shakespeare between 1585 and 1592.

For hundreds of years, scholars have searched for clues to explain what Shakespeare did during the lost years. By searching for Shakespeare’s name in documents written in 1580s and carefully looking through his plays and poems, people have come up with many theories. In 1681, scholar John Aubry wrote that William Shakespeare “had been in his younger years a schoolmaster in the country”. It is thought by some that John Cottom, who taught at Stratford school had his family home in Lancashire, may have found Shakespeare a job as a tutor for the family of local landowner Alexander Houghton. This theory is argued by E. A. J. Honigmann, author of Shakespeare: "The Lost Years" (1985). It is backed by some interesting evidence; a 'William Shakeshafte' was mentioned in Houghton’s will, as were several references to plays, play-clothes and musical instruments. While staying in the Houghton household, Shakespeare would have naturally begun participating in their private theatricals. He may have then passed through the Stanley family, who were connected to Lord Strange's men, a theater company that Shakespeare was associated with. But even though Honigmann presents this theory convincingly in his book, it cannot be confirmed.

One of the more popular tales tells of how Shakespeare was caught poaching deer in Charlecote Park, near Stratford, and went off to London to avoid prosecution. Others imagine that when he was growing up, drama was a significant part of Stratford's social life; the local people may have put on amateur shows, and it is likely that the town was visited regularly by London-based companies of actors. Shakespeare may have joined one of these companies. When a traveling theater company visited Stratford, they may have found that they were short on actors and allowed an eager Shakespeare to join them. This is perhaps the most widely accepted theory as to what Shakespeare did during the lost years. This theory would explain the fact that he reappeared in London around 1586/7. If he //did //join up with a London-based theater company, and there is convincing evidence that it did, he likely would have shown them his promising dramatic work, told them he could work as a scrivener (somebody whose job involves writing or making handwritten copies of documents, books, or other texts), impressed them with his wittiness and natural talent, and joined the world of the theater. We don't really know, but this seems like a very plausible scenario.

While there are countless other possibilities as to Shakespeare’s activity during the lost years, some are not as well known or as widely accepted as others. For example, Edmond Malone, an eighteenth century Shakespeare scholar, noted Shakespeare's knowledge of the law and speculated that he "was employed while he yet remained at Stratford, in the office of some country attorney..." It is true that Shakespeare’s plays are full of legal terms, but Shakespeare was in fact involved in several legal cases, and this could be an equally believable explanation for his understanding of the law. In Shakespeare’s time, it was common for at least one son to follow in his father’s footsteps. Perhaps Shakespeare did just that during the lost years, helping his father, John Shakespeare, in his wool dealing business or in his glove-making shop. Yet another Shakespeare scholar, W.J. Thomas, argued that the famous playwright’s military knowledge proved that he was a soldier. Thomas found a document that listed a soldier by the name of William Shakespeare; the man the document described, however, served in 1605, when Shakespeare was a famous playwright. Therefore, this is an unlikely explanation. And there are even more theories; some people claim that Shakespeare’s references to flowers and plants in his plays imply that he worked as a gardener for some time; others argue that his works demonstrate knowledge of medicine. But these speculations are nearly impossible to prove. Shakespeare’s references to gardening activities and plants may have simply reflected his interest in his own garden or gardens in general, and his characters are often scornful of physicians and medicine.  Scholars continue to investigate Shakespeare’s activity from 1885 to 1892, yet they may never find out the true story of Shakespeare’s life during these “lost years.”

**//Works Cited: // **  Gray, Terry A. "The Lost Years." __Mr. William Shakespeare and the Internet__. 27 Feb. 2009.  "Outline of Shakespeare's Life." __Welcome to the Shakespeare Birthplace Trust__. The Shakespeare Birthplace Trust. 27 Feb. 2009 .  "What does the term 'the lost years' mean in relation to Shakespeare's life?" Shakespeare Birthplace Trust. 27 Feb. 2009 [|http://www.shakespeare.org.uk]  Hinds, Kathryn. __The Countryside (Life in Elizabethan England)__. New York: Benchmark Books (NY), 2007.