Shakespearian Biography and the Geography of Collaboration

Abstract

The essay looks at the possibilities for reconciling two vibrant strands of Shakespeare studies. Many scholars have persuasively argued that Shakespeare’s plays were created within the collaborative environment of the London playhouses, involving a variety of influences within the performance network of early modern London. Conversely, recent archaeological work at New Place, Shakespeare’s home in Stratford, convincingly maintains that Shakespeare would have spent the majority of his time here, and not in London. Could Shakespeare have collaborated if he was not based in London? And if his primary residence was in Stratford, how could he have contributed as a collaborator with other playwrights? Resolving the contradictions between these two divergent models is particularly urgent for biographers, who have to chart a geography of Shakespeare’s writing career amid his two locales.

Keywords

• Biography
• Collaboration
• Shakespeare