Who art thou, William? 4 Shakespearean mysteries unsolved after 450 years


Definitely not the definitive portrait of William Shakespeare: On the 450th anniversary of his birth, we're still no closer to uncovering the most enigmatic of Shakespearean characters, Shakespeare himself.

Go, Shakespeare, it's your birthday! For a man who would've been 450 years old today, it’s shocking how little we know of the Bard from Stratford-upon-Avon.

Every year, Shakespeare’s literary legacy is performed and adapted, discussed and criticised, celebrated and satirised, published and republished all over the globe. Case in point: The World Shakespeare Bibliography, which has maintained a global database of various stuff written about or inspired by the playwright since 1960, boasts a list that currently tallies at 136,494 entries – far more than the 38 plays and 154 poems attributed to him.

Celebrate Merdeka with 50% Off!
T&C applies.

Monthly Plan

RM13.90/month
RM6.95 only

Billed as RM6.95 for the 1st month then RM13.90 thereafters.

Annual Plan

RM12.33/month
RM6.17/month

Billed as RM78 for the 1st year then RM148 thereafters.

1 month

Free Trial

For new subscribers only


Cancel anytime. No ads. Auto-renewal. Unlimited access to the web and app. Personalised features. Members rewards.
Follow us on our official WhatsApp channel for breaking news alerts and key updates!
   

Next In People

Italian villagers band together to help their mayor lose some weight
Young Chinese women are hiring female cosplayers to play dream men
Heart and Soul: Remembering Denis Doss, a true La Sallian
These Malaysian plant lovers want to help fellow 'plant parents' flourish
19yo Malaysian math whiz sets record for solving 50 digits multiplication in 24.61 secs
Malaysian woman quits office job to pursue career as a commercial diver
Malaysian barber to give free haircuts over 96 hours in record-breaking attempt
Poultry therapy: A community meet and knit while providing emotional support
Wally Amos, founder of Famous Amos cookies who later lost the brand, dies at 88
How a Pennsylvania nurse became the hornet king of TikTok

Others Also Read