Any list of “Things You Didn’t Know About Shakespeare” usually comes up lacking, but I have to admit that I learned several new things this time. That is, assuming that these are all true and not apocryphal.
Sure, we all knew that Shakespeare had twins, one of whom died. And the story with the starlings, although I still believe that one is fake. Not that he released the starlings, that’s true – but that it had anything to do with Shakespeare. I find no proof of that, and I’ve looked.
But did I know that Hitler designed a Shakespeare play? Or that the first amateur performance was in 1623? Or that Mozart tried his hand at The Tempest? All news to me! A very interesting list indeed.