The Lost Years

^{YOU ARE CORRECT!}

After the birth of Hamnet & Judith, there is no documentary record of what William Shakespeare was doing until Robert Greene, a fellow playwright, writes of him in 1592

"Shakespeare was much given to all unluckiness in stealing venison (deer) and rabbits, particularly from Sir Lucy who oft had him whipped and sometimes imprisoned and at last mad[e] him fly his native country to his great advancement."

--Richard Davies, a clergyman, 1616

"...was employed while yet he remained at Stratford, in the office of some country attorney"

--speculation of Edmond Malone, eighteenth century Shakespearean scholar

This lack of evidence has led to several interesting theories as to his profession including:

	Teacher in the countryside
	Franciscan monk
	Soldier
	Moneylender
	Coachman
	Sailor
	Horse holder outside the theatre

Although we know very little about these "Lost Years," from Greene's quote we learn a few important facts about Shakespeare's career growth up to 1592:

	Successful enough to arouse Greene's jealousy
	Part of the professional theatre world in London
	Known as a Jack-of-all-trades (Johannes fac totum)
	Skilled poet ("bombast out a blanke verse")
	Henry VI, Part III is famous enough to be quoted ("O, tiger's heart wrapped in a woman's hide")

"...for there is an upstart Crow, beautified with our feathers, that with his Tygers hart wrapt in a Players hyde, supposes he is as well able to bombast out a blanke verse as the best of you: and beeing an absolute Johannes fac totum, is in his owne conceit the onely Shake-scene in a countrey."

--Robert Greene, minor Elizabethan playwright