Shakespeare’s funerary monument in Stratford-upon-Avon, England. Photo: Brian Seed/Bridgeman ImagesIn the final act of “The Tempest,” the wizardly Prospero may have drowned his book of spells. But of making books about Shakespeare there is no end. In particular, a set of questions about the writer—concerning identity, authorship, legitimacy—has vexed readers for centuries. Of Shakespeare, we know a few things, but lack of knowledge has never prevented people from speculating, sometimes wildly.

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Persons: Brian Seed, Prospero, Shakespeare, —, William Shakespeare’s, George Bernard Shaw Organizations: Avon Locations: Stratford, Avon, England