How Far Is One Thousand Kilometers? -- July 25, 2019

Link here.

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The Literature Page

They say "behind every successful man is a woman."

My dad suggested that for many successful men it was "Lady Luck," which is ... a woman. LOL.

I digress.

William Shakespeare.

For many years doing well, but never had that "breakthrough moment" during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I.

If Shakespeare was surviving during Queen Elizabeth's reign, it was mostly due to lack of many competitors. Back in 1594 there had been only three permanent outdoor playhouses in London. Shakespeare's company, Chamberlain's Men, had few competitors, maybe only one or two other acting troupes of any note.

By 1603 it had been almost ten years since he had written a new play. He was washed out, a has-been. Life was passing him by. He was 39 years old; life expectancy, mid-40s.

Things worsened upon the death of Queen Elizabeth I in 1603. It looked like Shakespeare and his group of merry men were nearing their end. The new king, King James I, banned plays on the Sabbath, which was the only real money-making day, the only day the minions had the day off from work and could attend plays.

It looked like the end.

From James Shapiro, c. 2015, p 21:

Then, suddenly, came news that profoundly altered the trajectory of Shakespeare's career: King James chose Shakespeare and his fellow players as his official company.

After May 19, 1603, Shakespeare and eight others were to be known as the King's Men, authorized to perform not only at the court and the Globe but also throughout the realm, if they wished to tour. It was more than a symbolic title; Shakespeare was now a Groom of the Chamber, and he and the other shareholders were each issued four and a half yards of red cloth for royal livery to be worn on state occasions.

Exactly how and why Shakespeare's company was elevated to the position of King's Men has never been satisfyingly explained. Their talent and reputation surely played no part. 

A valuable "go-between" is necessary to explain Shakespeare's phenomenal luck.

Shapiro comes close but never identifies the name of "Lady Luck."

Quick, to Brenda James' The Truth Will Out, c. 2005. Chapter Eight, Freedom and Disappointment, 1603 - 1608, and the history of Sir Henry Neville at this time solves the problem.

Sir Henry Neville was "Lady Luck," the valuable "go-between" that Shakespeare needed.

More on Sir Henry Neville later.