Imagining Shakespeare’s Wife: The Afterlife of Anne Hathaway

Scheil (She Hath Been Reading), an associate professor of English at the University of Minnesota, has not written a book about Shakespeare’s wife, but about the various myths surrounding Anne Hathaway and her relation to the Bard. Hathaway’s mark on the historical record is small, consisting of little more than her epitaph, her marriage license, a minor bequest in her husband’s last will, and her family cottage, preserved as a Shakespearean pilgrimage site up to the present day. This thin legacy, Scheil observes, has allowed anyone with an interest in Shakespeare’s life to interpret Hathaway according to an agenda, whether that means depicting her as a jealous and scheming shrew, a loyal and beloved partner, or the secret genius behind her husband’s fame. These fantasies are laid out in exacting detail, collected like pinned butterflies for the reader to peruse, with the inescapable conclusion that the only thing that can be said for sure about Hathaway and her relationship to Shakespeare is that their personal history is and will always be unknowable. Those with an academic interest will find this an excellent resource, but casual readers will find the lack of definitive conclusions frustrating. (Aug.)