Letter: Shakespearian fiction with roots in truth

Robert Nye
Saturday 20 February 1993 19:02 EST
Comments

Your support helps us to tell the story

From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.

At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.

The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.

Your support makes all the difference.

ANITA MASON seems to think that I am playing literary games by saying in my novel Mrs Shakespeare that two of the drinking cronies of Shakespeare's father were called Bardolfe and Fluellen ('Will well done by his wife', Review, 14 February). Truth can be more playful than fiction. A real- life George Bardolfe and William Fluellen were named along with John Shakespeare in a list of persons not attending Stratford Church in 1592 'for fear of process for debtte'. The game I am playing is actually to ask if Shakespeare's own father might have been the original for Falstaff.

Robert Nye

Cork, Ireland

Join our commenting forum

Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies

Comments

Thank you for registering

Please refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged inPlease refresh your browser to be logged in