The Shakespeare Myth

The book takes listeners on a careful tour of the controversies that have surrounded the Shakespeare canon for more than a century. Drawing on early‑century research, it shows how the celebrated First Folio of 1623 is a patchwork of original texts, later revisions, and outright re‑writings. By cataloguing which plays survived in their quarto form, which were substantially improved, and which seem to have been created after the bard’s death, the author reveals the fragile foundations of the traditional story.

Using the meticulous work of bibliographers such as Pollard, Greg and Neidig, the narrative uncovers patterns of false dating and the commercial motives that fed the mythmaking at Stratford’s museum. The analysis extends to the curious case of anonymous publications, the delayed appearance of Shakespeare’s name, and the surprising number of plays that only emerged in print years after 1616. Listeners gain a nuanced understanding of how scholarly detective work can reshape our view of one of literature’s most enduring legends.