Shakespeare's will

William Shakespeare's will, written in secretary hand. Only the two words "By me" and the signature at the right are believed to be in Shakespeare's handwriting.

William Shakespeare's last will and testament was signed on 25 March 1616, just under a month before his death. The document has been used by many scholars and biographers to deduce details of his personal life and opinions. The best-known passage from the will is the bequest to his wife of his "second best bed". The significance, if any, of this phrase has been much debated. The will has also been used as evidence of his attitudes towards his two daughters, Susanna and Judith, and their respective husbands, John Hall and Thomas Quiney.

The content of the will has also been studied for information about Shakespeare's religious beliefs, his health, moral values and his relationship to his colleagues in the London theatre-world.

Context

Shakespeare's will was made shortly after his daughter Judith was married to Thomas Quiney. He first summoned his lawyer, Francis Collins, in January 1616, shortly before the couple's wedding on 10 February. A draft of the will was made, but not signed. It was soon revealed that Quiney had made a girl called Margaret Wheeler pregnant. In mid March 1616, Margaret Wheeler died in childbirth. Her baby died with her, and they were both buried on 15 March. On 25 March Shakespeare made a number of alterations, probably because he was dying and because of his concerns about Quiney. In the first bequest of the will there had been a provision "vnto my sonne in L[aw]"; but "sonne in L[aw]" was then struck out, with Judith's name inserted in its stead.

There is evidence that Shakespeare had a close relationship with his other son-in-law, John Hall, as Hall is recorded travelling to London with his father-in-law on business in 1614, where the two stayed for several weeks. While they were there, the Stratford town clerk, who was also in the capital, visited them to discuss an issue of local politics.

Other persons mentioned in the will are friends and business associates in Stratford and in London, including several of his colleagues from the theatre.

Preamble

The preamble is a conventional one, typical of many wills of the period. It was probably chosen by Shakespeare's lawyer:

In the name of God Amen. I William Shackspeare of Stratford upon Avon in the county of Warwickshire gent., in perfect health & memory God be praised, do make & ordain this my last will & testament in manner & form following. That is to say first, I commend my Soul into the hands of God my Creator, hoping & assuredly believing through the only merits of Jesus Christ my Saviour to be made partaker of life everlasting. And my body to the earth whereof it is made.

Bequests

To his daughter Judith he bequeathed £100 (about £20,000 as of 2024) "in discharge of her marriage porcion"; another £50 if she were to relinquish the Chapel Lane cottage; and, if she or any of her children were still alive at the end of three years following the date of the will, a further £150, of which she was to receive the interest but not the principal. This money was explicitly denied to Thomas Quiney unless he were to bestow on Judith lands of equal value. In a separate bequest, Judith was given "my broad silver gilt bole."

Towards the end of the will he left his wife, Anne, "my second-best bed, with the furniture", while his son-in-law John Hall and the latter's wife, his other daughter Susannah, was left the rest of his "goods, chattels, leases, plate, jewels, and household stuff whatsoever." Critics of Shakespeare have used this to support allegations of unkindness to his wife, while defenders have speculated Anne may have become an invalid and incapable of administering the estate (about which there is no evidence) or that the unmentioned 'best bed' was either kept for guests or that it may have been Shakespeare's death bed, while others suggest the 'second-best' was the matrimonial bed which had special significance. It has been speculated that Anne was to be supported by her children. Germaine Greer suggests that the bequests were the result of agreements made at the time of Susanna's marriage to Dr Hall: that she (and thus her husband) inherited the bulk of Shakespeare's estate. Shakespeare had business ventures with Dr Hall, and consequently appointed John and Susanna as executors of his will. Dr Hall and Susanna inherited and moved into New Place after Shakespeare's death.

John Heminge, Henry Condell and Richard Burbage, his acting associates, were each bequeathed 26 shillings and eightpence to buy mourning rings.

Finally, for the bulk of his estate, which included his main house, New Place, his two houses on Henley Street and various lands in and around Stratford, Shakespeare had set up an entail. His estate was bequeathed, in descending order of choice, to the following: 1) his daughter, Susanna Hall; 2) upon Susanna's death, "to the first sonne of her bodie lawfullie yssueing & to the heires Males of the bodie of the saied first Sonne lawfullie yssueing"; 3) to Susanna's second son and his male heirs; 4) to Susanna's third son and his male heirs; 5) to Susanna's "ffourth ... ffyfth sixte & Seaventh sonnes" and their male heirs; 6) to Elizabeth Hall, Susanna and John Hall's firstborn, and her male heirs; 7) to Judith and her male heirs; or 8) to whatever heirs the law would normally recognise. This elaborate entail is usually taken to indicate that Thomas Quiney was not to be entrusted with Shakespeare's inheritance, although some have speculated that it might simply indicate that Susanna was the favoured child.

External links

• Shakespeare's will from The National Archives
• Transcript of Shakespeare's will from Internet Shakespeare Editions