The shadowy side of Britain’s well known bard’s personality may have been forgotten for a long time. Widely regarded as the greatest writer in English history, William Shakespeare is mostly know for his sonnets and plays. His historical image is that of a nice, friendly man in everyday life. But a recent study of Aberystwyth University shows that Shakespeare wasn’t just that: he evaded taxes and was a food hoarder in times of crisis.
Shakespeare knew a lot about growing crops and storing food, because he describes this on numerous occasions in his plays. He also describes how tradesmen make money of poor people by storing food and selling it during a food crisis. It’s clear now that Shakespeare actually described his own role in this part, making his denunciation of food hoarders that more controversial.
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