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We don't know for a fact that Shakespeare had any love affairs after he was married. There are hints: Thomas Betterton claimed to be Shakespeare's bastard son, but he might well have made this up for publicity purposes. A current joke had a female theatre fan after seeing Burbage's performance as Richard III invite him to her bed, but Shakespeare got there first and slept with her "because William the Conqueror came before Richard III". Is this an accurate representation of the morals of actors of the time, or just a joke? Some people read some of the sonnets as biographical descriptions of Shakespeare's love life, but writers of the time were also hired to write sonnets by other people to express their feelings (rather the same way as we buy birthday cards and let someone else write the poetry in them to express our feelings). All in all we cannot say for sure whether Shakespeare had love affairs.

Nor can we tell whether Anne knew about them if he did have them. When Shakespeare retired he returned to Stratford and resumed domestic life with her. There is no report of any separation. She apparently was involved in the approval of the monument in Stratford Church. On her death she was buried at Will's side. It does not appear that their domestic harmony was disturbed. So, if Shakespeare had love affairs (and we cannot be sure he did), Anne might not have known but she also might have known and have forgiven her husband.

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8y ago

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