1. What early hints do you see that the boy Shakespeare will become the writing genius? What sorts of traits do you see that indicate particular talents or tendencies?

• The boy was very imaginative and determined to live life to the full with his friends – these experiences have given him something to draw on.
• The boy Shakespeare seems to have wanted experiences – he led the others in the group astray, into trouble, or doing things they wouldn’t otherwise have done.
• Shakespeare seems very determined and ambitious – he doesn’t want to stay at home with a family, he wants more out of life.
• Traits like being charismatic lend themselves to actors and public speakers, whereas being bookish and hard-working are more academic traits, and being adventurous and a bit of a daredevil lends itself to travel, where imagination lends itself to writing and art.

2. Over the years, some Shakespeare critics and scholars have argued that it would be impossible for a boy with Shakespeare’s small-town grammar-school background to write the brilliant plays he did with all their diversity and depth. Do you think such a mind could come from a rural background?

• Good writing comes from experience and imagination – being able to use your experiences and develop them with imagination into a storyline.
• You also need to understand people and emotions and, according to what Shakespeare and his family undergo in this story, it is certainly believable that he had experiences he could draw on.
• I don’t think background necessarily precludes being successful, even in the 16^th century, where background was more important than it is today.
• Wolsey was the son of a butcher and Cromwell the son of a blacksmith, and they were two of the most powerful men in the realm – it also depends on luck and knowing the right people.

3. Although Will and Anne Whateley are in love from their early days, they disagree on many things. Do you think this weakens or strengthens their relationship? Can two strong-minded people who disagree on key issues really get along over the years? In love relationships, do opposites really attract?

• Some disagreements can strengthen a relationship because constant agreement can be boring and disagreements mean you’re comfortable expressing feelings to that person.
• I think opposites do attract but don’t always last as you need something in common in order to fully engage and talk to each other.
• Strong-minded people can get along over the years, and often the big clashes result in passionate reconciliations which can make up for the negative parts.
• Opposites do attract because people like what they see as the exotic and unusual rather than that which is familiar to them.

Continue reading “Discussion Questions – ‘Shakespeare’s Mistress’ by Karen Harper” →