Eglinton and
Best ask
Stephen to continue on with his theory about
Ann Hathaway, whom they had always assumed to be “a Penelope stay-at-home.” Stephen explains that
Shakespeare spent 20 years living lavishly in London, enjoying plenty of fancy food and women. Meanwhile, Stephen argues, Ann Hathaway was busy with other men. As evidence, Stephen cites Shakespeare’s sonnets and
Hamlet, with its emphasis on broken vows. He asks why there is no record of Ann’s existence between her marriage and her death, besides her taking a loan from a shepherd. Moreover, in his will, Shakespeare left her nothing but his second-best bed. Eglinton thinks this was just a legal convention, but Stephen insists that Shakespeare omitted his wife’s name from the first draft of his will and was wealthy enough to leave her plenty of money (and beds).