| Who was the young man, that 'fair friend',
to whom Shakespeare's addressed his sonnets? It is a question that
has puzzled both scholars and amatures for generations.
The eminent Shakespearean scholar Dr. Leslie Hotson believed he had solved the mystery. In his enthralling book 'Mr. W.H.' he set out to show the sonnets must have been addressed to a man filling certain peculiar requirements, and that the only man to fill those requirements was William Hatcliffe, of Hatcliffe and West Ravendale. Dr Hotson presents a wealth of information to prove his theory that William Hatcliffe was supremely suited to the role of the friend who wins Shakespeare's heart. He portrays William Hatcliffe as a graceful young gentleman who feasts Lord Bughley and four earls together in state, and is himself received like visiting royalty by Queen Elizabeth. Dr Hotson's book is a must for anyone wanting to examine in detail the very comphrehensive evidence about William Hatcliffe and the so-called 'Shakespeare Connection'. The book should be available at any good library, or obtainable through inter-libary loan. The Nicholas Hilliard portrait Hotson believes is Shakespeare's 'Friend' - William Hatcliffe Esquire. Listen to a rendition of Sonnet 18, Shall
I Compare Thee to a Summer's Day,
Shakespeare Connection continued |