Shakespeare's Tomb

The remains of William Shakespeare, England's greatest playwright, rest not in the grandeur of London's Westminster Abbey, but in a parish church in his hometown of Stratford upon Avon. The circumstances of Shakespeare's death and burial constitute a potent mix of rumor and legend, but this PBS-aired documentary—directed by Sophie Elwin Harris and hosted by scholar Helen Castor—aims to separate fact from folklore. What seems to intrigue visitors the most is a curse that Shakespeare had inscribed on his gravestone, forbidding all against disturbing his remains. Set next to that of his wife, Anne Hathaway, Shakespeare's grave seems too short, leading to a colorful (if unlikely) suggestion that the Bard was interred in a standing position. The church has honored Shakespeare's final wishes, refusing to allow any archaeological digs at the graves. However, recent technology permits ground penetrating radar to see some of what is underneath. Shakespeare died a relatively young man (in his early 50s) in 1616, possibly from typhoid contracted from drinking contaminated water or beer (the inability to study his bones prevents any final verdict). We do know that his body is interred in a shallow grave, perhaps three feet deep. The documentary describes at length a 19th-century story that trophy hunters stole Shakespeare's skull, later burying it in a different site. Along the way, Castor provides interesting snippets about Shakespeare (including the note in his will leaving his wife his "second best bed"), and she opens a window on the seamy side of Elizabethan England's world of charnel houses, where bodies would sometimes be relocated to make way for the newly deceased. While the documentary does not provide final answers, it does yield insights into a 400-year-old historical and literary question. Recommended. Aud: H, C, P. (S. Rees)