Two of the greatest mysteries concerning Shakespeare are: Why did he leave his wife, Anne Hathaway, and his three young children behind in Stratford-upon-Avon and who was the Dark Lady who appears in Sonnets 127-154 and possibly others as well? Did the Bard remain in London because of her, if indeed she really existed?
Some experts claim that the Dark Lady (never referred to by WS as such) was Mary Fitton, a maid-of-honour serving at Queen Elizabeth I's court. Other experts, such as Jonathan Bale in The Genius of Shakespeare claim that this mysterious lady was in fact, Aline Florio, the wife of John Florio, an English born ex-Italian translator and lexicographer who worked for WS's patron, Henry Wrothesley, Earl of Southampton.
The critic, A.L. Rowse states that none of this is true and that the Dark Lady must have been Emilia Bassano-Lanier, the daughter of a Venetian Jewish court musician who served King Henry VIII. Other ladies have been put forward including, Lucy Morgan, a Clerkenwell brothel-owner, Jane Davenant and Jacklin (Jacqueline) Field, the wife of WS's fellow Stratfordian, Richard Field, who printed some of WS's work.
MARY FITTON (1578-1647) was an Elizabethan gentlewoman who had a several well-publicised scandalous love affairs. The first was with the Earl of Pembroke. When he refused to admit paternity for their child, he and Mary Fitton were sent to prison. Afterwards, the pair of them were not allowed to come to court. Then she had an affair with Vice-Admiral Sir Richard Leveson and then had another with one of his officers. This last man she married and when he died, she married a Welsh captain who died in 1636, eleven years before her own death at the age of 69.
Mary Fitton
There is no proof that Mary Fitton was the Dark Lady although some critics claim that her first known lover, the Earl of Pembroke, may have been the 'fair youth' mentioned in the Sonnets. This may be the link between the poet, the earl (WS's possible friend and/or patron) and the Dark Lady herself.
ALINE FLORIO was the wife of John Florio, a linguist and lexicographer. He is thought to have been one of Shakespeare's friends and one who also influenced the Bard with his writing. The Dark Lady - "black beauty" - (Sonnet 127), if she really existed may have been dark-skinned (not the norm in Queen Elizabeth's day) because if she was indeed Florio's wife she may have been of Italian extraction like her husband. Of course, this is all speculation and there is no proof that WS was pining away for his language tutor's wife while he left Anne and the family back home one hundred miles away in Stratford-upon-Avon.
Next time: Was Emilia Lanier-Bassano the real Dark Lady? For comments, write to: wsdavidyoung@gmail.com
Some experts claim that the Dark Lady (never referred to by WS as such) was Mary Fitton, a maid-of-honour serving at Queen Elizabeth I's court. Other experts, such as Jonathan Bale in The Genius of Shakespeare claim that this mysterious lady was in fact, Aline Florio, the wife of John Florio, an English born ex-Italian translator and lexicographer who worked for WS's patron, Henry Wrothesley, Earl of Southampton.
The critic, A.L. Rowse states that none of this is true and that the Dark Lady must have been Emilia Bassano-Lanier, the daughter of a Venetian Jewish court musician who served King Henry VIII. Other ladies have been put forward including, Lucy Morgan, a Clerkenwell brothel-owner, Jane Davenant and Jacklin (Jacqueline) Field, the wife of WS's fellow Stratfordian, Richard Field, who printed some of WS's work.
MARY FITTON (1578-1647) was an Elizabethan gentlewoman who had a several well-publicised scandalous love affairs. The first was with the Earl of Pembroke. When he refused to admit paternity for their child, he and Mary Fitton were sent to prison. Afterwards, the pair of them were not allowed to come to court. Then she had an affair with Vice-Admiral Sir Richard Leveson and then had another with one of his officers. This last man she married and when he died, she married a Welsh captain who died in 1636, eleven years before her own death at the age of 69.
There is no proof that Mary Fitton was the Dark Lady although some critics claim that her first known lover, the Earl of Pembroke, may have been the 'fair youth' mentioned in the Sonnets. This may be the link between the poet, the earl (WS's possible friend and/or patron) and the Dark Lady herself.
ALINE FLORIO was the wife of John Florio, a linguist and lexicographer. He is thought to have been one of Shakespeare's friends and one who also influenced the Bard with his writing. The Dark Lady - "black beauty" - (Sonnet 127), if she really existed may have been dark-skinned (not the norm in Queen Elizabeth's day) because if she was indeed Florio's wife she may have been of Italian extraction like her husband. Of course, this is all speculation and there is no proof that WS was pining away for his language tutor's wife while he left Anne and the family back home one hundred miles away in Stratford-upon-Avon.
Next time: Was Emilia Lanier-Bassano the real Dark Lady? For comments, write to: wsdavidyoung@gmail.com
