Book 53: The Final Act of Mr. Shakespeare by Robert Winder
Book 53: :The Final Act of Mr. Shakespeare: a Novel
Author: Robert Winder, 2010.
Genre: Historical Fiction, early 17the century England.
Other Details Hardback, 436 pages.
This intelligent, well-crafted novel opens with William Shakespeare returning to London in February 1613 to attend a gala performances of his Richard III. He finds that he is not only disillusioned with the reign of James I but also angry with himself for the way in which he had rewritten history in order to to flatter the Tudor dynasty; specifically by casting Richard III as a hunchbacked monster rather than a deposed king. He is concerned that he will leave behind a legacy in which he will be seen as a "willing collaborator in a calculated piece of political myth-making . . a disgraceful apologia for treason that falsely presented the greedy usurping Tudors as a troop of white knights rescuing England from tyranny".
Shakespeare’s urge to defy royal authority is further sharpened when, after a visit to Sir Walter Raleigh in the Tower, he is abducted by James I's Chief Justice Sir Edward Coke and ordered to write a drama flattering Henry VIII. He agrees but quickly decides to have John Fletcher, his successor as chief dramatist in the King's Men, write that play. Meanwhile, he will work on 'The True and Tragicall History of Henry VII . His plan to 'set the record straight' about the Tudor dynasty is dangerous, and likely treasonable, especially when he is entrusted with an explosive secret.
Shakespeare gathers together his trusted friends, members of the King's Men, to work on the real play in secret. They hold a number of clandestine meetings at locations scattered all over London, playing a cat-and-mouse game with Coke's spies. Also in attendance is the teenage daughter of the poet John Donne, Constance, who has been asked there to supply the female perspective. While Shakespeare is the guiding spirit, the play itself emerges from improvisation and collaboration between Shakespeare and all the players. This organic method does suit the storyline and though Winder does admit in his notes that this is a fictional practice, he insists that as drama is a 'team sport' there might be some truth to it.
Winder is quite bold in including scenes and dialogue from this fictitious play as it develops throughout the novel, and finally all five acts of play, even though it is the raw material rather than the polished version that Shakespeare plans to work up. While Winder is no Shakespeare, I certainly admired his attempt to fill in the gap with the history plays. Aside from an opening disclaimer he also has an end note in which he gives short details of how the lives of the historical characters within the novel played out.
As a long-time supporter of Richard III, I gave a little cheer at the the idea of Shakespeare desiring to right the wrong of Richard III and so was engaged by the story from the opening. I enjoyed the book for its originality as well as for Winder's literary chutzpah in writing an entire 'lost' play. It is a rich narrative, full of reflections on the recurring themes in Shakespeare's plays such as the relationship between fathers and sons and of being washed ashore in strange lands. His characterisations are vibrant and there is a tremendous sense of the theatrical camaraderie with quips and witticisms constantly being exchanged. He also does an excellent job of bringing early 17th century London to life in all its smelly glory as well as contrasting it with the pastoral delights of rural Warwickshire.
Note: to date this book has only been published in the UK.