Hidden Allusions in Shakespeares' Plays

Hidden Allusions in Shakespeares' Plays, by Eva Turner Clark

The Famous Victories of Henry V

Produced at court for the beginning of the theatrical season at Christmas 1574

containing parts of 1 and 2 Henry 4 and Henry 5

The Gad's Hill escapade on the road from Gravesend to Rochester occurred in May 1573
"The 14th year of Henry 4" is an unhistorical date
11th Earl of Oxford is made more prominent than in the source material of Hall's Chronicles of 1548, not Holinshead's of 1578 All dates indicated in the posts about the individual plays are those suggested by Eva Turner Clark.

The Comedy of Errors

The Comedy of Errors

January 1, 1577 N.S. The historie of error

Accession of Henry 3, death of Charles 9, events in France in 1574
Henry came from Poland, where he had been elected king

Christopher Hatton's Christmas present from the Queen in 1571:
"Do you hear it ring"
"What, the chain"
"No, No, the bell"
from Act 4 scene 2

"Thou art false in all and art confederate with a damned pack, to make a loathsome abject scorn of me."

Timon of Athens

Timon of Athens

Feb 17, 1577 N.S. The Historie of The Solitarie Knight

A young mand, generous with entertainment, rich gifts, and hospitality is in financial difficulties
False friends refuse him help in time of trouble
Oxford was out of favor for a short time when he separated from his wife Anne
Similarities to a letter of Oxford to Burleigh from Siena: "I have no help but of mine own, and mine is made to serve me and myself"

Oxford had been travelling from Jan 7, 1575 N.S. to April 1576 for 16 months

Titus Andronicus

Titus Andronicus

Feb. 19, 1577 N.S. Titus and Gisippus

Set in Rome
The Spanish Fury in Antwerp under the Duke of Alba
Hand-werpen, pay toll or lose right hand, the coat of arms of Antwerp became 2 hands
Arundel/ Aaron dell / aaron the moor
From Ovid's Metamorphosis: The mutilation of Lavinia and the cannibal banquet
Saturninus is Philip of Spain
Tamora is Mary Queen of Scots
Young Lucius to Titus: " Grandsire, 'tis Ovid's Metamorphosis, My mother gave it me"

Pericles, Prince of Tyre

Pericles, Prince of Tyre

Dec. 29, 1577 A pastorell or historie of a greek maid

The dowager Duchess of Suffolk's (Peregrine Bertie's mother) efforts at reuniting Oxford with his daughter Elizabeth.

Armor lost in a shipwreck
Lor Cerimon is Dr. Dee
"harpy" from the supporter of Oxford's coat of arms
reunion of Pericles and Thaisa is reunion of Oxford and his daughter.

Cymbeline

Cymbeline

Dec. 28, 1578 An history of the crueltie of a Stepmother

Catherine de Medici and Henry 3

Milford Haven is Long Melford progress of Elizabeth 1
Caius Lucius is Mendoza
Don John's legions in Gallia
Imogen is 20 years heir to her father's throne, Elizabeth 1558-1578

The Taming of The Shrew

The Taming of The Shrew

"The Morrall of the marryage of Mynde and Measure" of Jan. 1, 1579 N.S.

Lady Mary Vere married to Lord Willoughby:
"We find Sir Thomas Cecil in a letter to his father speaking of an "unkindness" that had grown up between them, adding that he thinks Lady Mary "will be beaten with that rod which heretofore she prepared for others"
P.154, Ward's 17th earl of Oxford

"Katherine" de Vere was Lady Windsor

Padua: Baptista Nigrone + Benedict Spinola = Baptista Minola

comet of 1577/8 "some comet or unusual prodigy"

repairs to tower on London bridge 1577/8

All's Well That Ends Well

All's Well That Ends Well

The Historie of the Rape of the Second Helen, Jan 6, 1579 N.S.

raising Cecil (Corambus reference) to the peerage: "'Tis only title then disdain'st in her, the which I can build up."

Royal Wards during the time of Burleigh were:
Lord Wharton
17th Earl of Oxford
Philip Howard, earl of Surrey, later Earl of Arundel
3rd Earl of Rutland
5th Earl of Rutland
2nd Earl of Essex
3rd Earl of Southampton
Lord Zouche

Love's Labors Lost

Love's Labors Lost 1579

references to Elizabeth's progress in the Eastern counties in 1578,
entertainment at Wanstead, Essex

Armado is the melancholy Don John, with his mustachio
Dull is Antonio de Guines
Costard is Duke of Arschot, partial anagram
Jaquenetta is Mary daughter of James
Moth is De la Motte
Plantain is Palatinate
Sir Nathaniel is the Prince of Orange
Rosaline is Anne Vavasour
Boyet is Knyvet

Sept. 4, 1578, an Act of the Privy Council for carts to carry the Earl of Oxford's "stuff"

Mask of June 11 at Cambridge, of Muscovites, 2 days after Oxford met with Elizabeth's ambassador, Randolph, ambasssador to Muscovy

"honorificabilitudinitibus"
Latin address to the queen
Saffron Walden - "Gabriel Harvey met the court at Audley End and presneted the queen and her courtiers with a series of Latin verses he had written in her honor..portion addressed to Oxford:..."O thou hero worthy of renown, throw away the insignificant pen, throw away bloodless books, and writings that serve no useful purpose: now must the sword be brought into play, Now is the time for thee to sharpen the spear and handle great engines of war."...page 156ff, Ward's 17th earl of Oxford
"new-fangled", "perjury", "vizard", and "hypocrisy" are all common words in LLL
The "Worthies" of Norwich on August 16, 1578
4th of August, the death of the King of Portugal

Marguerite de Valois's dowry, her journey to Spa (to negotiate in secret for her brother Alencon) and later south to her husband's domain
"gingerbread"
"dunghill" is Mons. a hill town citadel

The History of Murderous Michael

The History of Murderous Michael, March 3, 1579,
most likely later known as Arden of Feversham,
sometimes credited to Kyd, who is also credited with The Spanish Tragedy
"flint-hearted" sounds like an Essex reference
Sir Anthony Cooke was a grandfather of Anne Cecil
predecessors of the 2 murderers sent by Macbeth to kill Banquo
similarity of lines in this play and Richard 3, and 2 and 3 Henry 6

authorship problems

Two Gentlemen of Verona

Two Gentlemen of Verona

Dec. 26, 1579 A History of the Duke of Millayn and the Marquess of Mantua

Marriage negotiations with Alencon
Milan is Burghley
Valentine is Alencon
Sylvia is Elizabeth
Proteus is Simier
Eglamour is Bussy
Thurio is Alencon’s English rivals

“metamorphosed” used only in this play
“mal-contents” were Alencons party in France

2 Henry 6

2 Henry 6 1580

Jack Cade and the Clerk of Chatham are based on John Stubbs in 1579
Suffolk is Simier
Humphrey Gloucester is Leicester
Duchess of Gloucester is Lettice Knollys, in the play her ears are boxed by the queen, although this happened to Lettice in real life, but not to the Duchess of history.
Papal invasion of Ireland
Lord Grey of Wilton sent as viceroy
Saunder is Sanders, the papal envoy
Berwick is Smerwick in Ireland
Somerset is Sir Nicholas Bacon

The Merchant of Venice

The Merchant of Venice

Feb. 2, 1580 N.S.
The history of Portio and Demorantes

Frobisher Expedition for the Northeast Passage
Henry 8th's will is Portia’s father's will
Michael Lock is Shylock
“shycock” means fearful of bailiffs
3000 Ducats is 3000 pounds invested by Oxford
“Scylla and Charybdis” epithet used by QE1

Anthony and Cleopatra

Anthony and Cleopatra

Feb. 16, 1580 Ptolomie

Visit of Alencon to England
“paroxysm of unbeautiful rage” when Cleo hears of Anthony’s marriage sounds like QE1
Barge on Thames, Cygnus- swans
“Triple divison”, the war of the 3 Henries. "It is well done, and fitting for a princess Descended of so many royal kings. "

Twelfth Night

Twelfth Night 1580

“A pleasant conceit of Vere, Earl of Oxford, discontented at the rising of a mean gentleman in the English court, circa 1580”

Malvolio is Sir Christopher Hatton, the dancing chancellor
Belch is Peregrine Bertie, Lord Willoughby
Olivia is Elizabeth
2 contemporary ships mentioned, the Phoenix and the Tiger
Mourning for the King of Portugal or St. Bart’s massacre
Messaline is Mitylne
Don Antonio as successor to Sebastian of Portugal
3 bells of St. Bennet are the bells of the 3 churches of that name in London
Hostility of city officials to the Theatre

3 Henry 6

3 Henry 6

Dec. 27, 1580
Oxford informs on the Howards
Howard and Arundel conspiring against Oxford, his accusations
The French ambassador supports the Howards
Lady Catherine Grey died in 1575
She wolf of France is Catherine de Medici
Richard Plantagenet represents Mary Stuart
“Warwick’s revenge” is the forerunner of “Hamlet’s revenge”
13th Earl of Oxford, a strong supporter of Henry 6, had 12 ships, and lived by piracy for 3 years, harassing English shipping while Edward 4 reigned, was later imprisoned for many years..
“grief and woe” of Henry 6 echoes a poem of DeVere, repetition of initial words in successive lines from “Love and Antagonism”, translated from Italian

Richard 3

Richard 3 1581

Written while the 17th Earl of Oxford in the tower,
“I do not like the tower, of any place” ,
26 references to the tower in this play.
The Howards were enemies of Henry 7, as well as Elizabeth
Herberts, Talbots, Stanleys were all Lancastrians, Blount and Tressel mentioned in the play. Oxford is reminding the Queen of his own loyalty and his friends.
Our knowledge of this quarrel is from letters written home by the French and Spanish ambassadors.
Similarities to a letter of June 1581 from Oxford to Burghley.
“shadow/substance” comparison
“Humbly complaining to her deity , got my lord chamberlain his liberty”
“The loss of such a lord includes all harms”
Boar references, Boar-Spear is an interesting one.

Coriolanus

Coriolanus

Drake's voyage 1580
He became a national hero, returning to England after his circumnavigation of the globe.
Drake got revenge for Spanish treatment of John Hawkins
Drake had a violent temper and imperious manner
“conjectural marriages” reference to Queen Elizabeth
“drum” references to the drum that Drake carried around the world, and then had his coat of arms put on it.
“compass” that Drake set up on Plymouth Hoe
Drake knighted in 1581
“monster” references
Topicality of “Canibali”
Everyone paid homage to Drake, including the Earl of Oxford, in a great procession

Measure for Measure

Measure for Measure 1581

A protest against severe punishments for minor offences
Anne Vavasour affair
Sir Thomas Knyvet was also her lover, but she married Sir Henry Lee, Elizabeth’s champion, but was charged with Bigamy.
Sir Gilbert Gerard appointed May 30, 1581, settling scores from his prosecution of Norfolk
“Nineteen zodiacs”, since Oxford became an Earl.
“Pompey” references to the play of that name
“fourteen years” since the “biting laws” of 1567
“five years” from 1576-1581 that Oxford was estranged from his wife, Anne Cecil

Continental scholars point out the similarity between this play and a case in the Paris courts of the time.

Romeo and Juliet

Romeo and Juliet

Earl of Oxford released from the tower June 8, 1581
Thomas Knyvet is Tybalt, prince of cats, rat-catcher, Tom cat
Also he was “a gentleman of the very first house”, the Howards,
to whom Oxford was related, “a name I tender as dearly as my own”
March 1582 Oxford and Knyvet fought a duel, and both were wounded
There was a melee between their men June 28,
when Oxford’s men planned an attack at a housewarming party,
Knyvet counter-attacked
In July, another duel with Knyvet and Gastrell,
who was killed by a Long Tom, Knyvet was the aggressor
Elizabeth intervened.

King John

King John

Oxford out of favor
Constance is Mary Stuart
Chattilon/Pandulph are Mendoza
Angiers is the capital of Anjou, Alencon eventually became duke of Anjou
The Blanche/Dauphin match is the Elizabeth/Alencon match
First citizen gives an Euphues speech
Faulconbridge is Oxford, the charges of illegitimacy brought by his older sister became current again, and QE1 is said to have called him a bastard.
Full 30,000 marks of English coin refers to monies given to Alencon
Reference to the earthquake of 1580
The 3rd Earl of Oxford was a signatory of the Magna Carta and eventually excommunicated because of it, but the most important event in King John’s reign is not mentioned at all once the concept of "Time Immemorial" became law. King John's reign is well documented. "time immemorial" basically means before King John.

Richard 2

Richard 2

QE1 herself said that Richard was meant to represent her.
9th Earl of Oxford was Richard 2’s favorite
Bolingbroke is Philip Howard earl of Surrey who became the earl of Arundel
Mowbray duke of Norfolk is said to represent Oxford
They accused each other of treason in real life
“I am disgrac’d, impeach’d and baffled here” by the French ambassador’s denials in real life
At a tournament on Jan 2, 1581, Arundell was defeated by Oxford
John of Gaunt is Sussex
Irish wars were contemporaneous in 1580.

As You Like It

As You Like It

Nov. 21, 1581

Sir Rowland de Bois is Henry 2 de Valois
Oliver is Henry 3, Orlando is Alencon
Jaques de Bois may be Henry of Navarre
Distrust between Henry and Alencon
“new court” of Brabant at Antwerp
Charles the wrestler is Parma
Alencon’s popularity
Le Beau is de Bex, Alencon’s secretary
Hercules is a reference to Francois Hercule de Valois, Alencon's birth name
Forest of Arden is the Ardennes
Jaques is St. Hubert the spoirtsman
Adam is Simier, loaning money to Alencon
Mar-text is a reference to Martin Marprelate, and is a later interpolation
William is Shaksper “You are not ipse, for I am he” is taken as an authorship reference

Julius Caesar

Julius Caesar

Jan 6, 1583 N.S.

The first 3 acts and the last 2 have no characters in common except Brutus, Cassius, Antony, and Lucius, being originally parts of 2 separate plays.
On March 18, 1582, at Alencon’s birthday celebration in Antwerp, close to the Ides of March, the Prince of Orange was shot by a Spanish agent, but Alencon was thought guilty, and the French were blamed
Orange, like Caesar, had been offered the crown several times, but refuse it.
Reference to the Julian calendar being replaced by the Gregorian calendar in 1582
“coronet” of the Count of Holland
Orange’s assassin was wounded 32 times before dying

Much Ado About Nothing

Much ado about nothing

Feb.12, 1583 N.S. "a Historie of Ariodante and Geneuora shewed before her maiestie" from Ariosto's "Orlando Furioso"

Don Pedro represents Queen E.
Don John is Henry Howard
Claudio is Philip Sidney, recently disappointed by the marriage of Penelope Devereaux to Lord Rich
Benedick is Oxford
Leonato is Burghley
Antonio is Walsingham
Hero is Walsingham's daughter, Frances
Beatrice is Anne Cecil


“In time the savage bull doth bear the yoke” is a quote from Watson’s “Hekatompathia or the Passionate Century of Love” published March 31, 1582 and dedicated to Oxford
The play catalogs some of the ups and downs of Oxford’s marriage to Anne Cecil
Leonato’s garden is Burghley’s garden
Barnabe Riche’s “Farewell to the Military Profession” of Feb. 1581
“Dogberries” are mentioned in a letter of 1586 from Burghley to Walsingham
Conrado is Charles Arundel
Arundel and Howard were “full of piety”, e.g.: “I protest before God… I call God to witness…As God knows, etc.

Othello

Othello 1583

The history of Alencon’s last experiences in Antwerp
Simier is Iago, Othello is Alencon, Elizabeth's little moor
Brabantio is the province of Brabant
Cassio is William of Orange
Alencon borrowed Simier’s entire fortune, besides constantly begging for money from Elizabeth, and his mother, Catherine de Medici.
Alencon’s white Barbary horse
Rodrigo is Leicester
“Janus”, Alencon was two faced
Turkish fleet is the Spanish fleet, defeating the Portuguese
“mandate” for rule of the Netherlands, Elizabeth forced Alencon on the States.
Montainge Essays published in 1580, 2nd ed. 1582
Alencon was delayed by a storm
“citadel” of Antwerp
handkerchief motif is from Hecatommithi of Cinthio
Strawberries are an allusion to the Medici arms
“the hollow hell” furnishes the name “Othello”
“hands” references are to the arms of Antwerp, two hands
Jan. 10, 1583 occurred the French Fury, watchword was “broken leg”, hence “my leg is cut into” in Act V.i.
Othello’s epilepsy are Alencon’s fits of exhaustion, and bleeding from the lungs.
“drown” appears nine times in the play, a thousand of Alencon’s followers were drowned, two thousand others perished in the Fury.
Desdemona’s song “All a green willow” is from Thomas Dallis’s “Lute Book”, date 1583
References to the asset up of the Doge’s palace prior to a fire of 1577.
Reference to a sermon on “virtue and will” of a religious sect,the Familists, or “the family of love”, headed in England by a Dutch joiner living at Colchester in Essex, who died in 1579, which was of concern to the government in 1578,79,80,81
Others claim Iago is Rowland Yorke, Oxford’s steward and companion, who had a part in the malicious lies being told against Oxford’s wife.

The Tempest

The Tempest

Dec. 1580 to June 1, 1583 was Oxford's gloomy period, when he was out of Elizabeth's favor.
Brother-in-law, Lord Windsor's, suit against Oxford.
Elizabeth believed the Howards instead of Oxford
Alonso, Antonio, Sebastian are the Howards
Gonzalo is Burghley, who was known to quote Montaigne
Sycorax could be Catherine de Medici?
Caliban is Calvin
"Dido" is a reference to a play of 1583
Lines are repeated from "Julius Caesar"
Stephano is Thomas Cartwright, a puritan who published Calvinist writings is 1582
Oxford is adopting the position of Burghley and the new Archbishop Whitgift.
"maze" reference to Burghley's labyrinth at Theobalds.
Montaigne's 2nd edition of his essay "Des Canibales" in 1582
"still vex'd Bermoothes", reference to maps of 1570 and Michael Lok's map of 1582 after Drake's voyage. This is usually taken as a reference to a shipwreck of the 1600's after Oxford's death, and is the main reason people disqualify him as the real "Shake-speare"

Midsummer Night's Dream

Midsummer Night's Dream

Presented Dec.26, 1584, may have been a masque of 1581
"Pastorall of Phillyda and Chorya"
Elizabeth's maids of honor remaining unmarried
Poking fun at Alencon/Elizabeth match through Bottom/Titania
use of "Monsieur", Alencon's title at court in France
1584 sonett of Pyramus and Thisbe in "handful of pleasant delites"
Musk rose introduced to England by 1582
MND later produced at court in 1594 at the marriage of the Earl of Derby to Oxford's daughter, Elizabeth.
Lysander and Hermia may be Thomas Knyvet and Anne Vavasour.
Robin Goodfellow mentioned in Anthony Munday's 1584 "Two Italian Gentlemen"
Munday was Oxford's secretary.

Troilus and Cressida

Troilus and Cressida 1584

The history of Agamemnon and Ulisses dated Dec, 27, 1584
"presented and enacted before her maiestie by the Earl of Oxenford his boyes on St. John's Daie at night at Greenwich."
Magnificent speeches of Ulysses
The question of "degree"
"potato" first mentioned after Raleigh's 1584 expeditions
"truth", the Vere family motto, "Vero nihil verius", nothing truer than truth
Arguments between the factions of Leicester and Burghley about the involvement in the Netherlands.

Hamlet

Hamlet 1584

Cecil was thought of as the leading fishmonger in England. He had to promote eating fish, since he could not get the appropriations from Parliament for the fleet.
Polish pince Laski’s visit in 1583, author mentions caviar.
Play was written and produced prior to Felix and Philomena
Mission to Denmark in 1583 by Lord Willoughby, Oxford’s brother-in-law to give the garter to Frederick 2
Sussex’s death in 1583, Ghost of Hamlet’s father
Reference to plague and comet of 1582
Oxford’s boys troupe dissolving
Leicester (Claudius) accused of murders by poison of Amy Robsart, Sir Nicholas Throckmorton, Lord Sheffield, 1st Earl of Essex, King of Sweden.
“abstracts and brief chronicles” is the point of ETC’s dating of the plays
“starve while the grass grows” is a quote from a letter from Oxford to Burghley.
In 1584, Oxford also writes to Burghley about legal matters and selling lands.
Oxford refers to Will Somers, Henry 8’s jester, who lived until 1560, as Yorrik.

1 Henry 4

1 Henry 4 1584

In 1583 Oxford was back in favor at court, reflected by the interview of the king and prince Hal
This play differs from the Famous Victories in that the 11th Earl of Oxford is absent.
Elements of the Throgmorton plot:
Glendower is Mendoza
Mortimer is Guise
Worcester is Lord Henry Howard
Douglas is Douglas, a triple agent in the contemporary age.
Archbishop of York is Archbishop of Glasgow, James Beaton, Cardinal Beaton?
Shrewsbury was the custodian of Mary Stuart
Falstaf is derived from Fastolfe, but is based on Dawtrey, who received blood money from the death of the Earl of Desmond in Ireland.

The Merry Wives of Windsor

The Merry Wives of Windsor Feb. 23,1585

Letter writing proclivity of Dawtrey
Endymion – Tophas is also Falstaff/Dawtrey
Bristol, Gloucestershire, was the embarkation point for Ireland
“star-chamber matter” is non-historical, this court was not set up until Henry 7.
Killing of the deer – killing the Earl of Desmond
Bardolph is Edward Barkleyt
Pistol is Robert Pistor
Nym is Thomas Mynne
Slender is Capt. Anthony Derring
Dr. Cauis is Sir John Perrot
Host of the Garter Inn is the Earl of Ormonde whose family name was Butler.
Jack Rubgy is Russell, a servant of Perrot
Geoffrey Fenton woos Anne Page

2 Henry 4

2 Henry 4 1586

Comtemporary allusions to events in the Netherlands, as well as the Babington plot and the arrest of the Queen of Scots, and the conspirators.
Philip 2 is Northumberland, Hotspur is Arundel, characters have been altered from the historical chronicles to fit the contemporary allusions.
Philip 2 had English "traitors" fighting for him in the Netherlands, including a Stanley
Captsain Nicholas Dawtrey is the original of Falstaff, he was being paid for services in Ireland, while residing in London.
Ned Poins is an anagram of P sidney, who was still alive when the play was written.
Shallow is chief justice Wallop.

2 Henry 6

2 Henry 6 1586

Conmtemporary allusions to the Babington plot, the arrest of Mary Stuart and the conspirators, and the beginnings of the campaign in the Low Countries.
Hotspur is identified as Arundel, material changed for the historical chronicles to reflect the contemporary characters that the historical ones are based on in the play. Northumberland is Philip 2 to some extent, who also had English troops fighting for him in the Low Countries, the "traitors".
Captain Nicholas Dawtrey is the original of Falstaff, and was being paid for services in Ireland while he lived in London.
The play was written when Sidney was still alive.
ETC claims that Shakespeare did not write the last half on 2 Henry 4, since he was headed off the the Netherlands.
Ned Poins is an anagram of P. Sidney.
Shallow is Lord Justice Wallop.

The Winter's Tale

The Winter's Tale 1586

Shakespeare's last comedy, alluding to events of 1584-6, especially concerned with Raleigh's plan for colonization of Virginia. Bohemia, seacoast of Bohemia is Virginia. Perdita is abandoned on a strange and barren coast.
Reference to Elizabeth's plan for doing away with the Queen of Scots before her trial and execution.
Archaic use of the word "fardel", meaning bundle or burden.
Fardell was Sir Walter Raliegh's birthplace.
Polixenes represents Leicester.
Sir Richard Greenville captured a ship full of pearls.
The price of wool is from before the war began in 1586.
Reference to a clock belongining to Babington, after his goods were confiscated.
Camillo is Drake.
Phesant family of Gray's inn, circa 1582
Tobacco came back with Ralph Lane in 1586, and became popular in a few years, but there is no reference to it in the plays, even ones supposedly dated to the Jacobean era, when tobacco became controversial.