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Was Shakespeare a miser?

What does the Bard's last will and testament, written 400 years ago in 1616, reveal about Shakespeare and his relationships? He left his wife the 'second best bed', which has led some scholars to believe that Shakespeare may have been rather miserly, but is that a fair interpretation? The British National Archives has conducted new X-ray and infrared analysis on the will, which gives us important information that may suggest otherwise. Rebecca Kesby has been hearing about it from Amanda Bevan, their legal records specialist.

(Picture: William Shakespeare
Credit: Getty)

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3 minutes