This week, we explore the legacy of Shakespeare’s wife, Anne Hathaway, through the only epitaph in the Shakespeare family plot that’s written in Latin and engraved on brass. Our guest, Katherine Scheil, walks us through the historical significance of Anne’s burial placement, the meaning behind the poetic language of her epitaph, and what these choices tell us about Anne’s relationship with her daughters, with William Shakespeare, and with the 17th-century culture of commemoration.
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This episode has bonus content! Patrons get access to detailed show notes featuring rare images of Anne Hathaway’s grave, a translation of her Latin epitaph, and references to the publishing and engraving community connected to Shakespeare’s family.
Summary
Katherine Scheil shares what makes Anne Hathaway’s epitaph unique among the Shakespeare family, the likely reasons it was written in Latin, and what we can infer from the content and form. We also examine who created the engraving, and how its maker connects Shakespeare’s burial site to the publishing networks of 17th-century London.
Key Takeaways
- Anne Hathaway is the only family member with a brass epitaph instead of an inscribed stone slab
- Her epitaph is written in Latin, possibly by or for her daughters
- The language celebrates her motherhood and devout life, referencing her role as a breastfeeding mother
- The engraver, Edward Marshall, was closely tied to Shakespeare’s publishing network in London
- The choice of Latin added prestige but limited readability—suggesting it was meant more for posterity than for parishioners
- The physical placement of Anne’s grave (inside the chancel) was highly significant and costly
- Latin epitaphs were common among the elite and often crafted with deep symbolic intent
About Today’s Guest
Katherine Scheil is a professor at the University of Minnesota and author of Imagining Shakespeare’s Wife: The Afterlife of Anne Hathaway. Her research explores Shakespeare’s family, women’s history, and the posthumous life of the playwright’s loved ones. This episode marks her second appearance on That Shakespeare Life.
Resources Our Guest Recommends
- Matthew Steggle, fragment referencing Anne Hathaway living in London
- Lena Cowen Orlin, The Private Life of William Shakespeare
- Ben Higgins, Shakespeare’s Syndicate
- Chris Laoutaris, Shakespeare and the Countess
Relevant Links
- Holy Trinity Church website (Stratford-upon-Avon)
- Photo of Anne Hathaway’s epitaph
- Latin translation resource (Patreon only)
- More from Katherine Scheil: https://cla.umn.edu/about/directory/profile/kscheil
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