Imagining Shakespeare

A hard man to get to know, really. You don't realise at first, because he seems transparent, transparently charming. The charm of a marvellous listener: your seductive therapist, that doctor whose only focus in life is your pain. Never centre stage, always the supporting actor. He asks questions, he gets you to talk about yourself. You blossom in the intensity of his attention. You don't mind (if you notice) that you learn so little about him, because he seems so genuinely interested in you. And the next time, he remembers everything you said. "Interested is interesting": that's his secret for picking up women (and patrons).

Who was Shakespeare? Five writers offer their answers. You can read them all by clicking here.