The marriage license itself is lost, but a separate document, the marriage bond, survives. On it Anne Hathaway is correctly identified. Shakespeare's name is rendered as "Shagspere"-the first of many arrestingly variable renderings.
The original marriage license between Anne Hathaway and William Shakespeare has been lost to history, but a related document known as the marriage bond remains intact. This bond correctly identifies Anne Hathaway, but Shakespeare's name is presented in an unconventional spelling as "Shagspere," highlighting the variations in how his name was recorded during that era.
This discrepancy in the spelling of Shakespeare's name is just one instance of the many different ways his identity has been represented over time. It reflects the challenges historians face in studying his life and the documents surrounding it, as these variations can lead to differing interpretations of his legacy.
