Method in the Madness
John Hall: The Shakespeare Connection
Where Shakespeare derived his medical knowledge is a topic of much scholarly debate. While it is likely that he would have learned much from his physician son-in-law John Hall, it is more probable that he acquired knowledge from reading and through discussions with friends and associates. The father of one of the greatest actors, Edward Alleyn, was a porter at Bethlem Royal Hospital, for instance, and would have been a good source of information on the behaviour and treatment associated with mental illness.
John Hall married into the Shakespeare family in 1607 but Shakespeare’s engagement with medicine does not seem to become more or less refined because of Hall’s presence. Shakespeare’s contemporaries also refer to medicine and doctors and, like Shakespeare, indicate a degree of professional knowledge. Marlowe, Jonson and Webster, to name just a few, make learned medical references in some of their plays. It is tempting to attribute Shakespeare’s use of medicine to his familial connection but in reality, he was probably just a keen observer, student and dramatist, as were his fellow writers.