- Primary sources, such as the writer's own works, letters, diaries, and other personal papers.
- Secondary sources, such as biographies, critical studies, and histories of the period.
- Material evidence, such as the writer's home, furniture, and clothing.
- Oral history, such as interviews with people who knew the writer or who have passed down stories about them.
By combining all of these sources of evidence, scholars can build up a detailed and accurate picture of the life of a sixteenth-century writer.
Here are some specific examples of how different types of evidence have been used to learn about the life of William Shakespeare:
- Primary sources have been used to learn about Shakespeare's life from his own works, such as his sonnets and plays. For example, scholars have studied the sonnets to learn about Shakespeare's personal relationships and the plays to learn about his views on history, politics, and human nature.
- Secondary sources have been used to learn about Shakespeare's life from biographies and critical studies. Biographers have used primary sources to piece together Shakespeare's life story and critical studies have used primary sources to analyze Shakespeare's work.
- Material evidence has been used to learn about Shakespeare's life from his home, furniture, and clothing. Scholars have studied Shakespeare's home, the Globe Theatre, to learn about the conditions under which he worked. They have also studied his furniture and clothing to learn about his social status and wealth.
- Oral history has been used to learn about Shakespeare's life from interviews with people who knew him or who have passed down stories about him. For example, scholars have interviewed actors who worked with Shakespeare and playwrights who were influenced by him.
By combining all of these sources of evidence, scholars have been able to build up a detailed and accurate picture of the life of William Shakespeare.