FIELD NOTES | Shakespeare's Tide: From Humble Playwright to Eternal Voice
The 400-year secret to turning creative hunches into immortal work—and why most writers, artists and entrepreneurs still miss their moment.
"The meaning of life is to find your gift. The purpose of life is to give it away"
William Shakespeare, born in 1564—Stratford-upon-Avon, England. Little did he know the future awaiting. Growing up in a middle-class family, son of a glove-maker, he saw no other fate than following his father's trade just like most sons of his time.
His environment however was about to change. Young William moves to London, likely in his twenties. A new home that poses cultural change, status barriers, and ultimately a testing ground for years to come. In the theatre world misunderstood, he would spend his early days as an outsider, watching plays and performers. His interest in London was uncertain. That is, until he discovered the local acting companies.
An encounter that meant a radical shift for William. Looking backwards, I believe we can connect the dots and realise their significance overtime.
At this point he made connections, performing with touring companies and writing scripts. One of them a theatre owner, Shakespeare got obsessed by crafting lines that would bring audiences to tears and laughter. During these days, bare talent, a quill and parchment would do the trick. Until he noticed how bland most plays of the day were, and wanted more.
So by his early thirties, William emerges in London's theatre scene, and convinces some actors to perform his early works at The Theatre. Without formal university education, he went ahead crafting "Histories": Plays that reimagined England's past kings and conflicts. It doesn't take long before he makes this art his priority, abandons the traditional path. His mind was set on something bigger, a desire for transcendent storytelling.
Back then, university-educated playwrights were producing stuffy academic works that failed to move common audiences. Shakespeare wanted no distance between emotion and language. Thus arose the common man's poet, determined to forge a new theatrical language, richer, more accessible than ever. A belief that would prove an inspiration for founding a billion-word legacy.
At this time the country knew a mere handful of playwrights worthy of note. Yet, when William launches his works from the stage of the Globe, the word is spreading fast. A self-made wordsmith, barely keeping pace with demand, offering a premium of human experience far above the academic rate.
With modest earnings, Shakespeare lives frugally, continues to write. His belief stretches further, redesigning every dramatic convention on the market under his growing reputation.
By taking one play, another might present. It is by execution that we find resolution, or relief in the sense that you no longer have to drag "hypothetical scenarios" around. Clearly it played out well for William Shakespeare. He does not identify with limitations. Therefore, he jumps more willingly into the unknown, confident that he will learn by doing. And so his cosmic reach extends upon creating "Hamlet" in 1600.
The year he penned his most introspective tragedy, made with psychological depth, a universal question of being. William answered his intuition and audiences would follow at home. Soon his reputation, after the unprecedented popularity of his histories and comedies was cemented, along with his first major investments in London's theatre companies. Even so, like unpredictable royal politics, William was on the verge of turmoil… Not to mention the impending closure of theatres during plague outbreaks, and a stirring religious tension looming for years.
While demand was in dire need of fresh material, William contracts with new acting companies that will push his creative boundaries in terms of quality, themes, character depth.
The playwright hardly navigates these waters thanks to patrons and appoints himself as a member of the King's Men, "a royal favourite"—a strategist at heart, who similarly learns the stakes by doing, steering his career to more secure grounds.
This is where Shakespeare doubles down on exploring human nature, emotional complexity, and a series of disruptive innovations in language. By his later years, Shakespeare remains one of the few who transcended mere entertainment—cited as a "mirror of humanity", prioritising timeless truths over fleeting trends. One of Williams' sayings emphasises that "the meaning of life is to find your gift, and the purpose of life is to give it away."
Today a status symbol for the world's most enduring artists, as his work exceeds billions in cultural impact since the 17th century. I think William Shakespeare's story, the immortal canon illustrates the hazardous path to self-realisation. Working on a passion so dearly, that you keep writing no matter the challenge, obstacle for a belief worth sharing.
Personal Reflection
Shakespeare's famous tide quote isn't just poetic flourish—it's the distilled wisdom of a man who seized his own tide at the perfect moment. In a world where most followed predetermined paths, he dared to believe that words could be more than entertainment; they could be eternity.
Shakespeare understood what many creators still miss: opportunity must be met with immediate, decisive action. His tides of fortune weren't theoretical—they manifested as split-second decisions to abandon convention, to write for both groundlings and nobility, to invest in his own theatre company when others played it safe.
Practical Application
How do we apply Shakespeare's tide-catching wisdom today? First, recognise preparation isn't perfection. Shakespeare wrote quickly, iteratively, borrowing plots while transforming them. Second, eliminate hesitation—he didn't wait for ideal conditions but created within the constraints of his time. Third, build while sailing—he developed his craft through constant production, not endless revision.
End note
I have watched many brilliant creators miss their "tide," paralysed by the perfect phrase, the ideal business model, the complete vision. Meanwhile, Shakespeare—who couldn't even spell his own name consistently—simply wrote, performed, invested, and adjusted. The tide waits for no creator, regardless of talent.
Remember: Shakespeare wasn't Shakespeare when he caught his tide—he was just Will, a glovemaker's son with a strange way with words. The tide made him immortal, not the other way around.
What tide is rising in your creative life right now? Which hunch feels both terrifying and inevitable?
Trust the hunch. Find the story.
Antoine
Greenblatt, Stephen. "Will in the World: How Shakespeare Became Shakespeare." (2004) - Acclaimed biography that contextualises Shakespeare within his historical period.
Kastan, David Scott. "Shakespeare and the Book." - About the publishing history of Shakespeare's works.
Stern, Tiffany. "Rehearsal from Shakespeare to Sheridan." - For information about theatrical practices in Shakespeare's time.