Who did William Shakespeare write his plays with?

Answer 1

Shakespeare collaborated with other playwrights much less than most of his contemporaries, but some of his plays are clearly collaborations. The Two Noble Kinsmen is credited to Shakespeare and John Fletcher, and it is thought that these two collaborated on a number of Shakespeare's later plays, such as Henry VIII, Cardenio, and Pericles. It is thought that Thomas Middleton wrote the scenes in Macbeth containing the character Hecate, in order to tart the play up as a musical. Timon of Athens is also thought to be a late collaboration. At the other end of the spectrum, it is believed that other authors helped Shakespeare at the start of his career. In particular it is thought that George Peele may have written some of Titus Andronicus.

It was common for inexperienced playwrights to be paired with veterans who would act as their mentors. That was probably what happened with Shakespeare and Fletcher. It is plausible that, when Shakespeare was a new playwright, he was paired with experienced dramatists as their protege while he learned he ropes.