The Birthplace

The Birthplace is a short story by Henry James that was first released in 1903 in his anthology. The tale shows James's doubts regarding Shakespeare's authorship and is a sharp satire on the excesses of bardolatry. The story also depicts a characteristically imaginative Jamesian protagonist creating another reality in his presentation on Bard's purported childhood activities, which goes beyond the specific scholarly topic. Morris Gedge receives a favorable offer to take on the role of custodian of Stratford-on-Shakespeare Avon's residence. James twice used Shakespeare's name in his notebooks as he was drafting the novel, so even though his name is not mentioned in the story, to Whom 'the highest Mecca of the English-speaking people' is dedicated is obvious. After being appointed the custodian, Morris starts to question the explanations he is made to provide to visitors. He begins to qualify and fumble through his speech. His wife is distressed by this, and the owners of the temple issue a warning. He gives a funny lecture about how Shakespeare the child played around the house in the story's concluding scene. Of course, tourist revenue grows and Gedge gets paid more.