William Shakespeare is the world's most famous playwright, yet there is a massive gap in his biography known as the 'Lost Years' (1585–1592). During this time, there are no historical records of his whereabouts or activities. He disappeared from the records in Stratford-upon-Avon after the birth of his twins and reappeared in London in 1592 as a rising star in the theater world. Theories about what he did during these seven years are wild and varied: some suggest he was a schoolmaster, others say he was a soldier in the Low Countries, or perhaps a law clerk. One popular legend claims he fled to London to avoid prosecution for poaching deer from a local landowner. This period of mystery has fueled centuries of speculation about how a man from a small town gained the vast knowledge of law, court life, and foreign lands displayed in his plays.