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John Eglington unfolds a further challenge presented by Shakespeare’s later plays. Stephen has to rally as he finds himself repeating arguments and tries to create a labyrinth of references. The librarian mentions the link between the dark lady of the sonnets and William Herbert, Earl of Pembroke. Stephen suggests that as Shakespeare never recovered from his first experience in the cornfield (ryefield) then all other affairs were merely assumed rather than elemental. Stephen has got their attention and ploughs on with an argument that all of Shakespeare’s creation is to hide from himself his inadequacy which he is doomed forever to return to and that after his first sexual encounter with Ann Hathaway he was forever a shadow of his former self.