William Hastings was born into the Leicestershire gentry, the son of Sir Leonard Hastings, a veteran of Agincourt. From a position of relative obscurity, William rose to become Lord Chamberlain, Master of the Mint and Lieutenant of Calais. He was integral to Edward IV's kingship, remaining by the king’s side for twenty years and serving as his closest friend and confidante. In many ways, William Hastings was to Edward IV what Thomas Cromwell was to Henry VIII, both men rising to fame from humble beginnings and both flying too close to the sun. Hastings is known today as a central character in Shakespeare’s Richard III, where his execution is central to Shakespeare’s portrayal of the tyrant. In the play, Hastings is accused of treason. If true, Richard is vindicated; but if false, Richard has murdered an innocent man. Shakespeare’s history plays cover the entire Wars of the Roses, with events spanning a century or more condensed into a few hours. For this reason, his characterisation of William, Lord Hastings, is necessarily brief. This ‘biography through literature’ attempts to uncover the real man, as evidenced through his own words and his depiction in contemporary texts and literature.
