He was undoubtedly a genius, but Shakespeare had more of a helping hand with his plays than is commonly thought. Some, such as Macbeth, were reworkings of ancient tales, but others borrowed more liberally from recent sources. Romeo and Juliet, for example, was probably a retelling of Arthur Brookes poem The Tragical History Of Romeus And Juliet, which came out in 1562, just 30 years before the play. That in itself was a retelling of Boccaccio, a source Shakespeare often mined himself. Its likely Shakespeare borrowed some plot elements for the vast majority of his plays. Many of the ones with original stories were likely collaborations with other playwrights. The Two Noble Kinsmen was certainly partly written by John Fletcher, who probably helped with Henry VIII. Thomas Middleton likely helped with Timon Of Athens and Alls Well That Ends Well. Its likely that many plays were at least looked over by other writers. Its likely well never know for sure.
