Why Shakespeare is mentioned in Epstein files as people highlight one major issue

People have been left confused after William Shakespeare's name was mentioned in the Jeffrey Epstein files.

Earlier this month on 12 November, the US House Oversight Committee released 20,000 pages of documents relating to the convicted paedophile and his crimes.

And more are set to follow at some point within the next month as both the US House of Representatives and the Senate have voted to pass a bill to force the Justice Department to publicly release all its files relating to Epstein.

The files in question are said to include thousands of documents - everything from flight logs from Epstein’s private jets, emails, estate records, court documents, as well as internal Department of Justice communications, and information about the investigation into his death in prison.

As we say, thousands of documents are already in the public domain and people have been sifting through them to find any mention of a name.

William Shakespeare's name was in the Epstein files nine times (Getty Stock Image)

But, the mention of Shakespeare is exactly why we need to remember that a name being in the files doesn't automatically equal any sort of guilt.

Because the files are a varied mishmash of emails, communications, names, and random snippets of information, many of which are completely unrelated to the actual crimes committed by Epstein.

And since the English poet died in 1616, it's safe to say he played no part.

References to Shakespeare include 2016 and 2017 emails to Epstein from a Harvard professor regarding the financier's donation to the non-profit Verse Video Education, highlighting upcoming projects studying the work of the famous dramatist and poet.

Reacting to the unexpected mention one Twitter user penned: "William Shakespeare appears several times so I wonder what someone dead for a few centuries was doing with Epstein."

While a second confused social media user added: "William Shakespeare mentioned 9 times in the Epstein Files???"

Other Brits who appeared in the files include Queen Camilla, who is mentioned nine times, though authorities do not believe these mentions indicate a personal connection to Epstein.

The late Princess Diana's name also appears 14 times in the documents. Although, like The Queen, it's not believed that these mentions indicate any personal connection to the abuser.

The rest of the files are set to be released within 30 days (Rick Friedman/Getty Images)

Other names like Piers Morgan, David Beckham and Adele all also appear somewhere in the documents, however, like a lot of the names, again with no indication of wrongdoing or a friendship.

Essentially, having your name written down on a piece or paper or briefly mentioned in an email doesn't indicate guilt in any way.

So, compiling a list of all the celebrities named in the files doesn't really mean a whole lot.

But, last week, Trump completed the final step and signed legislation that compels his administration to release files on the convicted sex offender.

Now, the bill requires the Justice Department to release all files and communications related to Epstein, as well as any information about the investigation into his death in a federal prison in 2019, within 30 days.

It allows for redactions about Epstein’s victims for ongoing federal investigations, but the department cannot withhold information due to 'embarrassment, reputational harm, or political sensitivity'.