William Shakespeare was wildly prolific. According to one estimate, his complete works add up to 884,647 words. And all these hundreds of years after his death, people still reference him and his works constantly. No one did it like The Bard, so it’s no surprise that some myths about him and his writing have seeped into our culture over time. Let’s debunk some of the biggest ones.

• Misconception: Historians debate whether Shakespeare really wrote Shakespeare.

• Misconception: Shakespeare invented 1700 words.

• Misconception: Saying Macbeth in a theater is dangerous.

• Misconception: Shakespeare’s plays all contained original storylines.

• Misconception: Shakespeare worked alone.

• Misconception: Wherefore means “where.”

• Misconception: As Hamlet says, “to be or not to be,” he’s holding a skull.

• Misconception: Shakespeare was a playwright during Elizabethan times.

• Misconception: The Globe Theatre was round.