Shakespeare had likely been in London since 1588. In 1592, the first printed mention of Shakespeare appeared in a pamphlet by Robert Greene - an English writer, playwright, and critic.

The author criticized Shakespeare, accused him of plagiarism, and claimed that Shakespeare was just an actor who “dares to write plays.” Greene alluded to someone who, in his mind, is “in his own conceit, the only Shake-scene in a country.” The reference implies that Shakespeare was already writing plays before 1592.