shakespeare: the living years

During his living years Shakespeare wrote many great plays. Subsequently, however, his output has declined. A number of possible reasons for this have been suggested:

1.) The end of Shakespeare's living years may have coincided with some great unknown trauma which effectively prevented him from continuing to write. Possibly his arms fell off or something.

2.) Possibly Shakespeare found the that only the process of living provided him with the inspiration he needed to write. When he stopped living, he ran out of ideas.

3.) Perhaps Mike and the Mechanics are shit.