"The London Prodigal" by William Shakespeare is a play published in 1605. This city comedy follows Matthew Flowerdale, a merchant's son who squanders his life through gambling, theft, and debauchery. When his father feigns death to witness his son's corruption firsthand, Matthew's schemes lead him into a disastrous marriage and mounting debt. Through his loyal wife's devotion, the prodigal faces a reckoning. Though attributed to Shakespeare, scholars widely reject his authorship, considering it part of the Shakespeare apocrypha. (This is an automatically generated summary.)