Final answer:
Laura Bohannan initially thought Shakespeare's work had universal truths that transcended cultures, but her experiences suggested otherwise.
Step-by-step explanation:
Laura Bohannan, author of "Shakespeare in the bush," originally believed that universal truths existed in literature and that the works of Shakespeare, being a part of this canon, would be understandable and relevant across cultures. However, her experience recounted in the essay challenges this initial belief, illustrating the complexities of cross-cultural interpretation and the idea that certain concepts might be specific to particular cultures rather than universally comprehensible.