DeVere or Shakespeare? Abstract: The debate over the legitimacy of the authorship of Shakespearean works has been disputed for centuries. While many scholars have held beliefs that Shakespeare's works have been written by figures such as Christopher Marlowe, Francis Bacon, William Stanley, and others, the most heated debate today is between William Shakespeare and Edward DeVere, the Earl of Oxford. Each side of this debate has many followers, the Stratfordians, or those who claim Shakespeare to be the true author, and the Oxfordians who believe that true credit should go to DeVere. My paper, far from being a complete analysis of the possibilities of Shakespearean authorship, attempts to summarize and rationalize the arguments of these two groups. It would be impossible to include all arguments and evidence in a paper such as this. Full books have been written on aspects of the debate I will not even mention, or may just barely touch on. Hopefully after reading this paper, however, you will have a little better understanding of the debate of authorship. As I am not in any respect a scholar on the subject I shall not attempt to make a conclusion as to which of these men is the author, but rather to inform and explain the many arguments on both sides of this debate in the hopes that the reader can learn a little more about the ongoing debate and form an opinion of his or her own. In countries all over the globe the name William Shakespeare brings to mind literary genius, a character so famed in eloquence and creativity that none other comes close to him in prestige. Yet for centuries scholars, students and readers have argued a very fundamental question: whether or not the plays and poems attribute to William... ... middle of paper ... ...rpose-to designate a penname without confusion (Whalen 32). * Principal actors in the plays of Shakespeare's First Folio included Jon Heminge,Henry Condell and Richard Burbage, the same three who were in the late edition to Shakesperes will (Whalen 51). * Oxford was said to be an excellent playwright, yet no plays written under his name were ever found (Whalen 127). Works Cited "A Beginners Guide to the Shakespeare Authorship Problem." Online. 31 October 1999. Available http: www.shakespeare-oxford.com/guide/htm. Kathman, Dave and Tom Reedy. "How we know the Shakespeare wrote Shakespeare: The Historical Facts." Online. 2 November 1999. Available http: www.clark.net/pub/tross/ws/howdowe.html. Michell, John. Who Wrote Shakespeare? London: Thames and Hudson, 1996. Whalen, Richard F. Shakespeare-Who Was He? Westport:Praeger, 1994.
They compared it to the said to be authors and the writing did not match their writing. This proves that Shakespeare was the writer of his plays and poems. Second, it has been proven that Shakespeare received a good education. He attended King Edward VI School, Stratford-upon-Avon (Did Shakespeare Write His Plays?).
Shakespeare, William. Richard II. Shakespeare: The Complete Works. Ed. G. B. Harrison. San Diego: Harcourt Brace Jovanovich, 1948. 430-67.
Ed. Harold Bloom. New York: Infobase Publishing, 2010. Shakespeare, William. The.
The Shakespeare Papers. Vol. 3. New York: Redfield, 1856. Google Books.
In 1564, a man was born by the name of William Shakespeare. He was born to a poor family, was given little education, and had no interaction with sophisticated society. Thirty-eight plays and over 150 sonnets are not attributed to this ignorant man. Those who believe that Shakespeare was the author have no definitive proof but instead point to Hamlet’s declaration: "The play’s the thing(Satchell 71)." The true author, however, lies hidden behind he name of Shakespeare. Edward de Vere the premier Earl of Oxford is not only considered a great poet in history, but he may also be the great playwright who concocted the sonnets and plays which are now attributed to William Shakespeare of Stratford, England.
Dutton, R., & Howard, J.E. (2003). A Companion to Shakespeare’s Works.(p. 9) Maiden, MA: Blackwell Pub.
...onary theater productions. From his sacrifices in the English Civil War to his creation of the first opera, Davenant was often upstaged by his potential relation to Shakespeare. When thinking of the most profound writers of the Renaissance era, do not forget the man who saved it from disappearing after Oliver Cromwell’s reign. Montague Summers put it best when he said “The services of Sir William Davenant to the English theatre it would be difficult to overestimate” (2).
Clark, W. G. and Wright, W. Aldis , ed. The Complete Works of William Shakespeare. Vol. 1. New York: Nelson-Doubleday
Shakespeare, William. The Norton Shakespeare. Edited Stephen Greenblatt et al. New York: W. W. Norton & Company, 1997.
Hunter, G.K. "Shakespeare and the Traditions of Tragedy." Wells, Stanley, ed. The Cambridge Companion to Shakespeare Studies. Cambridge: Cambridge UP, 1994.
ruled by his wife. For in the order of nature man was supposed to be
“Oxford Authorship Argument.” Absolute Shakespeare. 2000-2005. The Oxford arguments: Why Shakespeare could not have authored his works. http://absoluteshakespeare.com/trivia/authorship/authorship_oxford_arguments.htm
Across the Universe of Time: Shakespeare’s influence on 21st century society. It is harder to imagine a more universal writer than William Shakespeare. Rarely, if ever, is one of his many plays not being performed anywhere in the world and similarly rare is the tertiary English student who has not examined his work at length. His plays, sonnets and poems are common fodder for high school English departments across the globe.
William Shakespeare has become landmark in English literature. One must be familiar with the early days of English literature in order to comprehend the foundation of much of more modern literature’s basis. Shakespeare’s modern influence is still seen clearly in many ways. The success of Shakespeare’s works helped to set the example for the development of modern dramas and plays. He is also acknowledged for being one of the first writers to use any modern prose in his writings.
Wadsworth, Frank W. "Shakespeare, William." World Book Online American Edition. Online Edition. Online. Netzero. 26 Mar 2002.