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Life and works of shakespeare essay
The life and works of William Shakespeare
The life and works of William Shakespeare
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In recent years the "Shakespearean conspiracy theory" has created a monumental amount of controversy among the literary world. The source of this controversy lies in the single question of whether or not Shakespeare is the genuine author of his renowned plays and sonnets. Prominent authorship candidates have surfaced, including, Edward de Vere, 17th Earl of Oxford. Jumana Farouksy, a writer for Times Magazine, states in her article, The Mystery of Shakespeare's Identity, that over three hundred Shakespeare skeptics "have made a public plea" and that, "this conspiracy will refuse to die." These bold stances against Shakespeare’s authenticity, taken by historians, professors and writers draws legitimate debate from this conspiracy. The Shakespeare …show more content…
Edward de Vere was born in Essex, at the de Vere’s estate of Castle Hedingham.
The soon to be 17th Earl of Oxford, was born into wealth and involuntary success with his father being John de Vere, the 16th earl of Oxford, and his mother Margery Golding. His mother Margery, was the half-sister of Arthur Golding, famed for being the first man to translate Ovid’s Metamorphosis into the English language. Throughout Golding’s life, he translated over thirty works from Latin into English. It is significant that Golding was a tutor of de Vere, while Ovid’s, Metamorphoses is recognized as one of the most influential works of literature upon shakespeare's writing. According to documented sources, de Vere’s strict daily routine began at 7 o’clock every morning with dancing lessons, French and Latin studies, writing exercises, common prayers, and cosmography. After dinner he would have free time to practice shooting, riding, and proper court life. This type of disciplined education would prepare any child for future success as an intellectual. De Vere attended the University of Cambridge known to be the Queen's College. He later was awarded the Master of the Arts from both Oxford and Cambridge universities. Following his university studies, he received legal training, becoming advanced in law and government,
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De Vere’s education, travels and experience with court life all are contributions to the brilliance behind these plays and sonnets. Jumana Farouksy, makes a legitimate point in her article, The Mystery of Shakespeare's Identity. Her point is that this conspiracy will never cease to present itself within the educational and literary world. The mystery behind Shakespeare's writings is no longer a mystery. William Shakespeare does not possess the qualifications to be the genuine author of these renowned plays and sonnets, and De Vere is the prominent candidate. Charles Dickens once said, The life of Shakespeare is a fine mystery and I tremble every day lest something turn up.” Shakespeare’s life still remains unexplainable, but the fact that he is not the true author can be explained. The contrasting childhood upbringing between Shakespeare and de Vere is automatic evidence supporting the anti-stratfordian view. The strong opinions against Shakespeare’s authenticity, taken by historians, professors and writers draws even more attention to Edward de Vere. The anti-stratfordian view stands strong in the fact that Shakespeare is simply an instrument used to hide the true identity of Edward de
Goldstein,Gary. "The Life of Edward de Vere, Earl of Oxford (1550-1604)" Luminarium: Anthology of English Literature. Anniina Jokinen, 3rd of June 1999. Web. 25th of April 2014.
Over the past few decades, there's been controversy over whether or not Shakespeare is the real author of his plays. Shakespeare is famously known for his work including, Romeo and Juliet and Julius Caesar. Throughout his work it is clear to see his originality and his extensive education. Some people may use this against him and say that it is impossible for someone of his status to write so greatly about politics and be able to use such character. Through stylometry, proof of his education, the actors, and the death of one of the alleged authors, it is proven that Shakespeare is, in fact, the real and rightful owner of his work.
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.
William Shakespeare represented King Henry V as a hero, however the accuracy of this perspective can be called into question, due to accounts of war crimes committed by the king in his campaigns in France. This investigation will look at the actual historical facts that can be established about King Henry V, the climate in which Shakespeare wrote, the differences his representation has with that of modern historians and also of course the actual details of his representation of King Henry V. However where would any debate of the accuracy of a literary representation be without the historical facts, free from any trappings of flavoured language.
The works of Shakespeare are some of the most respected in English literature. They have set the standard for all the great writers who followed. Although these works have been attributed to William Shakespeare of Stratford, they could have been written by anyone. The definite authorship of a work is always uncertain, but these works are particularly contested. There are those who believe someone besides Shakespeare of Stratford wrote the works, while others believe his identity, as a whole, is a conspiracy. Clearly the author of a work is important, but some wonder if knowing the author’s identity is really worth all the fuss. The works of Shakespeare will still reign at the top of English literature no matter who wrote them. Therefore, the question of authorship may not even be relevant.
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.
“William Shakespeare (26 April 1564 – 23 April 1616) was and English poet and playwright, widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and the world’s preeminent dramatist” (vodppl.upm.edu 2). He was born in Stratford-Upon-Avon, UK, he also passed away in his hometown. “When Shakespeare died in 1616 the event was barely noticed” (Epstein 7). “Shakespeare’s family was initially prosperous but began having financial difficulties in the 1570’s” (Allen 325). “Shakespeare gained his education by attending the local grammar school, King’s New School, where the curriculum stressed a classic education of Greek mythology and roman comedy”(shakespeareinamericancomunites.org 1). He never carried his educational career to a higher level as in a university. “William Shakespeare was not recognized as an actor, poet, and playwright until 1592” (Allen 346).
Although William Shakespeare is considered to be one of the most revered and well-renowned authors of all time, controversy surrounds the belief that he actually produced his own literary works. Some rumors even go so far as to question the reality of such a one, William Shakespeare, brought on by paralleling the quality of his pieces with his personal background and education. With such farfetched allegations, it persuaded others to peek into the person we all are taught to learn as “Shakespeare”, but who is actually the person behind these genius works of literary promise and enlightenment? To some, Shakespeare is as much accredited to his works as frequently as you see his name placed. To others, Shakespeare is a complex enigma into which we the people are supposed to unravel; the true author behind a falsely-given pseudonym. The debate pertaining to the true authorship of William Shakespeare’s works are still questioned in today’s society.
Many people claim, from the Shakespearean era, that it was enough to have the education that Shakespeare had to be a successful poet but why did Shakespeare have to cheat his way though? The writing in of Shakespeare's works had many phrases from Edward de Vere’s
Looney, J. Thomas. "Shakespeare" Identified in Edward De Vere, the Seventeenth Earl of Oxford. New York: Frederick A. Stokes Company, 1920. Print.
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.
Introduction Shakespeare is widely regarded as the world’s greatest playwright, and there’s no real reason to dispute that. People are still seeing his plays 400 years after he wrote them, not because it’s “trendy” or “hip,” but because they’re so good. His insight into the human spirit has never been equal. This paper is a brief biography of Shakespeare and a discussion of the times in which he lived. Discussion His life: It’s somewhat difficult to find factual information about Shakespeare, because the “first attempts at biographical research were not begun until over half a century after Shakespeare’s death” (Best, 2005).
England's most talented and well know poet and dramatist was born on April 23, 1564, at Stratford-upon-Avon, located in the cetre of England. His father, John, was a glove-maker and wool dealer involved with money lending. His mother Mary Arden was the daughter of a Farmer. William was the third out of eight children whom all died young. His father became Mayor in 1568, after serving on the town council for many years.
William Shakespeare’s life has brought much curiosity to many. This is natural as he is considered to be the greatest figure of English Literature. William Shakespeare, in terms of his life and work, is the most written-about author in the history of Western civilization. His works include 38 plays, 154 sonnets, and 2 epic narrative poems, the First of which was published after his death in 1623 by two of Shakespeare's acting companions, John Heminges and Henry Condell. Since then, the works of Shakespeare have been studied, analyzed, and enjoyed as some of the finest work of art in the English language.
Shakespeare Studies 11 (1978): 53-76. MLA International Bibliography. Web. The Web. The Web.