Shakespeare's Authorship

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The Question of Shakespeare's Authorship Although William Shakespeare may be a poet for all time, it is still debatable whether he truly was the mastermind behind the scenes of so many brilliantly acclaimed plays and poems. Over the years, several theories and a multitude of suggestive evidence have been brought forward regarding the now infamous question of Shakespeare’s authorship. Evidence that points towards proving that Shakespeare's authorship is, in fact, a lie include the gaps in the recorded history of his life. There are many blanks and uncertainties regarding who he was beside a poet and playwright. For a writer, his biography is mysteriously short and contains various omissions. It is even suggested that Shakespeare could have …show more content…

From what can be learned about Shakespeare, it is evident that he did not have direct exposure to the places and contexts he so passionately wrote about. His plays do not appropriately reflect the experiences, or lack of thereof, that he allegedly encountered in life. Whether due to the basic errors in logic and fact or simply because of the coincidences and similarities in his work to others of his time, Shakespeare has been a subject of many arguments that debate the authenticity of his work (Decker). Any work of Shakespeare’s clearly displays a distinguished level of brilliance to it. From his immaculate vocabulary of 20,000 words to his impressive references to philosophy, politics, travel, and more, Shakespeare has proven to be a man of great intelligence and wisdom (Decker). Where the dilemma lies is within the humble and very limited education historians have …show more content…

This is a question that many will argue with various different answers. Some may try to justify the coincidences and similarities of Shakespeare’s work to others by suggesting he simply collaborated with different authors. However, a popular theory is that “Shakespeare was, in fact, a corporate entity and the works published under his name were written by a group of writers.” If not this, individuals such as Edward de Vere and Francis Bacon were suggested as likelier candidates for the author of Shakespeare’s work (Decker). Francis Bacon was the initial proposal for an alternate author as he held superior education, life experiences, writing style, and philosophy. Bacon was also known to write as a “concealed poet” with wishes to remain anonymous due to his political ties. Scholars have even found similarities between Bacon’s and Shakespeare’s writing such as in Hamlet. Also noted is how out of 203 proverbs, 152 listed in one of Bacon’s book were also in Shakespeare's plays (Decker). According to Dick Riley, Edward de Vere is today’s leading contender as the likely author behind the name Shakespeare. De Vere was said to fit the bill unmistakably considering how he was born into a life of privilege where people cherished the arts and his father loved the theater (Riley). Obtaining a bachelor's degree just by the age of 14 and a master’s by 16, Edward de Vere’s classical education opened the doors for his to possess many of

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