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
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.
We may now ask why the works of Shakespeare enjoy an undiminishing acceptance in most countries of the world and an aura of immortality. It is perhaps because we see in Shakespeare the mirror of the human condition with which we may all identify and gain a sense that in some strange way his plays belong to us.
Clark, W.G. and Aldis Wright, eds. Introduction. The Complete Works of William Shakespeare. New York: Nelson Doubleday, Inc., n. d.
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.
Cohen, Walter, J.E. Howard, K. Eisaman Maus. The Norton Shakespeare. Vol. 2 Stephen Greenblatt, General Editor. New York, London. 2008. ISBN 978-0-393-92991-1
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.
James, D.G. (Excerpt from a series of lectures delivered in 1965 at University College, London.) The Shakespeare Criticism Volume 8. Gale Research Inc., Detroit. 1989: 429-434.
MrCrea, Scott. The Case for Shakespeare: The End of the Authorship Question. Westport: Praegar, 2005. Print.
Shakespeare has created stories that are so powerful, emotional, comedic, tragic and romantic that they are still continuously remembered and studied in the modern era. Though the essence of his talents does not lie in the simple themes behind his plays, but more so in
By using just the right combination of words, or by coming up with just the right image, Shakespeare wrote many passages and entire plays that were so powerful, moving, tragic, comedic, and romantic that many are still being memorized and performed today, almost four centuries later. But the greatness of Shakespeare’s ability lies not so much in the basic themes of his works but in the creativity he used to write these stories of love, power, greed, discrimination, hatred, and tragedy.
Shakespeare thus leaves his audience to fabricate their own perception with serving only minor stage directions. They are then left with Hamlet’s lingering words, actions, and the reactions to predisposed whether Hamlet’s madness is actually feigned or legitimate. Nevertheless, The evidence does not actually define Shakespeare’s character, Hamlet. To relate, modern audiences must do their research to become accustomed to the way of thinking done by people of the Renaissance. All in all, Hamlet’s true soundness is left up to the people of today’s
The Shakespeare authorship debate has captivated scholars and enthusiasts alike for centuries, with multiple intriguing alternative theories suggesting that William Shakespeare may not have been the true author of the “Shakespeare plays.” While William Shakespeare of Stratford-upon-Avon is traditionally credited as the sole author, proponents of different theories argue that other scholars with greater intellect and schooling are better candidates. This essay delves into the reasons why if Shakespeare is not the true author of his plays, then the people at hand are most likely Francis Bacon, Edward de Vere, Christopher Marlowe, or a combination of the three. Francis Bacon's intellect and erudition are widely acknowledged by the writer community.
The impeccable style and craft of Shakespeare’s writing has always been looked upon with great respect, and it continues to serve as an inspiration to writers and thinkers today even as it did when it was being first performed in London. Shakespeare’s modern audience, however, is far less diverse than the one for which he originally wrote. Due to the antiquity of his language, Shakespeare’s modern readership consists mostly of students and intellectuals, whereas in Shakespeare’s own time, his plays were performed in playhouses packed with everyone from royalty to peasants. Because of this, Shakespeare was forced to write on many different levels, the most sophisticated of which appealed to his more elite audience members, while the more straightforward and often more crude of which appealed to his less educated viewers, and the most universal of which still appeals to us.
Throughout the United States and the entire world people are aware of Shakespeare; however, many people wonder why society wants their citizens to continue to read William Shakespeare’s plays and poems. Shakespeare continues to influence today’s environment and brings people together by speaking of a common author that most people know. All across the world, students must read at least one of Shakespeare’s works; which often develop those children who read his works into better writers. During the Elizabethan Era, William Shakespeare experienced an uneventful childhood and had a basic education; however, his life still seems to be shrouded with mystery and raises the argument that he was not only the most successful, but also the most mysterious playwright, actor, and poet from that time period.
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.