SHAKESPEARE: MAN OR MYTH?
Who was the real Shakespeare? The son of a Stratford glovemaker? Or was he a forgotten nobleman, the 17th Earl of Oxford? It is the greatest detective story there ever was. As more clues are being found, more and more people are doubting the fact that he ever wrote all his plays or even existed. The big question people are asking is why the man who told so much about who we are tell us so little about himself? That is one of the many reasons why I think he never existed or even wrote all those plays. How could a ‘nobody’ have thought a man who could barely sign his name was the greatest writer in the English language? In this essay I will tell you about why I don’t think he wrote the plays, why Edward de Vere was the real Shakepeare, and other things like why it’s impotrant to see who the real Skaespeare is.
In my opinion I do not believe that Shakespeare wrote all those plays because the man couldn’t even sign his own and I don’t think he ever existed. There are many facts that back up my opinion. One is where Mark Twain once said that only a riverboat captain can handle riverboat slang, and there were some things that you have to just experience. “Where would Shakespeare, have learned the lawyer slang, court slang, soldier slang, and all the terminology that fills the plays?”1 1Some other facts that make me believe that Shakespeare never wrote these plays is that no plays, no poems, and not a single letter Shakespeare’s own handwriting has ever been found. The only examples of his handwriting yet discovered are six signatures, each one spelled differently. Another thing is that one by one, art experts doubt that he posed for any of the portraits of himself.
It is believed by Oxfordians that Edward De Vere was the real Shakespeare. What makes me believe this is that Lord Burghley provided De Vere with the same environment and education the author of the plays mist of had. De Vere received degrees from both Oxford and Cambridge and then studied law. He was also saluted at the court with the toast: “Thy countenance shakes a spear.” It is very sad that De Vere did not receive any credit for his work, but instead a man who didn’t even exist get it.
Vickers, Brian. 1993. Appropriating Shakespeare: Contemporary Critical Quarrels. New Haven and London: Yale University Press.
Stevenson, Alexa. “Probing Question: Did Shakespeare Really Write All Those Plays?” News. N.p. 1 Dec. 2008. Web. 29 Apr. 2014. .
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.
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.
It is thought that since everyone in Shakespeare’s family was uneducated that he also would not have had proper schooling and would be uneducated. If shakespeare was uneducated he could not have written 198 pieces of work ranging from sonnets, poems, and plays. With a vocabulary of over 13,000 words used overall in all of his pieces of work combined, if he was uneducated it is completely impossible for him to have written all of the plays, poems, and sonnets.
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.
Identifying the particular view that Shakespeare held when he wrote his plays requires delving into the plays themselves and understanding both the characters and challenges that surround the concept of kingship. Furthermore, we may examine two of his plays that are fundamentally different in nature, but are yet inex...
Ever since the author's background has been questioned, scholars and other people have debated over who wrote the famous plays and sonnets that have the name William Shakespeare signed on them. Many alternative candidates have been presented, such as Edward de Vere, the 17th Earl of Oxford. However, these people do not have strong or valid arguments to support their theories. Based on biographical evidence, Shakespeare, not Edward de Vere, most likely wrote Shakespearean works. The arguments for other candidates like de Vere are not strong enough to show that Shakespeare did not write Shakespearean works.
Vickers, Brian. Appropriating Shakespeare: Contemporary Critical Quarrels. New Haven and London: Yale University Press. 1993.
All around, Shakespeare wrote a total of 21 plays. Usually the scenery for his plays was limited to painted cloths, and necessary chairs and tables. Shakespeare did not appreciate it when his lines were paraphrased or thrown out there for people to say with no exaggeration and emotion. William Shakespeare did not joke around when it came to his plays and the actors preforming (Schoenbaum 72). Many people do not know that Shakespeare lived a double life.
Othello, Romeo and Juliet etc. But, some people believe that he wasn’t real. Or that it was a pseudonym of many other playwrights. Or that someone else wrote his plays for him. Regardless of the countless theories that may surround him, I believe that Shakespeare was real.
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.
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
After overcoming the troubles of becoming an actor and a playwright, William Shakespeare has become well renowned. His works reach to people all around the world despite the language barriers and different races and cultures. For centuries, the popularity of his work...
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.