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. Edward de Vere was the Lord Great Chamberlain and the seventeenth Earl of Oxford. He was raised as a Royal Ward and from a very young age was educated in the sports and arts of nobility. Although disgraceful for a nobleman to waste time writing frivolous plays, Oxford as a young man wrote and staged the entertainment for the court. As an adult, he became engrossed in theatrical performances and frittered away his fortunes in support of several writers and actors (Friedman 13). During this time, De Vere also began writing several poems and plays. Much like Samuel Clemens, who wrote under the name of Mark Twain, Oxford adopted the pseudonym Shakespeare. Soon after plays appeared under the name of "Shakespeare," poems by de Vere ceased (Russell 5). Coincidently, the coat of arms of Lord Bulbeck, a third title of Edward de Vere, is a lion shaking a spear (Ogburn 10). De Vere was also known by the people as the "spear-shaker" because of excellence at the tilts and at jousting (Russell 5). Many believe this pen name was for protection. Many of the plays said to have been written by Shakespeare explicitly describe the corruption in court politics and contain "thinly veiled satires and parodies of politicians and courtiers." In addition, public theatres such as the Globe were laced with prostitutes, drunkards and criminals and because of the scoundrel audiences, playwrights were held in low esteem. Moreover, many scholars believe de Vere’s reasons for his pseudonym may be linked to the homoerotic threads in many of the Shakespearean sonnets and de Vere’s possible homosexual affair with his son-... ... middle of paper ... ...o one (Huston 162). In Sonnets 25 through 46, de Vere also spelled out in 22 letter patterns W SHAKESPEARE-OXFORD-VERE (Huston 170). The odds of this happening are even greater than that of the aforementioned probability. Using poetic license, de Vere of Oxford utilized codes and ciphers to spell out his name and other such messages. Edward de Vere of Oxford lived from 1550 to 1604. In the duration of that time, he was a young nobleman, a poet, and a lover of the theatre, but was also probably a great playwright who has yet to receive full credit for the plays he composed. De Vere witnessed first hand the inner workings of nobility. He traveled throughout Europe, completed his education at Cambridge University, studied the law at Gray’s Inn, and had abundant knowledge of historical occurrences and literary works (Russell 4). These are not only elements in the works attributed to William Shakespeare, but also are things which William Shakespeare of Stratford England knew nothing of. Who wrote the Shakespearean sonnets and plays? There is only one answer to this pivotal question – Edward de Vere of Oxford England.
Francis Bacon was an Attorney General and a Lord Chancellor under King James. The Lord Chancellor is the Second most powerful man in the country. Unlike William Shakespeare who in those times was a lowly actor looked down upon by the aristocratic class and it is contested whether he even had the education to even write at all, let alone what are considered to be the greatest literary works of all time. He also lacked the experience to write so well of things he never could have known no matter how smart, it would have taken personal experience to write on various topics so well. Legalese terms for example and the Inner workings of Royal Courts which a lowly actor could not have known. While Edward de Vere certainly had some power...
William Shakespeare is widely regarded as on the of the best playwrights and poets to have ever existed. “It is a widely speculated topic that William Shakespeare did not write the poems and that up to about 50 other poets could have writen them.”("Shakespeare facts: Read," 2011) “William Shakespeare is the second most quoted writer in the english language.” ("Shakespeare facts: Read," 2011) It is widely speculated that the true Shakespeare is actually Edward De Vere. I firmlybelieve Shakespeare was not the true playwright because of his lack of education, lack of upper class etiquette, and the different penmanship over time.
Stevenson, Alexa. “Probing Question: Did Shakespeare Really Write All Those Plays?” News. N.p. 1 Dec. 2008. Web. 29 Apr. 2014. .
Shakespeare’s plays and sonnets are big contributors to today's literature, but we still don't know the truth about who actually wrote them. There is many conspiracy theories that suggest William Shakespeare didn't actually write his plays, some believe William Stanley, Christopher Marlowe, or Edward de Vere may have have just used William Shakespeare as a pen name. Each theory has good points but they also all have parts that are not possible and don't make sense. What theory is true may never be answered due to the fact that the events happened so many years ago and there isn't much documentation from shakespeare's time.
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
McCrea, Scott. The Case for Shakespeare: The End of the Authorship Question. Westport, CT: Praeger Publishers, 2005. 132-139. Print.
Have you ever given it a thought that the poem’s author you were reading wasn’t the true author? I believe that the author of Shakespeare’s work was truly Edward de Vere. Did you know that Shakespeare stole many lines from Edward de Vere’s bible? Edward de Vere’s works were published but instead of his name being put as the author, you guessed it, Shakespeare was that author. Of course, Shakespeare in known for his great, beautiful poems, so shouldn’t that mean that his name should be in the book of the greatest poets? Many may not believe in the idea that the famous Shakespeare was a false but the true author was Edward de Vere.
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.
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.
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.
“I am firm against Shakespeare — I mean the Avon man, the actor.” (Whitman) The true author of the works attributed to Shakespeare have been in question since the late eighteenth century and really garnered attention until the early twentieth century, when famous authors such as George Bernard Shaw, Walt Whitman, and Ralph Waldo Emerson declared their opinions on the question. The most popular candidates for authentic authorship, besides William Shakespeare himself, are Edward DeVere, Francis Bacon, Queen Elizabeth I, and Christopher Marlowe. In the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries, writing was not considered a noble profession; therefore, authors would use either an alias or hire someone to allow them to take their name, which in this case it was Christopher Marlowe who took up Shakespeare’s name. Marlowe is the most credible of the contenders to be the true author because of his style of writing, and his education compared to that which is known of William Shakespeare.
Shakespeare, one of the greatest English authors whose literature arose in the late sixteenth century early seventeenth century was widely known and considered as “the greatest dramatist of all time.” He is mostly praised for his works that include the ever so popular Romeo and Juliet, Hamlet, and Macbeth, but most importantly for his creation of the 154 Sonnets which is a compilation of 154 fourteen lined poems that follow a strict rhyme scheme.
William Shakespeare, poet and playwright, utilized humor and irony as he developed specific language for his plays, thereby influencing literature forever. “Shakespeare became popular in the eighteenth century” (Epstein 8). He was the best all around. “Shakespeare was a classic” (8). William Shakespeare is a very known and popular man that has many works, techniques and ways. Shakespeare is the writer of many famous works of literature. His comedies include humor while his plays and poems include irony. Shakespeare sets himself apart by using his own language and word choice. Shakespeare uses certain types of allusions that people always remember, as in the phrase from Romeo and Juliet, “star-crossed lovers”.
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.