Where there is no Shakespeare
"You can be a genius and still be an ordinary man," remarks literary critique and historian A.L. Rowse, debating on the true originator of Shakespeare's work. It has been questioned whether Shakespeare- undoubtedly one of the most remarkable and acclaimed playwrights that the world has ever known, was the actual originator of his work. Although much is not confirmed about Shakespeare's work and life, there are many assumptions that lead scholars to question Shakespeare's identity due to his limited background, lack of original manuscripts, and his undocumented birth and death.
Historians assume that Shakespeare was educated at Stratford Grammar School where he learned Latin and possibly Greek. Shakespeare was uneducated; he never attended any college, and in fact, there is no real evidence that he attended the Stratford Grammar School. The plays, however, were obviously written by a well-educated man, with an excellent knowledge of classical literature and mythology. Shakespeare did not attend a university- this questions how Shakespeare learned the French, Italian, Latin and Greek that provided the material for the plays. If he had attended the village school, he would have learned only small Latin and possibly Greek. Never having attended university, it draws many doubts on how the man from Stratford gain the knowledge the plays reveal of the law and medicine. Never having been at sea, it is unclear how Shakespeare gained the knowledge the plays reveal of navigation. It has been questioned how Shakespeare- a hick, uses the language of kings and countrymen. The plays show that their author was well acquainted with the activities and attitudes of the aristocrats, was sympathetic to those attitudes, and was well acquainted with court life and scheming. This strongly suggests that the author was himself an aristocrat. However, Shakespeare was a commoner, and had no direct knowledge of court life.
Another fact that questions Shakespeare's work is that there is no document showing that the man from Stratford did write these works. There should be a record: his manuscripts, his letters, the letters sent to him, the letters about him between others, and printed stories and pamphlets about him. The only works related to Shakespeare's works are reviews and comments on the plays and poems.
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.
Scholar Diana Price in her article, "Shakespeare's Authorship and Questions of Evidence" takes an independent, serious and thought provoking role in investigating the answer to a question of over 400 years: Was Shakespeare of Stratford really responsible for writing all those stories and sonnets?
William Shakespeare’s intellectual use of the English language is what brought him prosperity throughout his lifetime, and what brings us to tears and laughter in the modern world. The life of Shakespeare is of great importance to English literature because of his many contributions including poetry, stories, and plays. However, many people do not know that he also owned a business. “William Shakespeare was a professional actor, a businessman, and a playwright. Today, nearly four hundred years after his death his plays are still performed” (Greenhill and Wignall 4).
Perhaps the reason that Shakespeare’s works have not been attributed to any other man would attest to the fact that scholars are not willing to accept the implications that the man celebrated to be the world’s most ingenious literary figure is not, in fact, who he was thought to be. However, the search for evidence leading to the true author will continue out of the ethical implications that credit must be given to the true author of the world’s greatest literature.
Stevenson, Alexa. “Probing Question: Did Shakespeare Really Write All Those Plays?” News. N.p. 1 Dec. 2008. Web. 29 Apr. 2014. .
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.
The Shakespeare authorship question is the argument that someone other than William Shakespeare of Stratford-upon-Avon wrote the works under the name of William Shakespeare. Some people say that Shakespeare was a front to shield the identity of the real author or authors, who for some reason didn’t want the fame or the public interest. The authorship question was first questioned in the middle of the 19th century. Very little is known of Shakespeare’s personal life. The lack of biographic information has sometimes been taken as an indication of an attempt by government officials to get rid of all traces of Shakespeare from the historical record and to conceal the true author’s identity. For example, a lack of attendance records for Stratford’s grammar school is taken as suggesting that they have been destroyed...
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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.
MrCrea, Scott. The Case for Shakespeare: The End of the Authorship Question. Westport: Praegar, 2005. Print.
William Shakespeare was one of the most memorable play writers in history. However, William may have been given false credit. Many people believe that he may not author the plays. In fact, there is much evidence that shows that he did not author the plays.
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.
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He wrote many different works as in plays and poems. “In addition to his thirty-seven plays, Shakespeare wrote an innovative collection of sonnets and two long narrativ...
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.