More handpicked essays just for you.
Essay on shakespeare authorship
The influence of the era on Shakespeare works
Essay research question for shakespeare authorship controversy
Don’t take our word for it - see why 10 million students trust us with their essay needs.
The Shakespeare authorship question
Even after 400 years, everyone has heard of Shakespeare. He’s without a shadow of a doubt the most popular dramatist and poet of the Western world. He’s so vital in the English literature that his works are compulsive reading for high school students in many countries, such as Switzerland. Shakespeare’s legacy is extremely influential. Not only is he said to be the author of sensational plays such as Hamlet, Othello, Macbeth and Romeo and Juliet, but he also dedicated his spare time to the creation of enigmatic sonnets. But can a single man have written such wonders all by himself?
In the 18th century questions arose about the authorship of Shakespeare’s work given the vague detail that are known about
…show more content…
Some experts have suggested various authors to be the true genius behind all those plays. Sir Francis Bacon, Christopher Marlowe, William Stanley and Roger Manners have all been identified as possible alternative authors, while the most popular candidate is Earl of Oxford. He was the Lord Great Chamberlain of England and a courtier poet. Unlike Shakespeare, De Vere’s experience in politics and law explains the accurate royal court and legal language of his plays. Other than that to Edward De Vere had apparently various personal connections with contemporary playwrights and has been reckoned to have travelled through many locations in Shakespeare’s plays and even lived in Italy where the several plays were set, such as Othello and Romeo and …show more content…
Christopher Marlow thrilled the Elizabethan audience until his death in a drunken brawl on May 30 1593. The theory goes that the reports of Marlowe's death were falsified to protect him from going to prison for being an atheist. Some believe that Shakespeare was named as the play's author to protect the truth of what really happened to Marlowe.
It is also thought possible that Sir Francis Bacon, essayist and scientist, could have written the plays. There is little evidence to suggest this, apart from similarities in the plays to his own. The theory that Bacon could have written the plays was first put forward in 1856 by the American writer Delia Salter Bacon.
With the initials WS, William Stanley is another plausible contestant for authorship of the plays. He was the 6th Earl of Derby and his owned a theatre company called Derby's men. He signed off as Will and travelled in Europe. Through his marriage to Elizabeth de Vere, he was related to William Cecil, on whom many believe the character of Polonius in Hamlet is
William Shakespeare wrote the play that may have also influenced and inspired him to write. At
Stevenson, Alexa. “Probing Question: Did Shakespeare Really Write All Those Plays?” News. N.p. 1 Dec. 2008. Web. 29 Apr. 2014. .
Francis Bacon is the most likely candidate. He fits the time period, had the power, writting background and a secret hierarchy group of literary writers. Francis Bacon was born in 1561 and he died in 1626. The first Folio of Shakespear was released in 1623. The first play was written around 1589-1591. This puts Bacon within the time period to be responsible for the plays. Unlike Shakespeare or Edward de vere. Shakespeare died in 1616 and the highly edited folio was released 7 years after the death of Shakespeare. Similarly Edward de Vere died in 1604 and was not around to do the extensive editing that had taken place by the time of the first folio. If it was edited by others who were not in charge of the plays I concede that this would have been Plagiarism and disrespecting an authors work shortly after their deaths. Whom I believe they respected and would not have done unless they were a part of the work.
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).
William Shakespeare’s sonnets are considered to be some of the most beautiful poems in English literature. Although little is known about the poet, many seem to put their focus on Shakespeare’s inner life; wondering why he wrote the things he did. William Shakespeare is mostly known for his plays; however, he did accomplish a lot in poetry. William Shakespeare was powerful with his words, and knew how to express things in great depth. Why or who he wrote about is still a mystery. Scholars only know so much about his life, and are still trying to put the unknown pieces together.
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.
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.
William Shakespeare wrote the play “Hamlet” around 1600 during the renaissance area in England. To this date this play is Shakespeare 's longest play written but many believe that this work of literature was already told before Shakespeare. A 12th-century medieval Scandinavian
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.
Looney, J. Thomas. "Shakespeare" Identified in Edward De Vere, the Seventeenth Earl of Oxford. New York: Frederick A. Stokes Company, 1920. Print.
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...
Stratfordians believe that William Shakespeare was the true writer of many great plays like Hamlet, Macbeth, and Othello. This belief may be true, but there are many pieces of opposing evidence showing that he did not actually write these plays or poems. From the lack of information about his life, to his lack of education, there is almost no true reason that he could have written such amazing plays. There are many pieces of evidence showing that an earl named Edward De Vere wrote these plays. De Vere was a well educated nobleman with a degree from Oxford University. He had knowledge of the places most plays were set, and had a perfectly wide enough range of knowledge to be able to have written these plays. Because playwriting was considered
William Shakespeare born in 1564 is famously known as one of the most influential writers of all time; he conjured up many breathtaking plays during his lifetime. One of Shakespeare most successful plays was the tragedy Macbeth. Public and critical acclaim quickly followed and Shakespeare eventually became the most popular play writer of all time. In this famous play Shakespeare has portrayed Macbeth as respectable noble man however he is motivated to go down the path of dishonesty and crime.
In his time, Shakespeare was the most popular playwright of London. As time passed, his smartness covers all others of his age; Jonson, Marlowe, Kyd, Greene, Dekker, Heywood—none had the craft or the kindness of character. He was the master of poetry writing and he did it well. He created the most vivid characters of the Elizabethan stage. His usage of language, both high and low, shows a remarkable fun and insight. His themes fit all generation even to this day.