Prior to this assignment, I had never considered the possibility of another author of Shakespeare's many plays, however after it had been mentioned I began considering the possibility. Even before conducting this research, I considered myself somewhat knowledgeable of Shakespeare in comparison to others. By the end of the assignment I fully considered myself as a Stratfordian. Despite my stance on the subject, if it was to be discovered that there is definitely another author of the Shakespearean comedies and tragedies, I would still consider that possible since both theories have multiple inconsistencies.
My first source, content.time.com, functioned as an unbiased and fairly useful but basic source. It ultimately provided as a good source
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The author continued the same argument as TIME magazine, claiming that he was far too ordinary to write plays and poems as extravagant as is claimed. However, they did justify the theory of Shakespeare being the only author of his prestigious plays and poems by mentioning the possibility that his imagination and elaborate detail, despite lacking experience, may have been inspired from other literature and stories, as well as retellings of other people that he had heard. I believe this source is fairly unbiased, because despite the many anti-stratfordian theories that were offered, the author continued to remind the audience that Shakespeare’s authenticity should not be overlooked. Ultimately, this article was an excellent source to continue my early research, as it presented the most popular theories and had clear and concise reasoning and …show more content…
I deemed the work reliable since this was part of yet another well known media franchise, and the author, David Bevington, is a respected professor of English language and literature at Chicago University. Unlike the past two articles I had utilized, this piece was positively written by a stratfordian, as it denounced many theories rebuking William Shakespeare as the sole author of his proclaimed literary works. Bevington began by initially disproving one of the most popular theoretical alternative authors, The Earl Of Oxford. Many Anti-stratfordians claim that he was the true author of the writing, however the author of this third article proves that as false since The Earl died in 1604, before some of the more famous plays were written including Macbeth, Antony and Cleopatra, and Henry VIII. He continues to abolish the anti-stratfordian claim that Shakespeare’s lack of education disqualifies him, which is ultimately ludicrous since other famous playwrights of the same era, such as John Webster and Thomas Dekker, also did not receive a high education. He went on to revile the claim that Shakespeare's authorship is uncredible due to the lack of handwriting samples and manuscripts. Bevington explained how other playwrights rivaling Shakespeare, including Christopher
Shakespeare, William, Stephen Greenblatt, Walter Cohen, Jean E. Howard, Katharine Eisaman Maus, and Andrew Gurr. The Norton Shakespeare. Second ed. New York: W.W. Norton, 1997. Print.
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.
Hechinger, Paul. "Did Shakespeare Really Write His Plays? A Few Theories Examined." BBC America. N.p., 24 Oct. 2011. Web. 27 Apr. 2014.
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.
Some people believe that they have found the real author. According to this quote, “An English schoolmaster, J. Thomas Looney went looking for Shakespeare, After years of searching through old documents, Looney came up with a man names Edward De Vere, the 17th Earl of Oxford , who lived from 1550-1604,” (Austin Para. 8), It is strong evidence. It means that Looney may found the real author who authored the plays. This also shows that William Shakespeare may not be the author at all. According to this quote,” Periods in which Shakespeare wrote typically did not include the authors name at all,” (Khapp Para. 4), it gives us a feeling that we might have some strong evidence. This clearly shows that someone else may have wrote the plays but did not include their name, so William thought he could plagiarize and pretend he wrote them. This also shows that Shakespeare didn’t include his name to prove that he wrote them. William clearly did not write the plays because Looney searched through old documents and found an unknown name in his documents and Shakespeare did not include an authors’ name in his so called plays.
...ad kept an assistant historian to be able to write his plays. Some experts have said that Francis Bacon, a philosopher who lived around the same time, was the true author of the plays. People can not believe that Shakespeare, who came from an ordinary background, could have written such great works of literature. In 1995, a Shakespeare Oxford Society Home Page and a new electronic magazine were started for the purpose of bringing the news of this continuing debate to a global audience.
Bethell, Tom. "Looking for Shakespeare: Two Partisans Explain and Debate the Authorship Question." The Atlantic Monthly 268.4 (Oct. 1991): 43-61. Rpt. in Shakespearean Criticism. Ed. Michelle Lee and Dana Ramel Barnes. Vol. 41. Detroit: Gale Research, 1998. Literature Resource Center. Web. 16 Jan. 2014.
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Shakespeare today, as a staple of British literature, is considered in terms of both textuality and materiality. His influential sonnets and plays are compiled into anthologies, discussed in scholarly articles, translated into modern, twenty-first century language, and incorporated into curriculums across the world. No longer is Shakespeare’s work immaterial; his writing can be held in two hands and flipped through frivolously, and the pages can be torn, bent, and written on in permanent ink without a second thought. This concept is particularly relevant in relation to Margreta De Grazia’s essay, “Shakespeare’s Entitlement: Literary Property and Discursive Enclosure” and Edmond Malone’s The Plays and Poems of William Shakespeare. The introduction
“No legacy is as rich as honesty.” William Shakespeare wrote this famous saying; however, did he apply these wise words to his life? William Shakespeare, an English playwright and poet, is considered the greatest dramatist of all time (Biography). However, a great deal of controversy circulates as to whether Shakespeare actually authored all of the work that under his name. Many believe he acted as a pseudonym for other authors and did not write his own literature, plays, or poetry, nevertheless not enough reliable evidence exists to support this theory.
Alex Klepko Mr. Smith English 9 9 January 2015 The Amazing Life of William Shakespeare William Shakespeare is definitely regarded as one of the best poets and playwrights that has ever been in human history. Many people automatically think of such works as Romeo and Juliet and Hamlet when thinking of Shakespeare, even if they have not possibly read the plays or watched a movie. For example, even today songs are written with a reference to the “love” of Romeo and Juliet.
Leen AbuShaaban Ms. Jacquie Rene Marler Language Arts 11 March 15, 2018 The Life of William Shakespeare William Shakespeare is an English poet, he wrote approximately 39 plays and 154 poems ("Admin."). Shakespeare is a great influence on people's lives today. Without him, people wouldn't know many English words or names.
A poet and a playwright, William Shakespeare won a worldwide reputation as capturing human emotions and conflict. His famous plays include Hamlet, Macbeth, Romeo and Juliet, and King Lear. Despite his great works, some critics questioned the authorship of Shakespeare. In the Renaissance period in England, many authors used pseudonyms because the publication of poetry and drama existed as one of the taboos. Considering this, many books and articles were written claiming that someone other than William Shakespeare wrote the plays and poems.
Above all other dramatists stands William Shakespeare, a supreme genius whom it is impossible to characterize briefly. Shakespeare is unequaled as poet and intellect, but he remains elusive. His capacity for assimilation—what the poet John Keats called his “negative capability”. William Shakespeare is a very well-known author across the world. He is generally considered to be the greatest dramatist that the literary scenes have ever witnessed. He is the world’s famous author and the finest poet ever. No other writer’s plays have been created so many times or translated in different languages to be read in other countries, which explicates why he is justly the most praised writer. His writings stretch across various genres and cover all possible