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Who Was The True Author of Shakespeare’s Works?
The authenticity of Shakespeare’s works being those of William Shakespeare has long been debated. Many people and scholars have explored the possibility that maybe the many amazing plays and sonnets were possibly written by a man named Edward de Vere, the 17th Earl of Oxford. There is a good amount of evidence supporting the theory that this man may be the real “Shakespeare”, while on the other hand, it would be very difficult to deny the popular belief of William Shakespeare being who most people say he is. The thought of Edward de Vere being the author would change many aspects of our theatrical world today, and prove how influential word-of-mouth can be.
According to popular belief, William Shakespeare was an amazing writer. His real name was William Shakspere. With works from Hamlet to Othello to the well-known Romeo and Juliet, his plays have been adapted many times over. The themes that were in his dramas have recurred many times in movies, plays, and other performances since they were first performed in the 1600’s.
William Shakspere was the son of John Shakspere, a glover, trader, and landowner. William grew up in a town called Stratford, England, and he went to a school called King’s New School. It is believed that all of Shakespeare’s education was received at that school. He grew up and married a woman named Ann Hathaway when he was 18, and they had 3 children. It is said that he moved to London and joined an acting troupe soon after his children were born. He wrote plays for the troupe and became very successful. That is the extent of the information about Shakspere, and there are very little records about any other known history.
Edward de Vere was a renowned gentleman, as well as the 17th Earl of Oxford. He had earned two Master’s Degrees before he was seventeen years old, and also was very proficient in classics and French. In 1575, Oxford won the Queen's permission to tour the Continent. He visited Paris, Verona, Rome, Venice and Padua, among other cities, which would have given him descriptions for detail apparent in The Two Gentlemen of Verona, Romeo and Juliet and The Merchant of Venice. He was very familiar with upper class society, but knew very little about the lower classes, besides what he heard or observed. He loved to write plays and was an amazing poet according to accounts in recovered letters written by his acquaintances.
Scene 1 of Act 4 is certainly one of the most visually impacting and intriguing scenes of the entire play. This strong effect is attained by the sequential presentation of mysterious images and a close reference to evil throughout the whole scene. On stage, the visual (the actions and apparitions) and audible (the speech and sound effects as the thunder) factors engulf the entire scene in an atmosphere of wickedness.
William Shakespeare (Lyricist, Author, Poet) – He was an English actor, playwright and poet. He was known as a great writer in the English language and a world’s greatest dramatist. William was baptized on April 26, 1964 in Startford-Upon-Avon, Warwickshire, West Midlands, England. At his age of 18, he was married to Anne Hathaway whom he had 3 children namely: the twins Hamnet and Judith, and
"The Education Of William Shakespeare." The Education of William Shakespeare. N.p., n.d. Web. 29 Apr. 2014. .
In today’s world the quality of the art form called writing is said to be somewhat diminishing, it is important for English literature to keep some studies of classic literature, such as Shakespeare. I think well rounded education must have a strong foundation in both modern and classical literature, for the foundation in classical literature, an in-depth study of Shakespeare’s works would be more than sufficient. Not only was Shakespeare so skilled in his writing that he has become a significant point in the history of literature, but a majority of his works were written on such basic human themes that they will last for all time and must not be forgotten.
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 is considered to be the greatest playwright of all time, even though many facts about his life still remain a mystery. In his lifetime Shakespeare wrote 36 plays and 154 sonnets. The following paragraphs will included the key moments known about William Shakespeare's life, birth through death.
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
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’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).
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.
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.
William Shakespeare is the greatest playwright in the era of Renaissance of England. He was born in Stratford-on-Avon in 1564. Shakespeare spent his childhood in a rather affluent bourgeoisie. The boy went to the grammar school at Stratford and later he became an illustrious dramatist and poet in London. Shakespeare altogether creates 37 plays, two narrative poems and 154 sonnets in his lifetime.
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.