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Essays on william shakespeare and the authorship debate
How shakespeare influences modern culture
Essay on when and why did the authorship of Shakespeare's plays come into question
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In one of William Shakespeare's most famous plays, Romeo and Juliet, he writes his lead character Juliet these lines: "What's in a name? That which we call a rose/ By any other word would smell as sweet." (2. 2.43–44). Many people dedicate their entire careers studying Shakespeare's life and his work. Naturally, with research, arises evidence to support and also disprove a subject. The question on if William Shakespeare wrote the works he is widely accredited for is a very triggering one. This inquiry has become a huge debate among Shakespearean scholars for at least a century. As well as at times, often caused an obsession for many of them. Is William Shakespeare the true author of the works that bear his name? The thought of these profound …show more content…
There is evidence to suggest that Shakespeare is a fraud; however, there is also more logical evidence to support that William Shakespeare from Stratford-upon-Avon is the Shakespeare who wrote those great pieces. William Shakespeare is the true author of his works because there are holes in the opposing theories, his distinct writing style, and the fact that that not all great stories are not from high class people. and …….
The article, “The Shakespearean Puzzle”, by Raymond Schuessler, provides various theories of different men anti-Stratfordians believe could be the real Shakespeare. The leading candidates for the true author are Sir Francis Bacon, Christopher Marlowe, and Edward de Vere (Lord Oxford). Francis Bacon (1561-1626) was an Attorney General of England and was knowledgeable in writing scholastic essays during Shakespeare’s timeline.
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Literary devices such as the mood, style, and even the subject of the piece completely impact the audience feelings. So, many great writers like Shakespeare are noted on how they write. Shakespeare is known for using blank verse and iambic pentameter to create his sonnets and plays. In the TedTalk video, "Did Shakespeare write his plays?" written by Natalya St. Clair and Aaron Williams, it introduces a method called a linguist method called: Stylometry. Stylometry stems from linguists, studies the writer's style and characteristics. This information supports William Shakespeare as the true author because it compares his literature to the nominees' work. Based on characteristics of the candidates to Shakespeare, the author of the work is William Shakespeare. Stylometrics, however, suspect the Christopher Marlowe did collaborate with Shakespeare on Henry VI in parts one and two. That could account for some of their similar writing styles of the
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 has become landmark in English literature. One must be familiar with the early days of English literature in order to comprehend the foundation of much of more modern literature’s basis. Shakespeare’s modern influence is still seen clearly in many ways. The success of Shakespeare’s works helped to set the example for the development of modern dramas and plays. He is also acknowledged for being one of the first writers to use any modern prose in his writings.
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.
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.
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.
The unprecedented admiration garnered by his works led to a fierce curiosity about Shakespeare's life, but the dearth of biographical information has left many details of Shakespeare's personal history shrouded in mystery. Some scholars have concluded from this lack and from Shakespeare's modest education that his plays were actually written by someone else-Francis Bacon and the Earl of Oxford are the two most popular candidates. The evidence for this claim, however, is overwhelmingly circumstantial, and few take the theory very seriously. [IMAGE] In the absence of definitive proof to the contrary,
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 is one of the most well known writers of classical literature in the
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.
An important note is that Shakespeare’s name exists on his plays and poems. This may seem trivial and
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
There have also been many public remarks about Shakespeare’s abilities, as well as some of his later plays being registered in the Stationers Registry. These many comments by his friends put to rest the idea that he was not relevant to his immediate history. Shakespeare wrote in collaboration several times in his career. It is doubtful that if he had really been a nobleman like the Earl of Oxford that he would have collaborated with the common playwrights of the time (Knapp). The fact that there are no claims amid the writers and actors of Shakespeare’s period that anyone but Shakespeare acted and wrote his vast collection is plenty of evidence defending his
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.