Doubt of Shakespeare's Authorship of His Plays
Over the years, various persons have expressed doubt as to the authorship of William Shakespeare. These doubts are as old as his plays.
American author, Henry James once said, "I am haunted by the conviction that the divine William is the biggest and the most successful fraud ever practiced on a patient world. (Hoffman 27) On the other hand, author Calvin Hoffman was convinced that Shakespeare was "the author of the most magnificent English dramatic prose and poetry ever written. (Hoffman 27) But, he reiterated this belief nineteen years later, stating, "They are magnificent! Only, William
Shakespeare of Stratford-on- Avon never wrote the plays and poems." (Hoffman 27)
Crime, guilt, fraud, exile, hate, deceit, and murder are all woven into this shroud of authorship that hides the identity of the world's most renowned writer. Cranks have proposed over fifty candidates for authorship, from Queen
Elizabeth to the Jesiuts.
Although many doubt that William Shakespeare ever wrote the works attributed to him, some still resort to pro-Shakespearean arguments. John
Drinkwater, author and believer, felt that the flowers, banks, brooks, pastures, and woodlands of Shakespeare's boyhood home, Stratford, were all transfigured in his plays by his wonderful verse, but yet they still remained the scenes to which he was bred. Drinkwater believed too, that not only in Shakespeare's humble folk, shepherds, gardeners, and serving men, but also in his princes and kings, he reflected the humanity with which he was familiar in Stratford. The knowledge and wisdom he acquired directly from his own enviroment was quite true to life. Drinkwater also said that mere book- knowledge in Shakespeare's works was usually incorrect because he used knowledge outside the range of his own experiences, with a "grand audacity."
It is true that William Shakespeare attended grammar school in Stratford, and tha he acquired some competence in Latin and gained a limited knowledge of
English history. There was a period of time in his life referred to as his
"dark years," and this period of time may have been subjected to influences making for high culture.
Records say too, that Shakespeare left Stratford in 1585 and went on the stage in 1590. During this time he could have attended Cambridge or worked in a lawyer's ...
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...Shakespeare's did. Bacon and Shakespeare viewed the world differently.
Finally, some disbelievers support another candidate, William Stanley, the 6th Earl of Derby, who was interested in drama, and became a patron of a company of actors. Several poems showed signs of early and immature Shakespeare, but he was a boy at that time. One was signed in Derby's handwriting, and three signed "William Shakespeare." His motive- like de Vere'swould have been to avoid association of his family name with the lower social order of the stage.
Was Shakespeare hinting at his name through word play? His verses, such as "... every word doth almost tell my name..." seem to be an attempt to reveal his name. Another line says, "Whats in a name?" Sonnet III says, "Hence comes it that my name receives a brand," and " my name be buried where my body is...."
In conclusion, curiosity has indeed been aroused for many , many years.
Hundreds of theories and shreds of proof have been gathered, but the world will always wonder and waver between doubt and belief in William Shakespeare. So, the question still remains, "Was Shakespeare really Shakespeare?"
Young boys' lives were enhanced through their education, which therefore made it a central focus of their life. Schooling for young boys became very important in Elizabethan England. When they reached the age of five, boys would be sent to what was known as a "Petty School" (Turnpike 4). In these schools, the children would be taught to read and write English as well as learn basic manners (Turnpike 4). A young boy's basic education was extremely important. Their early years were a crucial time for learning. All t...
Summary of Shakespeare's Authorship and Questions of Evidence. 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? Was it Sir Francis Bacon, Christopher Marlowe, Sir Edward Dyer, the earl of Derby, and of all most suspected by the anti-stratfordians Edward de Vere (the 17th earl of Oxford)?
One of the largest mysteries of current time is the debate over who the author of the plays commonly attributed to William Shakespeare really is. Commonly termed as the “authorship problem,” many skeptics believe that the William Shaksper of Stratford (the spelling of his name originally) could not have been the true composer of the plays he is traditionally attributed with. Although the thought of someone besides Shakespeare composing the plays is not popular with the American and European world, there are excessive theories concerning the truth behind the possibility of the works being authentically his.
How could such a marvelous person like Shakespeare be called a fraud, how could that make any sense? Many people known about Shakespeare and how well known he was in writing his famous plays. There is evidence to show whether or not that Shakespeare even wrote the plays. However based on theories, there are many reasons why only Shakespeare could write the plays that he supposable did not write.
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.
William Shakespeare, born April 26th, 1564 was an English poet, playwright, and actor, mostly referred as the greatest writer in the English ¬¬language. Shakespeare is believed to have constructed thirty-eight plays, one hundred and fifty-four sonnets, two long narrative poems, and a few other verses. ."Did Shakespeare Write His Plays?") Shakespeare was born and raised in Stratford-upon-Avon. Shakespeare’s father was an alderman, therefore Shakespeare did not attend any special schools or colleges. Shakespeare went to public schools. There are official documentation such as church and court records providing that Shakespeare was “real”. Shakespeare married Anne Hathaway on November 28th, 1582, in Worcester, in Canterbury Province. Their first child, a girl named Susanna, born May 26th, 1583. Two year later, on February 2th, 1585, twins Hamnet and Judith were born. Hamnet later then died of unknown causes at age eleven.
was a monk and a leaper as well as England's greatest medieval scientist (“Medieval World”). During
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.
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.
Ever since the author's background has been questioned, scholars and other people have debated over who wrote the famous plays and sonnets that have the name William Shakespeare signed on them. Many alternative candidates have been presented, such as Edward de Vere, the 17th Earl of Oxford. However, these people do not have strong or valid arguments to support their theories. Based on biographical evidence, Shakespeare, not Edward de Vere, most likely wrote Shakespearean works. The arguments for other candidates like de Vere are not strong enough to show that Shakespeare did not write Shakespearean works.
Shakespeare was a man of many accomplishments. Many were in his writings; others were in his great director and playwright skills. The play Hamlet is one of the most re-created and re-written books to date. Hamlet is still being performed in theaters around the world. Even though many people perceive Shakespeare as a literary genius, we can not give him sole credit for his plays and sonnets.
Due to the confusion of a minor mistake from Shakespeare’s time, his true birth date, along with where his education took place remains a mystery. The only things that biographers have to hold onto are suspicions as to where these events could’ve been observed. His suspected is birthday is observed by the public as Saint George’s Day, April 23rd. With only a day given, his exact birth year remains a questionable theory. It is believed that Shakespeare actually attended the school closest to his home in Stratford, known as the “King’s New School”, where he studies grammar. He didn’t choose to continue his studies by going forward into a university. Since there is hardly any factual information about Shakespeare, due to a slight “error”, suspicion arises. ...
“I am firm against Shakespeare — I mean the Avon man, the actor.” (Whitman) The true author of the works attributed to Shakespeare have been in question since the late eighteenth century and really garnered attention until the early twentieth century, when famous authors such as George Bernard Shaw, Walt Whitman, and Ralph Waldo Emerson declared their opinions on the question. The most popular candidates for authentic authorship, besides William Shakespeare himself, are Edward DeVere, Francis Bacon, Queen Elizabeth I, and Christopher Marlowe. In the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries, writing was not considered a noble profession; therefore, authors would use either an alias or hire someone to allow them to take their name, which in this case it was Christopher Marlowe who took up Shakespeare’s name. Marlowe is the most credible of the contenders to be the true author because of his style of writing, and his education compared to that which is known of William Shakespeare.
Dickinson’s poem " I felt a Funeral, in my Brain", is a prime example of complicity embodied by simple style and language. In this piece, Dickinson chronicles psychic fall. The use of many different devices such as sound, repetition, and metaphors, all help to develop the theme of the poem.
“William Shakespeare (26 April 1564 – 23 April 1616) was and English poet and playwright, widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and the world’s preeminent dramatist” (vodppl.upm.edu 2). He was born in Stratford-Upon-Avon, UK, he also passed away in his hometown. “When Shakespeare died in 1616 the event was barely noticed” (Epstein 7). “Shakespeare’s family was initially prosperous but began having financial difficulties in the 1570’s” (Allen 325). “Shakespeare gained his education by attending the local grammar school, King’s New School, where the curriculum stressed a classic education of Greek mythology and roman comedy”(shakespeareinamericancomunites.org 1). He never carried his educational career to a higher level as in a university. “William Shakespeare was not recognized as an actor, poet, and playwright until 1592” (Allen 346).