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. Before delving any further into the question of authorship, it may be helpful to define what an author is. According to Focault, the actual identity of an author is irrelevant. He believes that the author is a concept, not an individual. This is because when works are accredited to an author, some may be left out if the writing style, wording, subject matter, or historical time frame is drastically different from the others. This makes the author specific to a certain style, and outside of that style, the author must be someone else. He uses the example that if it were discovered that someone other than the man from Stratford wrote Shakespeare’s works, it would not change the function. Either way, the works will still be called the works of Shakespeare. So essentially, Shakespeare is no longer an individual’s identity; it is an ideal for a certain form of writing. This loss of identity can be seen in the raging debate over the Shakespeare auth... ... middle of paper ... ...bjectivity in Barthes, Focault, and Derrida. Edinburgh: Edinburgh University Press, 1992. Print. Focault, Michael. Language, Counter-Memory, Practice. Selected Essays and Interviews. New York: Cornell University Press, 1980. Print. Heller, S. In a centuries-old debate, Shakespeare doubters point to new evidence. The Chronicle of Higher Education v. 45 no. 39 (June 4 1999) pg. A22-3 Howard, J. A. Shakespeare Scholar Takes on a ‘Taboo’ Subject. The Chronicle of Higher Education v. 56 no. 29 (April 2 2010) p. B11-12 Lye, John. The ‘Death of the Author’ as an instance of theory. Brocku.ca. Department of English Language and Literature, April 30, 2008. Web. Feb 14. 2011. McDonald, Russ. The Bedford companion to Shakespeare. Bedford: St. Martins, 2001. Print. Shapiro, James. Contested Will: Who Wrote Shakespeare?. New York: Simon and Schuster, 2010. Print.
in Contemporary Literary Criticism. Ed. Jeffrey W. Hunter, Ph.D. Vol. 235. The.
Murphy, B. & Shirley J. The Literary Encyclopedia. [nl], August 31, 2004. Available at: http://www.litencyc.com/php/speople.php?rec=true&UID=2326. Access on: 22 Aug 2010.
Rice, Philip. and Patricia Waugh, eds. Modern Literary Theory. 4th ed. New York: Oxford UP,
Identity is a concept that has long been explored by many kinds of people. Yet, there has never been a clear answer, no matter how many times in how many ways it has been analyzed. It is no different for the two plays, Henry IV and Six Characters in Search of an Author. In their own ways, each play has an idea of defining their identity. The reality of the plays
Cuddon, J.A., Revised by C.E. Preston. The Penguin Dictionary of Literary Terms and Literary Theory. 4th ed. London /GB: Penguin Books Ltd, 2000. N. pag. Print.
Selden, Raman, and Peter Widdowson. A Reader’s Guide To Contemporary Literary Theory. Lexington: The University Press of Kentucky, 1993.
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.
London: n.p., 1998. Print. fourth Bloomfield, Morton W. New Literary History. Winter ed. N.p.:
Vickers, Brian. Appropriating Shakespeare: Contemporary Critical Quarrels. New Haven and London: Yale University Press. 1993.
It is noteworthy to be stated clearly at the outset of the present paper that literary theories are composed of a mere plethora of highly debatable ideas, concepts and assumptions. They are in other words, strikingly vague, opaque and of a typical flexibility. According to Wellek and Warren (1966, p. 30) }there are then, not only one or two but literally hundreds of independent, diverse, and mutually exclusive conceptions of literature, each of which is in some way right~. That is, the diversity of literary theories and even the contradiction between them sometimes, is something natural.
Raman Selden, Peter Widdowson, and Peter Brooker. A Reader's Guide to Contemporary Literary Theory. 4th ed. London: Prentice Hall and Harvester Wheatrsheaf. 1997.
Vickers, Brian. Appropriating Shakespeare: Contemporary Critical Quarrels. New Haven and London: Yale University Press. 1993.
English history. There was a period of time in his life referred to as his
Michael Ryan. Literary Theory: an Anthology. 2nd ed. Malden, MA: Blackwell Pub., 2004. 365-77. Print.