![]() ![]() ![]() To sceptics, these gaps in the record suggest the profile of a person who differs markedly from the playwright and poet. No personal letters or literary manuscripts certainly written by Shakespeare of Stratford survive. In addition, no document attests that he received an education or owned any books. Apart from literary references, critical commentary and acting notices, the available data regarding Shakespeare's life consist of mundane personal details such as vital records of his baptism, marriage and death, tax records, lawsuits to recover debts, and real estate transactions. Most anti-Stratfordians suggest that the Shakespeare canon exhibits broad learning, knowledge of foreign languages and geography, and familiarity with Elizabethan and Jacobean court and politics therefore, no one but a highly educated individual or court insider could have written it. They often postulate some type of conspiracy that protected the author's true identity, which they say explains why no documentary evidence exists for their candidate and why the historical record supports Shakespeare's authorship. ![]() They attempt to disqualify William Shakespeare as the author and usually offer supporting arguments for a substitute candidate. The arguments presented by anti-Stratfordians share several characteristics. 5.3 Edward de Vere, 17th Earl of Oxford.4.2 Open dissent and the first alternative candidate.3.5 Evidence for Shakespeare's authorship from his works.3.4 Historical perspective of Shakespeare's death.3.3 Recognition by fellow actors, playwrights and writers.2.5 Circumstances of Shakespeare's death.2 Case against Shakespeare's authorship.They work for acknowledgment of the authorship question as a legitimate field of scholarly inquiry and for acceptance of one or another of the various authorship candidates. ĭespite the scholarly consensus, a relatively small but highly visible and diverse assortment of supporters, including prominent public figures, have questioned the conventional attribution. No such direct evidence exists for any other candidate, and Shakespeare's authorship was not questioned during his lifetime or for centuries after his death. Those Shakespeare scholars who have responded to such claims hold that biographical interpretations of literature are unreliable in attributing authorship, and that the convergence of documentary evidence used to support Shakespeare's authorship-title pages, testimony by other contemporary poets and historians, and official records-is the same used for all other authorial attributions of his era. Supporters of alternative candidates argue that theirs is the more plausible author, and that William Shakespeare lacked the education, aristocratic sensibility, or familiarity with the royal court that they say is apparent in the works. The controversy has since spawned a vast body of literature, and more than 80 authorship candidates have been proposed, the most popular being Sir Francis Bacon Edward de Vere, 17th Earl of Oxford Christopher Marlowe and William Stanley, 6th Earl of Derby. Shakespeare's biography, particularly his humble origins and obscure life, seemed incompatible with his poetic eminence and his reputation for genius, arousing suspicion that Shakespeare might not have written the works attributed to him. Shakespeare's authorship was first questioned in the middle of the 19th century, when adulation of Shakespeare as the greatest writer of all time had become widespread. Although the idea has attracted much public interest, all but a few Shakespeare scholars and literary historians consider it a fringe theory, and for the most part acknowledge it only to rebut or disparage the claims. Anti-Stratfordians-a collective term for adherents of the various alternative-authorship theories-believe that Shakespeare of Stratford was a front to shield the identity of the real author or authors, who for some reason-usually social rank, state security, or gender-did not want or could not accept public credit. The Shakespeare authorship question is the argument that someone other than William Shakespeare of Stratford-upon-Avon wrote the works attributed to him. (Clickable image-use cursor to identify.) Oxford, Bacon, Derby, and Marlowe (clockwise from top left, Shakespeare centre) have each been proposed as the true author. ![]()
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