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The Problem of Shakespeare
Questions about the true author of Shakespeare’s plays and sonnets have been around for many
many years,but they did not surface publicly until the early 19 Century. Literature critics began to voice
elements of doubt upon discovering what they considered to be veiled references to Sir Francis Bacon
in the poems Venus and Adonis, and in the poem The Rape of Lucrece. Several poems published in
1597 were written under the name “Labeo.” Marcus Labeo was a famous legal scholar in Rome, and
Bacon held a similar position in Elizabethan England. This claim led to additional examination by
scholars, and the question was raised about Shakespeare’s identity. Although many Shakespearean
scholars still do not see any reason for the controversy, the debate continues, and many notable presentday individuals have added their names to the growing list of doubters. Among them are such
luminaries as Mark Twain, Charlie Chaplin, William James, Walt Whitman, Orson Welles, and
Sigmund Freud.
Four primary reasons have been extended to identify Mr. Shakspere of Stratford-on-Avon as
the legitimate author of the plays and sonnets written under his name. The title pages of the first
published works appears as William Shakespeare, although it is frequently written as “Shake-speare.”
The next reason is that the writer Ben Johnson wrote part of the First Folio which referenced the author
as the “Sweet Swan of Avon,” and another writer of the time coupled this person with the location of
Stratford. The third argument comes from contemporaneous actors Heminges and Condel, who claim
that Shakespeare is the author, and these two gentlemen are mentioned in Shakespeare’s will, lending
credence to their claim. The fourth fact is that the bust and inscription on the monument in Stratford
bears his name, demonstrating that Shakespeare was a writer.
The first fact mentioned above is not a clear reason, because of the difference in the ways the
name is spelled, and the fact that it is hyphenated. Hyphenated names were very uncommon at this
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time, and the name never appears this way in other contexts, such as his baptism or legal papers. Even
in his will the name appears two different ways, once as “Shakspeare,” and two times as
“Shackspeare.” This very lack of uniformity has fed the rumors about the authenticity of the writer.
Reason #2. While the First Folio does suggest Shakspere is the writer, it is a fact that Ben
Johnson never wrote any other contemporaneous references to Shakespeare. It was only in the year of
Shakespeare ‘s death that he mentioned his name, and then Johnson only lists him as an actor, not a
fellow writer.
Reason #3. Actors Heminges and Condell seem to testify to Shakespeare’s authorship, but
neither of them were writers, so it is difficult to accept their claim as definitive proof.
Reason #4. The monument at Stratford does reference Shakespeare as a writer, but it has been
changed since it was first erected in the early years of 1600. A drawing of Shakepeare made in 1634
shows a man with a drooping mustache carrying a grain sack, but not a pen or paper, yet the monument
today displays these two items. Records state that the monument underwent “repair” at some
undisclosed point in time, and it is not too far off the mark to think that this is when the writing
instruments were added. The inscription on the monument is cryptic: it says “Stay Passenger, why
goest thou by so fast? Read if thou canst, whom canst, whom envious Death hath plast within this
monument Shakspeare: with whom quick nature dies: whose name dothe deck this tomb. Far more than
cost since all that he hath writ leaves living art, but page to serve wit,” These words do not say that the
man being honored is the author of the works attributed to him. There is no mention of poetry, or plays
or theater, no quotes from any of his works, but other writers of the time have been so identified on
their tombs and memorials, so not to have it included on Shakespeare’s monument is curious.
Other reasons for doubt exist. No creative work written in Shakespeare’s hand has ever been
discovered. The only writings of his are six questionable signatures on legal papers, three of which
appear on his will. The signatures appear to be written by a trembling hand, so it has been suggested
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that a law clerk penned these signatures rather then the man presumed to be Shakespeare. Additionally,
Shakespeare did not have much of an education, certainly nothing that would demonstrate the
comprehensive knowledge of law, classical literature, etiquette, ancient history, art, music, medicine or
mathematics contained in his plays and sonnets. He did not travel abroad. The information contained in
the writings demonstrate a knowledge base acquired by someone in the aristocracy and the royal court,
not someone who grew up far removed from London. There is no record of Shakespeare ever receiving
payment for any written works, and no record exists that he ever met Queen Elizabeth or King James,
yet for someone as prolific as Shakespeare, these would be public figures whom he would have wanted
to meet, and vice versa. No mention is made in any of his plays concerning his birthplace of Stratford,
and nothing seems to be autobiographical. Despite the fact that he wrote very emotionally about love,
there is no mention of the death of his son at the age of 11.
So, if Shakespeare did not write all those plays and sonnets, who did? Several names have been
suggested as alternatives; of these names, four are most frequently mentioned as likely candidates.
Number four on the list is Sir Henry Neville. He was of noble birth, was a politician, had a university
education, and was well-traveled. He also was a writer, and his life has many parallels to
Shakespearean characters. He knew law and Latin, and an inspection of his writings show similarities
between his style and Shakespeare’s, and one document shows the signature “William Shakespeare”
written several times.
Candidate number 3 is Christopher Marlowe; he was a renowned writer of the time, and his
reputation was second only to Shakespeare. Although Marlowe died at a young age, the suggestion has
been made that he faked his death and continued to write under the name Shakespeare. Many
similarities have been found between his writings and those of Shakespeare, and aspects of his life
show up in Shakespeare’s plays.
The next nomination goes to Sir Francis Bacon. He was a writer, lawyer, politician and
philosopher, and was a prominent figure in the scientific revolution. He was a legal scholar, and again,
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an analysis of his writings demonstrates clear parallels, and there are similarities between his life and
the characters in Shakespeare’s plays.
The man considered by many scholars as the most likely author is Edward DeVere, 17th Earl of
Oxford. He was a writer and was well-connected to the theater in London. He received an excellent
education and was regularly seen in Queen Elizabeth’s court. He was private about his writings, but
scholars have access to DeVere’s personal diaries, which make use of similar language styles as
Shakespeare. Perhaps some of the most compelling arguments for DeVere being the true Shakespeare is
the fact that his family provided the funding for the publication of the First Folio, and the fact that one
sentence referenced in Shakespeare makes the statement “Edwardus is my proper name.”
Scholars do not agree on who wrote Shakespeare’s plays and sonnets; indeed, no consensus
exists that the authenticity is in question. Nonetheless, sufficient doubt has been raised to make this
idea plausible, and an ample number of alternative names have been proposed. The preponderance of
the evidence e suggests that room for credible doubt is alive, although it is not likely a solution will be
forthcoming anytime soon. If the truth is ever discovered, it is reasonable to assume that this
information would not be made public anyway, because England in general and Stratford in particular
welcome tourists and the money they spend as they travel to get a glimpse of Shakespeare’s origins.
References
Absoluteshakespeare.com,. ‘Oxford Authorship Argument At Absolute Shakespeare’. N.p., 2015. Web.
9 Dec. 2015.
Andrews, Evan. ‘Top 10 Possible Authors For The Works Of Shakespeare – Toptenz. Net’. Toptenz.net.
N.p., 2011. Web. 9 Dec. 2015.
Doubtaboutwill.org,. ‘Declaration Of Reasonable Doubt | Shakespeare Authorship Coalition At
Doubtaboutwill.Org’. N.p., 2015. Web. 10 Dec. 2015.
Doyle, John, and Ray Lischner. Shakespeare For Dummies. Foster City, CA: IDG Books Worldwide,
1999. Print.
Oxfraud.com,. ‘Front | The Man Who Wasn’t Hamlet’. N.p., 2015. Web. 9 Dec. 2015.
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