DeVere or William Shakespeare Essay - 2835 Words

DeVere or Shakespeare? Abstract: The debate over the legitimacy of the authorship of Shakespearean works has been disputed for centuries. While many scholars have held beliefs that Shakespeares works have been written by figures such as Christopher Marlowe, Francis Bacon, William Stanley, and others, the most heated debate today is between William Shakespeare and Edward DeVere, the Earl of Oxford. Each side of this debate has many followers, the Stratfordians, or those who claim Shakespeare to be the true author, and the Oxfordians who believe that true credit should go to DeVere. My paper, far from being a complete analysis of the possibilities of Shakespearean authorship, attempts to summarize and rationalize the†¦show more content†¦While the ideas of the true identity of Shakespeare have differed over the years in an almost trend-like fashion, a very popular idea has surfaced over the last century. The most prolific debate today is between the Stratfordians, or those who claim Shakespeare to be the true author, and the Oxfordians, those who claim Edward DeVere, Earl of Oxford, to be the true author. The first question to ask in such a circumstance is why doubt exists. For instance, no scholars question the works of writers and philosophers such as Montisqueu, Hobbes, or Locke. Why then, is there any question as to who wrote Shakespeare? It would seem to most people that the name on the plays should logically be the name of the author. Stratfordians claim exactly this fact as one of their strongest arguments. The only problem with this seemingly simplistic argument lies in the spelling differences between the man named Will Shakespere and the name written on the plays, William Shakespeare (Whalen 8). In fact, the records of (Shakesperes) lifetime almost always spelled his name Shakespere while the names on the plays were always spelled Shakespeare, about half the time with a hyphen which generally denoted a made up name or pseudonym (Whalen 8). Such a slight difference may seem insignificant, but for those who doubt authorship, this is a way of questioning the very basis of Strat fordian claims that authorship is inarguable, and introducing the possibility ofShow MoreRelatedEssay about The Shakespeare Authorship Debate1632 Words   |  7 PagesThe Shakespeare Authorship Debate 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 allRead MoreWilliam Shakespeare s The Man From Stratford On Avon2092 Words   |  9 Pagesauthorship of Shakespeare is one that has been argued for centuries. While there are various theories to suggest that William Shakespeare, the man from Stratford on Avon was not the true author of the plays produced within his lifetime, one theory in particular seems to hold the most concrete evidence. The authorship theory about Edward de Vere, Seventeenth Earl of Oxford seems to have the most historical evidence proving that he is the wri ter of the plays and sonnets under the pseudonym William ShakespeareRead More Doubt Of Shakespeares Authorship Of His Plays Essay2378 Words   |  10 PagesHis 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, quot;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 quot;the author of the most magnificent English dramatic prose and poetry ever written