“The Shakespeare Authorship Question,” was first recorded in the early 18th Century and is the great debate of English today. The nub of it all is that a humble butcher, one Bill Shakespeare, from sleepy Stratford-Upon-Avon never wrote a word of the great works of the known playwright, the well-admired William Shakespeare of, “Romeo and Juliet,” “A Midsummer Nights Dream,” and, “Macbeth.” An ideal high-school debating society topic, the question, could be resolved with ramifications for living writers across the English realm. This article seeks a definition, an examination of the works of each contender to the Shakespeare-authorship crown and eventually, a clear answer, if possible at this time, as to who this, “William Shakespeare,” was.

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Edward de Vere

Why Do They Doubt?

The reason why, “The Shakespeare Authorship Question,” exists is:

1. There is little biographical information about Shakespeare.  Dissenters cite that his life would have left some biography; after all he was the main author of Elizabethan England. No diary, biography or autobiography of William Shakespeare’s life remains.
2. The works of William Shakespeare hold a whopping 29 thousand different words including terms from law, poetry and sciences.  Recalcitrants argue that no common man, without a Uni-degree, could be as erudite as he. Literacy would have been the realm of the rich in those days. General education, and the level of information, didn’t exist for English common folk at that time. 

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Therefore, we can only tell how he lived by inference, from the many plays William Shakespeare penned.

Writer or Writers

“The Big Question,” revolves around the possibility the plays of William Shakespeare were penned by a cabal of authors, or a single author never born in Stratford-upon-Avon, England. That a conspiracy of writers did the work does attest to the large amount of works we do have by him. On the other hand, some authors are simply prolific. They have a knack at producing a lot of writing which leads partly to their fame.  ”He was such a prolific artist,” is a complement paid to a deceased painter with a tear in the eye. William Shakespeare was one such fecund mind.

The single writers who may have been Shakespeare:

• Edward de Vere, 17th Earl of Oxford

De Vere was first candidate for the 20th Century. Proposed in 1920, by J. Thomas Looney, at Oxford, he uses de Vere’s poetry as prime support for the authorship. The Earl was at the whimsy of Queen Elizabeth I who was rumored to adore him.

• Sir Francis Bacon

1781 was the year this Sir was named the author when one, James Wilmont, after travelling around Stratford found not a shred of evidence that William Shakespeare existed there.

• Christopher Marlow

Spry and clever playwright, who crafted non-rhyming iambic pentameter, who may have been offended by the fact a common-butcher was brandishing such brilliant writings. He is a chief contender for the authorship, scholarly and also prolific during the reign of Elizabeth I. Perhaps he could easily be the great-great-grand-daddy of rap.

• Fulke Greville, 1st Baron Brooke

The most recent contender forwarded in 2007, by AWL Saunders, author of, “The Master of Shakespeare.” That he was at the Elizabethan court, he was a pleasure to the Queen and probably may also have been a pal of Edward de Vere, both poets and plausible spies.

• Aemelia (Emilia) Bassano Lanie

She is the only female contender to the authorship of William Shakespeare. She published, “Salve Deus Rex Judaeorum,” the first poetry tome by a woman in England in 1611. It would be risible if this were the case – a female Shakespeare – charming.

• Henry Neville

“The Truth Will Out,” by Brenda James and William Rubinstein, forwarded this candidate in 2005, arguing that Henry Neville was kin to William Shakespeare curiously placing him in all the right places at just the right time; according to her research. Whatever the case, with this article, the authorship question beggars an answer and any number of these people could be William Shakespeare.

Conclusion

Whether you argue for the status-quo, that William Shakespeare was William Shakespeare, a butcher from Stratford-Upon-Avon, or you argue for a radical revolution the fact remains that William Shakespeare was perhaps the most extraordinary author since the sixteenth century. That his works were a turning point in English is what truly matters. He used so many new phrases, words and was so lucid and clever. Perhaps those who crave a revolt should turn their lively hearts to creating new interpretations of this stellar author’s work. A lot of energy would then be saved.

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