DID SHAKESPEARE WRITE SHAKESPEARE?

BY

ALICE, HANNAH, & ERIN

The Authorship Question

The “Authorship Question” refers to the debate over whether the literary works credited to William Shakespeare were truly written by him or by someone else.

Authorship Question Vocabulary

Stratfordians – Those Who Believe Shakespeare Wrote Shakespeare. The “Orthodox”.

Anti-Stratfordians – Those Who Believe Someone Else Wrote Shakespeare . The “Heretics”. Baconians – Support Francis Bacon Oxfordians – Support Earl of Oxford Marlovian – Support Christopher Marlowe Groupists – Believe That Shakespeare Had Help

• HUGE GAPS IN SHAKESPEARE'S BIOGRAPHY• NO PERSONAL JOURNALS OR DIARIES• NO LETTERS WRITTEN FROM OR TO HIM• VERY LITTLE PUBLIC RECORD OF HIM• NO RECORD OF EDUCATION• CONTENT OF PLAYS SO EXTENSIVE IT RAISES DOUBTS AS TO WHETHER IT ALL COULD’VE BEEN WRITTEN BY ONE PERSON

Why Is There An Authorship Question in the

First Place?

Brief History of the Authorship Question

• The questioning of Shakespeare’s authenticity began with the criticisms of many fellow Elizabethan poets and writers during Shakespeare’s lifetime.

• 18th Century – Investigations into Shakespeare’s authenticity. 1781 – James Wilmot, clergyman and scholar, found appalling lack of record of the Bard while researching him in Stratford.

• 19th Century – Francis Bacon is presented as most popular candidate for the “real” author.

• 20th Century – Scholars began arguing in support of Earl of Oxford in the 1920s. Also, a more detailed case for Marlowe emerged during the 1950s.

• 21st Century – Oxford still the most popular candidate today. 2007 – New Candidate: Fulke Greville, Lord

Brooke. • Also in 2007: Derek Jacobi and Mark Rylance issued a

"declaration of reasonable doubt" on the authorship of Shakespeare's work, after the final matinee of I Am Shakespeare, performed in Chichester, England.

And Now, The “Alternative” Candidates….

Queen Elizabeth I

Christopher Marlowe

Francis Bacon

Edward DeVere

WHY HAS THE QUESTION OF WHETHER SHAKESPEARE REALLY

DID WRITE SHAKESPEARE BECOME SUCH A HUGE, EMOTIONAL,

IMPORTANT DEBATE FOR THE PAST 200 YEARS?

Why Does It Matter?