Replies

There's very little that is known about the man from Stratford who we all think of as the author of the works (I was astonished to find out how much of what we read about him is purely speculative). There's very little about him that suggest that he could have the classical education and intimate knowledge of life as a nobleman to have authored those works, and there's a school of thought among scholars that the man of Stratford was a 'front-man' for a nobleman who was the actual author. Writing plays, poetry and involvement with the theatre was considered very inappropriate for the aristocracy. Sir Francis Bacon (as mentioned by another poster) is mentioned as is Christopher Marlowe and Edward DeVere (7th Earl of Oxford), but the best evidence in my view points to Oxford. His life contained much of what is written about in the plays, and it is his relationship with the young Earl of Southhampton that is thought to be the inspiration behind The Sonnets (seemingly a journal of a two year long homosexual affair that would also have been frowned upon at that time in history). It is a long (one of the most outspoken 'Oxfordians' was Samuel Clemens) and surprisingly intense debate among scholars. Many actors and playwrights, including Orson Wells and Henry James are 'Oxfordians.' I'm anything but a scholar myself, but I do enjoy Shakespeare, and I found Sobran's book Alias Shakespeare fascinating. The Shakespeare-Oxford Society website, http://www.shakespeare-oxford.com has some good information about it.

VR-21, thank you for your post.

We need to talk. But give me until tomorrow to answer you.

In particular, I need to find out the name of a book that was published probably in the ‘80s which I wanted to buy but can’t remember the title or the name of the author. It was a thick book. It was probably the first book that came out naming Edward DeVere as the author of Shakespeare’s plays.

Between you and me and the rest of FR, my father purchased it for me, he passed away, and a family member, an in-law, grabbed it and took it home. I am sure to this day she has never read page 1 of it.

Never the less, I have been crazy to find that book so I can order it.

Thank you. I will write tomorrow. I need to get my thoughts in line (brain).

When Shakespeare was still a kid, a local woman — Katherine Hamlet — slipped and fell into the Avon and drowned (she had buckets apparently to fetch water for her household). His father was a little on the shady side of the law and got hauled into court a couple of times (at least) regarding illegal wool dealing; as a result of one of these court cases the family took a financial hit, and Will never finished up his education by going to university.

That was a break for everyone who has ever enjoyed his plays and sonnets.

The socialist Samuel Clemens claimed in print that William Shakespeare couldn’t even sign his name, iow, that he was illiterate, which was an ignorant lie. Most of the candidates put forth as the “real” author of Shakespeare’s works, including Oxford and Marlowe, but not Bacon, died well before Shakespeare finished his writing career.