Who Was William Shakespeare Essays - Conspiracy Theories

Who Was William Shakespeare Who was William Shakespeare This research paper takes a look at the controversy surrounding the validity of Shakespearean authorship. I must tell you that before performing this research, I had no idea that this topic was such a debate in the world of literature. My goal in writing this paper is to hopefully bring some insight and knowledge to those who read it. Who was the man we call William Shakespeare? William Shakespeare was a man who wrote more than 36 world-famous dramas portraying the range and depth of human nature. Surprisingly, we know very little about the man who created these dramas, a man often referred to as the greatest literary genius in history. Shakespeare did not in his own day inspire the mysterious adoration that afterward came to surround his works. Shakespeare was born in Stratford-upon-Avon in April of 1564, the son of a glover. When he was 18 years old he married Anne Hathaway and they had 3 children by the time he was 21. There are a number of references to Shakespeare as an actor and author by those who would have known him. However, there is not a single word of the plays or the poems that is definitely in Shakespeares handwriting. There are only six remaining legal documents containing his signature, which I might ad contain different spellings of his name. Since the mid 19th century, a large group of disbelievers have argued that someone other than the Stratford man created the poems and plays presented as the works of William Shakespeare. Since 1856 there have been 17 different proposed substitutes for Shakespeare including the Earl of Oxford, Sir Francis Bacon, Christopher Marlowe, the Earl of Derby, the Earl of Rutland, Sir Walter Raleigh and even Queen Elizabeth I herself. Assuming that Shakespeare of Stratford did not write the plays, Charlton Ogburn, author and scholar, believes that a well educated man by the name of Edward de Vere, Earl of Oxford fits the description as the author. The author who wrote Richard III, and Hamlet had a vocabulary in excess of 20,000 words, and also had a first hand knowledge of the customs of the Danish Court and of French and Italian cities. He used more than 100 musical terms as well as the names of 200 plants. There is no documentation that William Shakespeare had access to this type of information. Shakespeare may never have left the southeast of England. Oxford on the other hand, had traveled to Paris, Venice and other foreign countries described in the plays. It has been implied that William Shakespeare from rural Stratford was humble, much too limited, too uneducated and far too common to have had the capability to write most of the plays containing such advanced vocabulary and worldly knowledge. Shakespeares first six published plays appear with no author names. Mr. Ogburns explanation of the use of Shakespeares name is that the Earls noble rank and closeness to the throne did not allow him to be known as the author. His works would have been subject to more harsh censorship than if written by a common man. So, Edward de Vere found a willing stand in; William Shakespeare, who pretended to be the author. Ogburn points out that the name William Shakespeare was not alluded to in print until 1598. The only recorded mention of him in his lifetime by anyone in the world of letters was by a man called Ben Jonson. The most difficult obstacle to clear in considering Ogburns candidate, is the insistence that the author of the plays must have been a nobleman simply because of the plays treatment of kings and nobles and high life in general. Nearly all of Shakespeares theatrical contemporaries were middle class men. Other authors, even far lesser ones than Shakespeare, a man who is thought of as the greatest creative genius of all times, can convincingly capture lives, scenes and experiences other than the ones they were born to. Many authors have stated that what writers write about is themselves. But what Shakespeare tells us of himself in his plays and sonnets, of his background, interest and character is completely different from Shakespeare as he appears on the record. There are questions surrounding Shakespeares last will and testament. Shakespeare left a very detailed will down to listing pieces of furniture. Some ask why there is no mention of leaving his plays to anyone. From my observation it was common for an acting company to