Controversy Of William Shakespeare

The great William Shakespeare lived during a time of many noted and influential people such as Pocahontas, King James I, and Sir Walter Raleigh. Even though Pocahontas was born during the later years of Shakespeare’s life, interesting correlations exist between the playwright and the Indian princess. King James I of England wrote about witches, which gave some background information for Shakespeare’s Tragedy of Macbeth. As the special guest of Queen Elizabeth I, it is likely that Sir Walter Raleigh watched some of Shakespeare’s plays presented at court. The daughter of a Native American chief, the King of England, and the famous explorer, all lived and gained notoriety during the lifetime of William Shakespeare.

Throughout the last century, a raging phenomenon known as the “Authorship Debate”, has come to light. It disputes whether Shakespeare himself wrote the plays and sonnets or if it was someone else writing under a pseudonym. There are countless theories of who the writer might actually be but the main suspects are Shakespeare himself, Edward de Vere, Sir Francis Bacon, Christopher Marlowe, William Stanley, Roger Manners, Sir Walter Raleigh and Mary Sidney Herbert (Pressley).

William Shakespeare was likely born on April 23, 1564. Little is known about Shakespeare’s personal life, but as for the poet and writer, there is a plethora of information. It was in 1594 that Shakespeare published his first known plays were. He created his reputation by 1598—his name became what is today. This led to his success as both an actor on stage and a playwright. He is the most-read play writer in the Western Hemisphere. The English language is filled with phrases that are derived from his works. He is credited with the invention of the iambic pentameter.

Shakespeare, the man who wrote 37 plays and more than a hundred sonnets, is known throughout the world. Many people consider him one of the best English playwrights of our time, others say that he was a genius.

In 1564, a man was born by the name of William Shakespeare. He was born to a poor family, was given little education, and had no interaction with sophisticated society. Thirty-eight plays and over 150 sonnets are not attributed to this ignorant man. Those who believe that Shakespeare was the author have no definitive proof but instead point to Hamlet’s declaration: "The play’s the thing(Satchell 71)." The true author, however, lies hidden behind he name of Shakespeare. Edward de Vere the premier Earl of Oxford is not only considered a great poet in history, but he may also be the great playwright who concocted the sonnets and plays which are now attributed to William Shakespeare of Stratford, England.

Among writers and historians, the lack of historical evidence about the life of William Shakespeare has been the main cause of much controversy. Many people doubt that if he was the author of such shocking and transcendental pieces of literature. As a result, the uncertainty that surrounds the authenticity of his persona has increased. Since his childhood, there is no record of Shakespeare attending primary or even university studies. Compared with many other poets and writers his literary training was scarce and his social position was not very favorable to access some kind of help. Many people tend to argue that a man with such a low academic level would be able to possess the rigorous legal, historical and mathematical knowledge that is

The large body of work attributed to William Shakespeare shows education, experience, creativity, and wisdom far beyond what many people are willing to accept came from a single author. Due to the scarcity of facts surrounding Shakespeare’s life, speculation arouse about whether or not he actually wrote his works became more common. In the mid-1800s ideas about other authors were brought forward. However, these theories have little sustenance, and it is likely that the entire body of work attributed to Shakespeare in fact belonged to Shakespeare himself.

      Abstract:  The debate over the legitimacy of the authorship of Shakespearean works has been disputed for centuries. While many scholars have held beliefs that Shakespeare's 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

William Shakespeare is a name familiar to nearly every English-speaking person. He is known as a poet, playwright and actor, and is widely regarded as one of the greatest writers in the English language. While many people might know a thing or two about Shakespeare, does anyone stop to think about what the world was like around him? What kind of trials and tribulations did the people of that Era have to face? What type of people did Shakespearian productions attract?

William Shakespeare, the third of eight children born, was born in 1564 from the rural town of Stratford-upon-Avon in Warwickshire, England. William, along with his seven siblings, grew up in the middle class with his mother, Mary Arden, and father, John Shakespeare, who was a successful glove maker. Shakespeare grew up and met his wife Anne Hathaway. Records show William and his wife got married in 1582. The theory has been proposed that “Shakespeare, at the age of 18, was forced to marry Anne, since their first child, Susanna, was born about six months” after their wedding (Forster). Currently, Shakespeare is most known for writing 37 plays that are then divided into comedies, tragedies, and histories along with 154 sonnets (Forster). Nonetheless, several scholars doubt the authorship William Shakespeare. However, the question of Shakespeare’s Authorships did not begin recently. In fact, the question arose in the late eighteenth century (Goldman).

William Shakespeare has immortalized himself through the timeless themes found in his works. This fame has encouraged the continuous and customary study of Shakespearean literature, often over that of his contemporaries. In an effort to analyze Shakespeare's works, scholars have tried to connect his personal life with the stories and characters he created. However, there is hardly any information to base this analysis on. With much ambiguity surrounding Shakespeare's educational and personal background, many scholars have been persuaded to ask the question: who wrote Shakespeare? The Shakespearean Authorship debate has long been studied by experts, and both the Stratfordian and Anti-Stratfordian positions have been taken; however, only the Stratfordian stance can provide sufficient literary and historical evidence.

Shakespeare was a playwright from Stratford who had arguably the most influential affect on English literature and the English language. His works are still praised to this day for their divine superiority, however, controversy in exceeding amounts has risen over the dispute of his authorship. This controversy has been the topic of many arguments between differently opinionated scholars who support opposing theories and beliefs (Friedman XV). "A difficult dilemma confronts biographers who tell the story of the glove maker's son from Stratford-on-Avon who is supposed to have become the world's greatest poet and dramatist" (Whalen 3). It may seem odd that this confusion and doubt had come to light in the first place, as the origin of

William Shakespeare is accredited to writing thirty-eight plays, sonnets, and five other poems. It is believed that he was born in the Shakespeare dwelling on Henley Street, Stratford-upon-Avon, England. His birth date is widely assumed but, the actual date was not recorded as British births were not registered and birth certificates were not manufactured. Shakespeare was born to John and Mary, as the third child of the residence. Joan and Margaret, the two previous children died tragically of the Bubonic Plague. As his grandfather was a farm produce seller, his family was in constant state of danger of the Bubonic Plague. Shakespeare wed Anne Hathaway on November 28, 1582, in Worchester. Hathaway was pregnant during this wedding, and their first child Susanna was born May 26, 1583. Two years later, Hathaway delivered twins named Hamnet and Judith. Hamnet later died of the Bubonic Plague at the age of eleven. After the twins were born, there were seven years

Shakespeare is one of the most famous dramatist and poet in England. His literature works have been translated into more than 80 languages. He is the England's pride, and the world's treasure because he not only helped to shape the English we use today, introducing up to 300 words and dozens of well-known phrases but also wrote plays that are known around the world for their universal themes and insight into the human condition. However historians don’t know his date of birth, where he was educated or how he spent seven years of his life and even the playwright of his play is a mystery.

Who was Shakespeare? Was he a man from Stratford-Upon-Avon who started with little and became the greatest English author to ever live; or was he a privileged Earl who was a favorite at Queen Elizabeth’s court? That is the great mystery. This particular mystery is difficult to solve because of the lack of documentary evidence. The Elizabethans did not believe in getting everything in writing as people do today. Therefore, the truth may never be known with certainty. However, evidence does exist to support at least two theories about the Shakespearean authorship: one that the man from Stratford wrote the works, the other that Edward de Vere the Earl of Oxford was the author. The question then becomes, which