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Conspiracy Theories About Shakespeare: Unmasking the Bard and His Mysteries
Introduction:
For centuries, William Shakespeare has reigned supreme as the undisputed master of English literature. His plays and sonnets continue to captivate audiences worldwide, yet behind the genius lies a persistent undercurrent of intrigue: conspiracy theories about Shakespeare. This post delves into the shadowy corners of Shakespearean scholarship, exploring the most enduring and compelling theories that question the authorship of his works, his life, and even his very existence. We will unravel the evidence, weigh the arguments, and leave you to decide: was Shakespeare truly the man we think he was, or is there more to the story than meets the eye?
1. The Shakespeare Authorship Question: Was He Even Real?
The most famous conspiracy theory surrounding Shakespeare centers on his authorship. The "Shakespeare authorship question," as it's known, posits that William Shakespeare of Stratford-upon-Avon did not write the works attributed to him. This isn't a recent phenomenon; doubts have circulated for centuries, fueled by the relative lack of biographical information about Shakespeare compared to the sophistication of his writing. Proponents of this theory often point to the "Stratford Man" – the seemingly unassuming glove-maker's son – and argue that his background lacks the education and worldly experience seemingly reflected in the plays. Several alternative candidates have been proposed, including Sir Francis Bacon, Edward de Vere (the 17th Earl of Oxford), and Christopher Marlowe (some believe he faked his death and continued writing under the Shakespeare pseudonym). The lack of concrete evidence supporting any of these alternatives, however, remains a significant hurdle for these theories. The arguments often revolve around stylistic analysis, hidden ciphers within the texts, and allusions to contemporary events that supposedly only an aristocrat or someone with specific knowledge could have known. These claims are often countered by textual analysis supporting the traditional attribution and the sheer volume of evidence, albeit circumstantial, linking the Stratford man to the playwright.
2. The Secret Societies and Shakespeare's Hidden Messages:
Another intriguing conspiracy theory suggests that Shakespeare's works contain hidden messages or coded references to secret societies, such as the Freemasons or Rosicrucians. This theory often hinges on interpretations of symbolism, imagery, and wordplay within the plays and sonnets. Proponents suggest that Shakespeare might have been a member of one of these groups and used his writing to communicate with fellow members or to subtly influence public opinion. This approach requires a highly subjective interpretation of the texts, often stretching connections and meanings beyond established scholarly consensus. Critics argue that the interpretations are often arbitrary and that finding meaning in seemingly unrelated symbols risks confirmation bias.
3. Shakespeare's Lost Years and the "Dark" Shakespeare:
The relative lack of information about Shakespeare's life, particularly his "lost years" between leaving Stratford and his emergence in London as a playwright, has fueled speculation. Some theorists suggest that during this period, Shakespeare was involved in clandestine activities, possibly espionage or even criminal enterprises, which could explain his sudden rise to prominence. This theory often paints a picture of a “dark” Shakespeare, far removed from the image of the gentle playwright. The lack of historical evidence for such activities, however, makes this theory highly speculative. It’s crucial to remember that the lack of documentation doesn’t necessarily indicate secret activities; record-keeping practices were vastly different then.
4. The Shakespearean Cipher Conspiracy:
The notion that Shakespeare's works contain hidden codes or ciphers that reveal secrets about his life, his authorship, or even prophecies about the future has also been proposed. Many attempts have been made to decipher these supposed ciphers, with varying degrees of success (or lack thereof). Most "discoveries" are ultimately dismissed by mainstream scholars as being coincidental or based on flawed interpretations. However, the persistence of this type of theory highlights the enduring fascination with uncovering hidden truths in the seemingly familiar works of the Bard.
5. The "Shakespeare Syndicate": A Collaborative Effort?
Some theorists suggest that Shakespeare was not a lone genius but rather a part of a collective, a "Shakespeare syndicate," perhaps consisting of writers, actors, and patrons who collaborated on the plays. This theory attempts to explain the depth and breadth of knowledge displayed in the works, suggesting that a single individual could not possess such a wide range of expertise. This theory, however, struggles to provide concrete evidence of such collaboration beyond reasonable speculation.
Article Outline: Unmasking the Bard's Secrets
I. Introduction: Hooking the reader and introducing the core topic of Shakespearean conspiracy theories.
II. The Shakespeare Authorship Question: Exploring the arguments for and against the traditional attribution. This includes discussion of the candidates proposed as alternative authors.
III. Secret Societies and Hidden Messages: Analyzing theories about coded communication within Shakespeare's works.
IV. The Lost Years and the "Dark" Shakespeare: Examining the speculation surrounding Shakespeare's "missing" years and their possible significance.
V. Shakespearean Ciphers: Deconstructing the arguments regarding hidden codes within the plays and sonnets.
VI. The Shakespeare Syndicate: Assessing the theory of a collaborative effort behind the works.
VII. Conclusion: Summarizing the main theories, weighing the evidence, and encouraging critical thinking.
(Note: The following sections elaborate on the points in the outline above. Since the outline is already detailed, I will synthesize the expanded explanations into the sections above instead of creating separate, repetitive sections.)
FAQs:
1. What is the strongest evidence against Shakespeare's authorship? The strongest arguments against Shakespeare's authorship rely on the lack of documented evidence of his education and literary expertise, compared to the sophistication of his work. However, this is countered by the circumstantial evidence linking the Stratford man to the plays.
2. Who are the most popular alternative candidates for Shakespeare's authorship? Sir Francis Bacon, Edward de Vere (Earl of Oxford), and Christopher Marlowe are consistently named as alternative authors.
3. Are there any credible academic scholars who doubt Shakespeare's authorship? While the mainstream academic consensus supports Shakespeare's authorship, a small but persistent group of scholars continue to question it. Their arguments, however, are often considered fringe by the majority of the academic community.
4. How have these conspiracy theories impacted Shakespeare studies? The existence of these theories has stimulated much debate and research, leading to a more nuanced understanding of Shakespeare's life and works. It has also encouraged deeper analysis of the texts.
5. What is the most compelling argument for Shakespeare's authorship? The sheer volume of circumstantial evidence, including legal documents and records, pointing towards the Stratford man's involvement in the theatre world, alongside the stylistic consistency of his work forms a compelling case for traditional authorship.
6. Are the hidden message theories plausible? Most hidden message theories lack the rigour and robust evidence that would convince the majority of scholars. They often rely heavily on subjective interpretations.
7. What is the significance of Shakespeare's "lost years"? The lack of documentation regarding these years fuels speculation, but it doesn't necessarily confirm clandestine activities.
8. Has anyone successfully deciphered a Shakespearean cipher? No credible decipherment of a supposed Shakespearean cipher has been accepted by the scholarly community.
9. Why do these conspiracy theories persist? These theories persist due to the inherent mystery surrounding Shakespeare's life, the brilliance of his works, and the human fascination with hidden knowledge and secrets.
Related Articles:
1. The Case for Francis Bacon as Shakespeare: A deep dive into the arguments presented by proponents of Baconian authorship.
2. The Oxford Theory and Shakespeare's Aristocratic Connections: Examines the evidence linking Edward de Vere to the plays.
3. Deciphering Shakespeare: Fact or Fiction? A critical analysis of attempts to find hidden codes in Shakespeare's work.
4. Shakespeare's Lost Years: A Journey into the Unknown: An exploration of the historical context surrounding the missing years.
5. The Shakespeare Syndicate: A Collaborative Approach to Genius? Examining the evidence for a collective authorship of Shakespeare's plays.
6. Shakespeare and Secret Societies: Unmasking the Rosicrucian Connection (or lack thereof): Investigates the claims of hidden Rosicrucian symbolism.
7. Shakespeare's Influence on Modern Conspiracy Theories: Examines the impact Shakespeare's writing and the theories surrounding it have had on modern conspiracy thinking.
8. The Stratford Man: Unveiling the Life of William Shakespeare: A detailed look at what is known about Shakespeare's life in Stratford-upon-Avon.
9. Beyond the Bard: Exploring Elizabethan Theatre and Authorship: A broader look at the theatre landscape of Shakespeare's time and the challenges of attributing works.
| conspiracy theories about shakespeare: The Shakespeare Conspiracy - A Novel Ted Bacino, 2010 Two questions have always plagued historians: how could Christopher Marlowe, a known spy and England's foremost playwright, be suspiciously murdered and quickly buried in an unmarked grave, just days before he was to be tried for treason? How could William Shakespeare replace Marlowe as England's greatest playwright virtually overnight --when Shakespeare had never written anything before and was merely an unknown actor? The Shakespeare Conspiracy is a historical novel that intertwines the two mysteries and then puts the pieces together to offer the only possible resolution. |
| conspiracy theories about shakespeare: Contested Will James Shapiro, 2011-09-19 For two hundred years after William Shakespeare's death, no one thought to argue that somebody else had written his plays. Since then dozens of rival candidates - including The Earl of Oxford, Sir Francis Bacon and Christopher Marlowe - have been proposed as their true author. Contested Will unravels the mystery of when and why so many people began to question whether Shakespeare wrote the plays (among them such leading writers and artists as Sigmund Freud, Henry James, Mark Twain, Helen Keller, Orson Welles, and Sir Derek Jacobi) Shakespeare scholar James Shapiro's fascinating search for the source of this controversy retraces a path strewn with fabricated documents, calls for trials, false claimants, concealed identity, bald-faced deception and a failure to grasp what could not be imagined. If Contested Will does not end the authorship question once and for all, it will nonetheless irrevocably change the nature of the debate by confronting what's really contested: are the plays and poems of Shakespeare autobiographical, and if so, do they hold the key to the question of who wrote them? '[Shapiro] writes erudite, undumbed-down history that . . . reads as fluidly as a good novel.' David Mitchell, the Guardian. |
| conspiracy theories about shakespeare: Shakespeare and Consciousness Paul Budra, Clifford Werier, 2016-05-11 This book examines how early modern and recently emerging theories of consciousness and cognitive science help us to re-imagine our engagements with Shakespeare in text and performance. Papers investigate the connections between states of mind, emotion, and sensation that constitute consciousness and the conditions of reception in our past and present encounters with Shakespeare’s works. Acknowledging previous work on inwardness, self, self-consciousness, embodied self, emotions, character, and the mind-body problem, contributors consider consciousness from multiple new perspectives—as a phenomenological process, a materially determined product, a neurologically mediated reaction, or an internally synthesized identity—approaching Shakespeare’s plays and associated cultural practices in surprising and innovative ways. |
| conspiracy theories about shakespeare: Shakespeare Beyond Doubt Paul Edmondson, Stanley Wells, 2013-04-18 Did Shakespeare write Shakespeare? This authoritative collection of essays brings fresh perspectives to bear on an intriguing cultural phenomenon. |
| conspiracy theories about shakespeare: The Complete Works of William Shakespeare William Shakespeare, 1907 |
| conspiracy theories about shakespeare: The Seven Steps to Mercy Erlend Loe, Petter Amundsen, 2015-11-05 This is the BOOK about codes and ciphers in Shakespeare. And it is also the MAP leading to Oak Island's Mercy Point. |
| conspiracy theories about shakespeare: Discriminating Data Wendy Hui Kyong Chun, 2021-11-02 How big data and machine learning encode discrimination and create agitated clusters of comforting rage. In Discriminating Data, Wendy Hui Kyong Chun reveals how polarization is a goal—not an error—within big data and machine learning. These methods, she argues, encode segregation, eugenics, and identity politics through their default assumptions and conditions. Correlation, which grounds big data’s predictive potential, stems from twentieth-century eugenic attempts to “breed” a better future. Recommender systems foster angry clusters of sameness through homophily. Users are “trained” to become authentically predictable via a politics and technology of recognition. Machine learning and data analytics thus seek to disrupt the future by making disruption impossible. Chun, who has a background in systems design engineering as well as media studies and cultural theory, explains that although machine learning algorithms may not officially include race as a category, they embed whiteness as a default. Facial recognition technology, for example, relies on the faces of Hollywood celebrities and university undergraduates—groups not famous for their diversity. Homophily emerged as a concept to describe white U.S. resident attitudes to living in biracial yet segregated public housing. Predictive policing technology deploys models trained on studies of predominantly underserved neighborhoods. Trained on selected and often discriminatory or dirty data, these algorithms are only validated if they mirror this data. How can we release ourselves from the vice-like grip of discriminatory data? Chun calls for alternative algorithms, defaults, and interdisciplinary coalitions in order to desegregate networks and foster a more democratic big data. |
| conspiracy theories about shakespeare: The Plays of William Shakspeare. .... William Shakespeare, 1800 |
| conspiracy theories about shakespeare: Shakespeare and His Authors William Leahy, 2015-03-17 The Shakespeare Authorship question - the question of who wrote Shakespeare's plays and who the man we know as Shakespeare was - is a subject which fascinates millions of people the world over and can be seen as a major cultural phenomenon. However, much discussion of the question exists on the very margins of academia, deemed by most Shakespearean academics as unimportant or, indeed, of interest only to conspiracy theorists. Yet, many academics find the Authorship question interesting and worthy of analysis in theoretical and philosophical terms. This collection brings together leading literary and cultural critics to explore the Authorship question as a social, cultural and even theological phenomenon and consider it in all its rich diversity and significance. |
| conspiracy theories about shakespeare: In Shakespeare's Shadow Michael Blanding, 2021-03-30 The true story of a self-taught sleuth's quest to prove his eye-opening theory about the source of the world's most famous plays, taking readers inside the vibrant era of Elizabethan England as well as the contemporary scene of Shakespeare scholars and obsessives. What if Shakespeare wrote Shakespeare . . . but someone else wrote him first? Acclaimed author of The Map Thief, Michael Blanding presents the twinning narratives of renegade scholar Dennis McCarthy and Elizabethan courtier Sir Thomas North. Unlike those who believe someone else secretly wrote Shakespeare, McCarthy argues that Shakespeare wrote the plays, but he adapted them from source plays written by North decades before. In Shakespeare's Shadow alternates between the enigmatic life of North, the intrigues of the Tudor court, the rivalries of English Renaissance theater, and academic outsider McCarthy's attempts to air his provocative ideas in the clubby world of Shakespearean scholarship. Through it all, Blanding employs his keen journalistic eye to craft a captivating drama, upending our understanding of the beloved playwright and his singular genius. Winner of the 2021 International Book Award in Narrative Non-Fiction |
| conspiracy theories about shakespeare: Son Of Hitler Anthony Del Col, Geoff Moore, 2018-06-20 She's a British spy handler who, in the darkest days of World War II, discovers the way to stopping the Nazis is to find a French baker's assistant. Who also happens to be Adolf Hitler's illegitimate son. When a trio of Nazi informants wash up on the shoes of Dover, spy handler Cora Brown is assigned their interrogation. Usually skeptical, she's shocked when they reveal to her a secret only a handful of Nazis know: that during the first World War Hitler fathered a child in France. Armed with these stolen Nazi files, she defies her orders and tracks down Pierre Moreau and convinces him to embark on a mission to find his biological father - and assassinate him. They make their way to Germany but discover that the road to discovery is filled with violence, spycraft, weird scientific experiments and death. Will Pierre make it to Hitler and end the war? Or will they discover something else along the way? SON OF HITLER is an acclaimed graphic novel of which NPR describes, “few war stories are this much fun.” If you like pulp spy thriller and alternative history thrillers like Inglourious Basterds, Man in the High Castle and the works of John Le Carre, you'll love this page-turning yarn by acclaimed creators Anthony Del Col (Assassin's Creed), Jeff McComsey (FUBAR) and newcomer Geoff Moore. Buy SON OF HITLER today to discover the greatest untold legend of World War II! |
| conspiracy theories about shakespeare: This Is Shakespeare Emma Smith, 2019-05-02 A THE TIMES BOOK OF THE YEAR 2019 'The best introduction to the plays I've read, perhaps the best book on Shakespeare, full stop' Alex Preston, Observer 'It makes you impatient to see or re-read the plays at once' Hilary Mantel A genius and prophet whose timeless works encapsulate the human condition like no others. A writer who surpassed his contemporaries in vision, originality and literary mastery. Who wrote like an angel, putting it all so much better than anyone else. Is this Shakespeare? Well, sort of. But it doesn't really tell us the whole truth. So much of what we say about Shakespeare is either not true, or just not relevant, deflecting us from investigating the challenges of his inconsistencies and flaws. This electrifying new book thrives on revealing, not resolving, the ambiguities of Shakespeare's plays and their changing topicality. It introduces an intellectually, theatrically and ethically exciting writer who engages with intersectionality as much as with Ovid, with economics as much as poetry: who writes in strikingly modern ways about individual agency, privacy, politics, celebrity and sex. It takes us into a world of politicking and copy-catting, as we watch him emulating the blockbusters of Christopher Marlowe and Thomas Kyd, the Spielberg and Tarantino of their day; flirting with and skirting round the cut-throat issues of succession politics, religious upheaval and technological change. The Shakespeare in this book poses awkward questions rather than offering bland answers, always implicating us in working out what it might mean. This is Shakespeare. And he needs your attention. |
| conspiracy theories about shakespeare: Francis Bacon’s Contribution to Shakespeare Barry R. Clarke, 2019-01-24 Francis Bacon's Contribution to Shakespeare advocates a paradigm shift away from a single-author theory of the Shakespeare work towards a many-hands theory. Here, the middle ground is adopted between competing so-called Stratfordian and alternative single-author conspiracy theories. In the process, arguments are advanced as to why Shakespeare’s First Folio (1623) presents as an unreliable document for attribution, and why contemporary opinion characterised Shakspere [his baptised name] as an opportunist businessman who acquired the work of others. Current methods of authorship attribution are critiqued, and an entirely new Rare Collocation Profiling (RCP) method is introduced which, unlike current stylometric methods, is capable of detecting multiple contributors to a text. Using the Early English Books Online database, rare phrases and collocations in a target text are identified together with the authors who used them. This allows a DNA-type profile to be constructed for the possible contributors to a text that also takes into account direction of influence. The method brings powerful new evidence to bear on crucial questions such as the author of the Groats-worth of Witte (1592) letter, the identifiable hands in 3 Henry VI, the extent of Francis Bacon’s contribution to Twelfth Night and The Tempest, and the scheduling of Love’s Labour’s Lost at the 1594–5 Gray’s Inn Christmas revels for which Bacon wrote entertainments. The treatise also provides detailed analyses of the nature of the complaint against Shakspere in the Groats-worth letter, the identity of the players who performed The Comedy of Errors at Gray’s Inn in 1594, and the reasons why Shakspere could not have had access to Virginia colony information that appears in The Tempest. With a Foreword by Sir Mark Rylance, this meticulously researched and penetrating study is a thought-provoking read for the inquisitive student in Shakespeare Studies. |
| conspiracy theories about shakespeare: Shakespeare's Lost Kingdom Charles Beauclerk, 2011-02-08 “A book for anyone who loves Shakespeare . . . One of the most scandalous and potentially revolutionary theories about the authorship of these immortal works.” —Mark Rylance, First Artistic Director of Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre It is perhaps the greatest story never told: the truth behind the most enduring works of literature in the English language, perhaps in any language. Who was William Shakespeare? Critically acclaimed historian Charles Beauclerk has spent more than two decades researching the authorship question, and if the plays were discovered today, he argues, we would see them for what they are—shocking political works written by a court insider, someone with the monarch’s indulgence, shielded from repression in an unstable time of armada and reformation. But the author’s identity was quickly swept under the rug after his death. The official history—of an uneducated merchant writing in near obscurity, and of a virginal queen married to her country—dominated for centuries. Shakespeare’s Lost Kingdom delves deep into the conflicts and personalities of Elizabethan England, as well as the plays themselves, to tell the true story of the “Soul of the Age.” “Beauclerk’s learned, deep scholarship, compelling research, engaging style and convincing interpretation won me completely. He has made me view the whole Elizabethan world afresh. The plays glow with new life, exciting and real, infused with the soul of a man too long denied his inheritance.” —Sir Derek Jacobi |
| conspiracy theories about shakespeare: The Shakespeare Conspiracy Ted Bacino, 2021-01-26 TWO QUESTIONS HAVE ALWAYS PLAGUED HISTORIANS: HOW COULD Christopher Marlowe, a known spy and England's foremost playwright, be suspiciously murdered and quickly buried in an unmarked grave - just days before he was to be tried for treason? HOW COULD William Shakespeare replace Marlowe as England's greatest playwright virtually overnight - when Shakespeare had never written anything before and was merely an unknown actor? Historians have noted that the Bard of Stratford was better known at that time for holding horses for the gentry while they watched plays. The Shakespeare Conspiracy is a historical novel that intertwines the two mysteries and then puts the pieces together to offer the only possible resolution. The novel, a wild romp through gay 16th Century Elizabethan England, is a rapidly unfolding detective story filled with comedy, intrigue, murder and illicit love. And most importantly, all recorded events, persons, dates and documents are historically accurate. You will... -Get the scandalous view of the real William Shakespeare, with his sexual peccadilloes, illegitimate children and mistresses... -Wander through the gay world of Christopher Marlowe, when it was acceptable to be homosexual just so long as one stayed within one's own class - as did Kings like James I, Edward II, and others... -Observe Inspector Henry Maunder matching wits with Christopher Marlowe's patron, Sir Thomas Walsingham - one cleverly hiding the facts and other cunningly discovering the truth... -Watch the arguments unfold, showing the actual reasons that many historians believe that it could only have been Christopher Marlowe writing all those great works. It's a tale of murder, mayhem and manhunts in the underbelly of London as the Black Plague scourges the country and the greatest conspiracy plot of all time is hatched. It's... The Shakespeare Conspiracy! |
| conspiracy theories about shakespeare: The Winter's Tale Annotated William Shakespeare, 2021-05-03 The Winter's Tale is a play by William Shakespeare originally published in the First Folio of 1623. Although it was grouped among the comedies, many modern editors have relabelled the play as one of Shakespeare's late romances. Some critics consider it to be one of Shakespeare's problem plays because the first three acts are filled with intense psychological drama, while the last two acts are comedic and supply a happy ending |
| conspiracy theories about shakespeare: The Shakespeare Circle Paul Edmondson, Stanley Wells, 2015-10-22 This collection tells the life stories of the people whom we know Shakespeare encountered, shedding new light on Shakespeare's life and times. |
| conspiracy theories about shakespeare: Sweet Swan of Avon Robin Williams, 2006-03-15 It is long overdue that someone took a closer look at the brilliant Mary Sidney. I have a suspicion that Mary Sidney’s life, and especially her dedication to the English language after her brother’s death, may throw important light on the mysterious authorship of the Shakespeare plays and poems. —Mark Rylance Actor; Artistic Director of Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre, 1996–2006; Chairman of the Shakespearean Authorship Trust For more than two hundred years, a growing number of researchers have questioned whether the man named William Shakespeare actually wrote the works attributed to him. There is no paper trail for William Shakespeare—no record that he was ever paid for writing, nothing in his handwriting but a few signatures on legal documents, no evidence of his presence in the royal court except as an actor in his later years, no confirmation of his involvement in the literary circles of the time. With so little information about this man—and even less evidence connecting him to the plays and sonnets—what can and what can’t we assume about the author of the greatest works of the English language? For the first time, Robin P. Williams presents an in-depth inquiry into the possibility that Mary Sidney Herbert, the Countess of Pembroke, wrote the works attributed to the man named William Shakespeare. As well educated as Queen Elizabeth I, this woman was at the forefront of the literary movement in England, yet not allowed to write for the public stage. But that’s just the beginning . . . The first question I am asked by curious freshmen in my Shakespeare course is always, “Who wrote these plays anyway?” Now, because of Robin Williams’ rigorous scholarship and artful sleuthing, Mary Sidney Herbert will forever have to be mentioned as a possible author of the Shakespeare canon. Sweet Swan of Avon doesn’t pretend to put the matter to rest, but simply shows how completely reasonable the authorship controversy is, and how the idea of a female playwright surprisingly answers more Shakespearean conundrums than it creates... —Cynthia Lee Katona Professor of Shakespeare and Women’s Studies, Ohlone College; Author of Book Savvy |
| conspiracy theories about shakespeare: Coriolanus William Shakespeare, 1818 |
| conspiracy theories about shakespeare: King Lear Jeffrey Kahan, 2008-04-18 Is King Lear an autonomous text, or a rewrite of the earlier and anonymous play King Leir? Should we refer to Shakespeare’s original quarto when discussing the play, the revised folio text, or the popular composite version, stitched together by Alexander Pope in 1725? What of its stage variations? When turning from page to stage, the critical view on King Lear is skewed by the fact that for almost half of the four hundred years the play has been performed, audiences preferred Naham Tate's optimistic adaptation, in which Lear and Cordelia live happily ever after. When discussing King Lear, the question of what comprises ‘the play’ is both complex and fragmentary. These issues of identity and authenticity across time and across mediums are outlined, debated, and considered critically by the contributors to this volume. Using a variety of approaches, from postcolonialism and New Historicism to psychoanalysis and gender studies, the leading international contributors to King Lear: New Critical Essays offer major new interpretations on the conception and writing, editing, and cultural productions of King Lear. This book is an up-to-date and comprehensive anthology of textual scholarship, performance research, and critical writing on one of Shakespeare's most important and perplexing tragedies. Contributors Include: R.A. Foakes, Richard Knowles, Tom Clayton, Cynthia Clegg, Edward L. Rocklin, Christy Desmet, Paul Cantor, Robert V. Young, Stanley Stewart and Jean R. Brink |
| conspiracy theories about shakespeare: Shakespeare by Another Name Margo Anderson, 2011-11-04 The debate over the true author of the Shakespeare canon has raged for centuries. Astonishingly little evidence supports the traditional belief that Will Shakespeare, the actor and businessman from Stratford-upon-Avon, was the author. Legendary figures such as Mark Twain, Walt Whitman and Sigmund Freud have all expressed grave doubts that an uneducated man who apparently owned no books and never left England wrote plays and poems that consistently reflect a learned and well-traveled insider's perspective on royal courts and the ancient feudal nobility. Recent scholarship has turned to Edward de Vere, 17th Earl of Oxford-an Elizabethan court playwright known to have written in secret and who had ample means, motive and opportunity to in fact have assumed the Shakespeare disguise. Shakespeare by Another Name is the literary biography of Edward de Vere as Shakespeare. This groundbreaking book tells the story of de Vere's action-packed life-as Renaissance man, spendthrift, courtier, wit, student, scoundrel, patron, military adventurer, and, above all, prolific ghostwriter-finding in it the background material for all of The Bard's works. Biographer Mark Anderson incorporates a wealth of new evidence, including de Vere's personal copy of the Bible (in which de Vere underlines scores of passages that are also prominent Shakespearean biblical references). |
| conspiracy theories about shakespeare: Shakespeare's Dark Lady John Hudson, 2014-03-15 Amelia Bassano Lanier is proved to be a strong candidate for authorship of Shakespeare's plays: Hudson looks at the fascinating life of this woman, believed by many to be the dark lady of the sonnets, and presents the case that she may have written Shakespeare's plays. |
| conspiracy theories about shakespeare: Shakespeare's Lives Samuel Schoenbaum, 1991 This volume presents a study of the changing images and differing ways that the life of English poet and playwright William Shakespeare (1564-1616) has been interpreted throughout history. The author takes readers on a tour of the countless myths and legends which have arisen to explain the great dramatist's life and work, bringing the story right up to 1989. He reconstructs as much of the elusive author's life as possible, considering his family history, his economic standing, and his reputation with his peers; the Shakespeare who emerges may not always be the familiar one. |
| conspiracy theories about shakespeare: The Taming of the Shrew William Shakespeare, 1904 |
| conspiracy theories about shakespeare: An Introduction to Shakespeare Marchette Chute, 1951 |
| conspiracy theories about shakespeare: The Plays William Shakespeare, 1824 |
| conspiracy theories about shakespeare: The Mysterious William Shakespeare Charlton Ogburn, 1984 Contains the material gathered by the author's investigation into the identity of the real Shakespeare--Edward de Vere, the 17th Earl of Oxford. |
| conspiracy theories about shakespeare: Shakespeare: Conspiracy of Silence Raf Lindia, 2021-11-30 Five women are found dead in the Sicilian city of Messina. Former police detective, Francesco Marchese, is called in to help the local police department figure out what ties these women together, and to help stop the ruthless killer before he claims his next victim. What Marchese doesn't know is that he is being drawn into an international conspiracy, one that takes him all the way to New York City. He finds himself collaborating with British Intelligence to protect the secret that the British Crown and the Vatican have been covering up for centuries. And he finds himself racing against the ambitious and conniving journalist, Luigi Capra, to protect the secret and to protect his new love. Full of suspense and twists, Shakespeare: Conspiracy of Silence is a heart-pounding thriller that brings to light one of the most debated mysteries of the last century - the true origins of the famous English playwright, William Shakespeare. |
| conspiracy theories about shakespeare: Sir Henry Neville Was Shakespeare John Casson, William D. Rubinstein, 2016-04-15 Who really wrote the plays of Shakespeare? |
| conspiracy theories about shakespeare: Shakespeare Bill Bryson, 2023-04-13 Bill Bryson's biography of William Shakespeare unravels the superstitions, academic discoveries and myths surrounding the life of our greatest poet and playwright. Ever since he took the theatre of Elizabethan London by storm over 400 years ago, Shakespeare has remained centre stage. His fame stems not only from his plays - performed everywhere from school halls to the world's most illustrious theatres - but also from his enigmatic persona. His face is familiar to all, yet in reality very little is known about the man behind the masterpieces. Shakespeare's life, despite the scrutiny of generations of biographers and scholars, is still a thicket of myths and traditions, some preposterous, some conflicting, arranged around the few scant facts known about the Bard - from his birth in Stratford to the bequest of his second best bed to his wife when he died. Taking us on a journey through the streets of Elizabethan and Jacobean England, Bryson examines centuries of stories, half-truths and downright lies surrounding our greatest dramatist. With a steady hand and his trademark wit, he introduces a host of engaging characters, as he celebrates the magic of Shakespeare's language and delights in details of the bard's life, folios, poetry and plays. |
| conspiracy theories about shakespeare: Palladis Tamia Francis Meres, 1973 |
| conspiracy theories about shakespeare: Shakespeare's Beehive George Koppelman, Daniel Wechsler, 2015-10-01 A study of manuscript annotations in a curious copy of John Baret's ALVEARIE, an Elizabethan dictionary published in 1580. This revised and expanded second edition presents new evidence and furthers the argument that the annotations were written by William Shakespeare. This ebook contains text in color, and images. We recommend reading it on a device that displays both. |
| conspiracy theories about shakespeare: Truth About William Shakespeare David Ellis, 2013-09-13 A polemical attack on the ways recent Shakespeare biographers have disguised their lack of information |
| conspiracy theories about shakespeare: The Big Book of Conspiracy Theories Tim Rayborn, 2024-07-09 Did America fake the moon landing? Was 9/11 an inside job? What is the government hiding at Area 51? From secret societies to aliens and assassinations, decode history's greatest cover-ups and decide for yourself. Humanity has long been obsessed with the unexplained, and we have ascribed many mysteries to underground groups and secret schemes. With seeming coincidences piling up around significant events, it's no wonder so many theories have emerged over the years. But how many coincidences are too many before it becomes a conspiracy? That's for you to decide. Explore this compelling collection of unexplained circumstances and uncover hidden agendas, startling allegations, and baffling evidence. Unmask the remarkable origins and implications of these theories, including: The JFK assassination The Illuminati The Flat Earth Society Lizard people seeking world domination Roswell Mind control labs in Alaska The New World Order The Freemasons Connect the dots between suspicious coincidences and discover the craziest mysteries in the world with The Big Book of Conspiracy Theories. |
| conspiracy theories about shakespeare: Who Wrote Shakespeare? John Michell, 1999 Reprinted from 1st pbk. ed., published in 1999. Originally published in hardcover in 1996. |
| conspiracy theories about shakespeare: The Shakespeare Conspiracy Graham Phillips, Martin Keatman, 1994 The life of William Shakespeare of Stratford-upon-Avon is shrouded in mystery. There is no record of his having received an education, buying a book, or writing a single poem or play. There is no evidence of any one having had a conversation with him or receiving a letter from him. No one in the Warwickshire town of Stratford seems to have known that William Shakespeare was a successful London playwright while he was alive. Even the monument at his burial site - the bust of a balding man with a quill and parchment - was an 18th-century replacement. The original depicted a figure with his hands on a malt-sack; a man whose profession was not a writer, but a dealer in grain. |
| conspiracy theories about shakespeare: The Shakespearean Ciphers Examined William F. Friedman, Elizabeth S. Friedman, 2011-04-14 The authors address theories, which, through the identification of hidden codes, call the authorship of Shakespeare's plays into question. |
| conspiracy theories about shakespeare: The Rough Guide To Conspiracy Theories James McConnachie, Robin Tudge, 2008-09-01 Everything you think you know is a lie. Or is it? The Rough Guide to Conspiracy Theories is the definitive guide to the world's most controversial theories. With updated information on all the most infamous conspiracies, from phony crucifixions to who really did kill JFK, this fully up-dated guide also covers the murders of Alexander Litvinenko and Benasir Bhutto, the London bombings and the Iraq War, as well as the inquest into Princess Diana's death. The guide is a thoroughly researched exploration into this fascinating and, at times, amusing phenomenon, with fascinating discourse and a keen sense of the satirical. For both the believers and the cynics, The Rough Guide to Conspiracy Theories sorts the myths from the realities. |
| conspiracy theories about shakespeare: The Plays of Shakespeare William Shakespeare, 1807 |
| conspiracy theories about shakespeare: Jane Austen Nicholas Ennos, 2013-11-01 Was the author of Pride and Prejudice really a poor, uneducated woman with no experience of sex or marriage? A woman who spent most of her life in rural seclusion, never meeting any other authors or literary figures, and whose only formal education was two years at a basic primary school? This is what biographers of Jane Austen expect us to believe, and what Nicholas Ennos refutes in this exposé, Jane Austen: A New Revelation. How could Jane Austen have written these novels, he asks, that have been considered by discriminating critics as some of the finest in the English language? Nicholas Ennos shows how the novels reveal the real author to have been a woman who moved in the highest circles of London society, was educated in Latin and Greek and who spoke fluent French. It reveals the author to be not a retiring spinster, but Jane Austen’s cousin and sister-in-law, Eliza de Feuillide, a married lady of the highest intellect whose ten-year course of education was supervised by her famous father, a man at the very centre of the intellectual life of London. The book traces Eliza’s exciting life, from her birth in Calcutta, India, to the court of Marie Antoinette, the execution of her first husband in the French Revolution and her connections to the leading literary figures of England and Germany. Jane Austen: A New Revelation reveals many new facts and the close connection between the supposed novels of Jane Austen and those of the novelist with the greatest influence on her, Fanny Burney. Nicholas Ennos’s knowledge of languages enables him to cast a fresh eye on these novels, revealing their true author to be a master linguist herself, who took her writing style from both French and Latin.Jane Austen: A New Revelation is the first book published to reveal the true author of these works. It will appeal both to fans of Jane Austen, and literary conspiracists. |
