Shakespeare Essay example - 1453 Words

Shakespeare 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†¦show more content†¦He then searched for a man of the same time period who met these criteria (Ogburn). The characteristics that come up again and again in the debates include: the author’s education and knowledge of the Classics, law, and Italy; and the documents and poems of the time that have survived. The most controversial and subjective argument stems from the apparent wealth of knowledge possessed by the Shakespearean author. Throughout the plays and sonnets, he makes numerous classical allusions. Oxfordians claim that the Shakespeare from Stratford (usually referred to as Shakspere in the debates) could not have possessed the necessary knowledge to draw upon these sources. Tom Bethell, another noted Oxfordian, writes that â€Å"Shakspere is not known to have attended Stratford grammar school †¦ [and] if he was a pupil, he probably was not one for long† (Bethell). However, respected Stratfordian Irvin Matus argues that no records of anyone attending the school exist before the 1800’s (Matus). He also notes that Ben Jonson, a contemporary of Shakespeare’s and a revered playwright, did not have â€Å"much more than a few years of rudimentary schooling† and that there are no attendance records for Jonson’s school before 1715 (Ma tus). On his comprehensive Stratfordian website, David Kathman asserts that â€Å"Shakespeare’s classical knowledge, while impressive by our standards, wasShow MoreRelatedWilliam Shakespeare s Works Of Shakespeare1126 Words   |  5 Pagesstory of the author himself; William Shakespeare. Shakespeare was born April 26, 1564 in Stratford-upon-Avon, which is located in the United Kingdom. Even though his goals were to become an actor, he fell into writing and become one of the most well-known writers in his life. There s a lot of controversy surrounding Shakespeare and there s many people who believe that he, himself did not write his famous plays, sonnets, and poems. In his lifetime, Shakespeare wrote thirty-seven plays, five longRead More shakespeare Essay1595 Words   |  7 Pages The Discrepancies of Shakespeare nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;Shakespeare is a world renowned playwright. Most people could describe at least of one of his plays, poems, or sonnets. However, not many people can recall the details of his personal life. Some may know that he was married, while others believe that he gay. Since there are so many discrepancies concerning William Shakespeare, it can no longer be determined what the facts are and what is fiction. nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;The discrepanciesRead MoreWilliam Shakespeare1735 Words   |  7 Pagesin a name? Would not a rose by any other name smell as sweet?† William Shakespeare, a name we have all heard at some point, but who is he? William Shakespeare, the man who has influenced our culture through his various literary works. What is the truth behind the brilliant man whom penned the renowned words filling the pages of the ever significant Romeo and Juliet, Much Ado About Nothing, or The Tempest? William Shakespeare was born William Shakspere. Aside from contemporary and popular beliefRead MoreShakespeare and Kingship1614 Words   |  7 PagesIn writing his history plays, Shakespeare was actually commenting on what he thought about the notion of kingship. Through his plays, he questions the divine right of kings, which the kings and the aristocracy used heavily in their favour to win the peoples love. In Macbeth, King Richard II and King Henry IV part 1, Shakespeare shows us his opinion of kingship in general. Although the plays are written about individual kings, I think that Shakespeare used the plays as an opportunity to voice hisRead MoreReligion in Shakespeare1024 Words   |  4 PagesThe religion of William Shakespeare is a subject about which very few people have a complete understanding. His plays and poems contain an almost overwhelming number of biblical references and allusions to biblical thinking, which can be seen as either Protestant or Catholic in understanding. His concealment of various understandings and interpretations of religious ideology make it difficult to ascertain his own religious beliefs, however, through further analysis of [insert names of plays], onceRead Moreâ€Å"To Be, Or Not To Be: That Is The Question:† (Shakespeare,935 Words   |  4 Pagesâ€Å"To be, or not to be: that is the question:† (Shakespeare, Hamlet 3.1.56). This is a famous quote from William Shakespeare’s famous play Hamlet. However, what inspired Shakespeare to write such a play? What inspired Shakespeare to create any of his famous works? These questions can only be answered by looking into Shakespeare’s life and the events that came to pass when he wrote his plays. Therefore William Shakespeare wrote many of his plays derived from inspiration that came from events in hisRead MoreThe Antagonist, Shakespeare1405 Words   |  6 Pagesa little curious about what leads someone to become ‘evil,’ why it is they do what they do, and so on. And considering we live in a world where right and wrong is all about perspective, well-done antagonists can be especially exciting.†(Hansen) Shakespeare develops his antagonists in a way that makes them interesting to the audience and does so especially well in his plays Othello, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, and Hamlet. Each play has an antagonist, or something near one in the case of Midsummer Night’sRead Moreshakespeare influences16068 Words   |  65 Pagesï » ¿ RESEARCH TOPIC An Analytic Review Of Shakespearean Influence On Faulkner s Tragedy RESEARCH QUESTION How Shakespeare tragic patterns influenced on William Faulkner s writings? NAME: SYEDA AMBREEN FATIMA FATHER’S NAME: SYED HASAN AKHTER SEAT NO: 1315793 ENROLMENT NO: 2013/ENG/M.A(LIT)/15681 DATE OF SUBMISSION: 28TH NOV 2013 SUBMITTED TO: MISS SAMREENRead MoreEssay on Shakespeare as a Real Man in Shakespeare in Love2553 Words   |  11 PagesShakespeare as a Real Man in Shakespeare in Love Shakespeare has been presented in myriad versions, from the traditional to the almost unrecognizable. Directors and actors have adapted him as long as his plays have been performed. Some feel that without Shakespeare ´s original poetry, audiences are robbed of the opportunity to experience the cleverness, poetry, and majesty of the language - Shakespeare ´s genius. Others feel that modern adaptations don ´t challenge viewersRead MoreAnalysis Of Shakespeare s Othello, By William Shakespeare1040 Words   |  5 PagesWhen pairs of texts are considered together, their universal themes and ideas lead to greater understanding, appreciation and insight of both the old and the new. The texts Othello, William Shakespeare (1600) and Othello, Geoffrey Sax (2001), ring true for this statement. Despite the differing contexts and ages, the universal themes of racism and betrayal bring new meaning to each of the texts. The primary meaning from the juxtaposition of the two is that of the human condition, and how the problems