Authorship1

====** WHAT IS THE AUTHORSHIP CONTROVERSY? WHAT ARE THE MAJOR THEORIES BEHIND THE AUTHORSHIP CONTROVERSY? WHAT FACTIONS OR SIDES ARE THEERE TO THIS CONTROVERSY? WHY DOES THIS CONTROVERSY CONTINUE TO INTEREST SCHOLARS TODAY? **====

**Answer prepared by: AlexisP**  The controversy over whether Shakespeare was the true author of his plays continue to intrigue scholars but the possibility that someone besides Shakespeare wrote "Shakespeares" plays remains highly unlikely. Many people are "Stratfordians," who believe William Shakespeare from Stratford-upon-Avon wrote the plays. The people who think Shakespeare is not the author are known as "Anitstratfordians" or "Oxfordians." Most professional Shakespeare scholars are Stratfordians. They believe that the Oxfordian or Antistratfordian claims often do not follow basic standards of research, and their "evidence" is often changed, taken out of context, or fabricated.

The Anitstratfordians claim that Shakespeare was not capable of writing such plays. Most Anitstratfordians believe that William Shakespeare did not have the sufficient aristocratic education or social connections to be the author. However, according to "The Shakespeare Authorship Page" this assumption is challenged by the fact that nobody of Shakespeare's time or for centuries after felt that the plays showed accurate knowledge of royal courts, which should have been common knowledge for someone with an aristocratic education. However, since there was no accurate knowledge of royal courts someone like Shakespeare who did not have an aristocratic education most likely wrote "Shakespeare's" plays. Oxfordian claims that Shakespeare did not have enough formal education is also false. Anitstratfordians argue that Shakespeare could not possibly know about Italy, the classics, and law. However, "The Shakespeare Authorship Page" on the website shakespeareauthorship.com counter argue "they (Anitstratfordians) have greatly overestimated the extent of Shakespeare's knowledge and greatly underestimated the resources available to any intelligent Elizabethan who wished to learn about virtually any subject." Oxfordians also challenge that Shakespeare could not possibly have access to all of these books nor have been well-read. "The Shakespeare Authorship Page" refutes that Richard Field who lived near Shakespeare during childhood, later, was a top-notch publisher and bookseller who published many works that Shakespeare used as references for his plays. Modern social historians agree with "The Shakespeare Authorship Page" conclusion. The Oxfordians point to William Shakespeare's background to question his authorship and claim that Shakespeare and his town (Stratford) and friends (Quiney, Greene, and Russell) were "unlettered boob"s. On the contrary the town of Stratford and Shakespeare's Stratford friends were cultured and educated.

Oxfordians and Anitstratfordians guess that the following names were the true authors of "Shakespeare's Plays": Edward de Vere, Francis Bacon, and Christopher Marlowe. Edward de Vere was the 17th Earl of Oxford. De Vere was a well-educated, well-traveled nobleman of Queen Elizabeth I's court. According to "The Authorship Debate" De Vere, who was a contemporary of Shakespeare, supposedly "stopped his literary pursuits at an early age," and continued to write under the pen name William Shakespeare because otherwise he would have been violating European social codes. However, Steven May counters this theory saying, "the alleged code, handy and time-honored as it has become, does not square with the evidence. Tudor aristocrats published regularly." and the "stigma of print" is a lie. In addition, De Vere died in 1604, which was before almost a third of the plays were written.

Francis Bacon was a philosopher and writer. People who believe Bacon was the true author of "Shakespeare's" plays point toward Bacon's good education. Bacon's writing, however, greatly differed from Shakespeare's writing. Also, Bacon has so many published writings that it makes it hard to believe he found the spare time to write "Shakespeare's" plays as well.

Christopher Marlowe was a playwright. This mysterious man was stabbed to death in 1583 during a tavern brawl. According to "The Authorship Debate" some claim Marlowe didn't die in 1583 and was working as an "occasional spy in the employ of the Crown." After his faked death, Marlowe was forced to changes his name and later wrote poetry and plays under the name William Shakespeare. Oxfordians argue that Marlowe was at the right age and had enough free time to be a very possible candidate. In argument against the theory the Marlowe wrote Shakespeare is the fact that Marlowe has no connection with Shakespeare's acting company or with his friends/ fellow actors. Charles Nicholl, author of //The Reckoning: The Murder of Christopher Marlowe also points out, "There is no evidence whatsoever that Marlowe wasn't murdered. And there's a lot of evidence that he was killed." // However, the authorship controversy still has relevance today. Stratfordians refute the Oxfordian's claims as speculation and guesses. Stratfordians continue to firmly believe Shakespeare was the author. On September 25, 1987 there was a moot court hearing (mock court where law students argue hypothetical cases) on Shakespeare's document. "William Shakespeare or William de Vere?" This case was sponsored by The American University and the judges were Supreme Court Justices Harry Blackmun, William Brennan, and John Paul Stevens. According to Frontline PBS, Law professor Peter Jaszi represented Edward De Vere, and Law professor James Boyle represented William Shakespeare. After careful debate and review the moot court hearing ended with the decision that Shakespeare as themain author of the plays. Regardless of the 1987 moot court decision the Shakespeare authorship controversy continues.

Recently, in the 2009 article "Justice Stevens Renders an Opinion on Who Wrote Shakespeare's Plays" published by the //Wall Street Journal//, 88-year-old Supreme Court Justice John Paul Stevens admitted to believing that Edward de Vere was the rightful author of Shakespeare's plays. Justice Stevens started pondering the authorship question in 1987, when Justice William Brennan, Justice Harry Blackmun, and Justice Stevens attended a mock trial on authorship. Justice Stevens points out, "Where are the books? You can't be a scholar of that depth and not have any books in your home. He never had any correspondence with his contemporaries, he never was shown to be present at any major event -- the coronation of James or any of that stuff. I think the evidence that he was not the author is beyond a reasonable doubt."

Between moot trials and Justice Steven's claim that he is an Oxfordian, it is clear that the authorship question is still very relevant in society today. So although we may never know the "true" author of Shakespeare's plays, the authorship question will continue to be a great subject of debate.

**Works Cited**

**Books:**
-Bryson, Bill. //Shakespeare The World as a Stage. 1st. New York, New York: HarperCollins, 2007. 181-196. Print. //

**Websites:**
-Bravin, Jess. "Justice Stevens Renders an Opinion on Who Wrote Shakespeare's Plays It Wasn't the Bard of Avon, He Says; 'Evidence Is Beyond a Reasonable Doubt'." //Wall Street Journal 18 APR 2009: A1. Web. 10 Apr 2010. // //<[] >. // -Kathman, David, and Ross Terry. "The Shakespeare Authorship Page." //The Shakespeare Authorship Page. Seven Wonders, 1996. Web. 1 Apr 2010. // //<[] >. // -N/A,. "An introduction to "Much Ado About Something," a brief overview of the Shakespeare authorship debate, and links for further exploration." //frontline: much ado about something: a fine mystery PBS. WGBH educational foundation, 2 Jan 2002. Web. 10 Apr 2010. // <[] >. -Pressley, J. M. "The Authorship Debate." //Shakespeare Resource Center. Shakespeare Resource Center, 8 Jan 2010. Web. 1 Apr 2010. <[] >.

// ==** A Table of Supreme Court Justices and who they think is the author of Shakespeare's plays from the article "Justice Stevens Renders an Opinion on Who Wrote Shakespeare's Plays It Wasn't the Bard of Avon, He Says; 'Evidence Is Beyond a Reasonable Doubt'." Wall Street Journal: **==

** Shakespeare's Court **
The Supreme Court on the likely author of Shakespeare's plays: || || No comment. || || Oxford || || Oxford || || Stratford || || "No idea." || || No comment. || || "No informed views."* || || Stratford || || No comment. || *Justice Ginsburg suggests research into alternate candidate, Florio. || || Not Stratford || || Oxford || || Stratford || *Deceased ===To Read the Article About Justice Stevens click this [|link] === ===Article About Shakespeare Authorship in the New York Times: [|Seeing the Fingerprints of Other Hands in Shakespeare] === ===<span style="color: #551a8b; font-family: 'Courier New',Courier,monospace;">Article About Shakespeare Authorship in Times: [|The Mystery of Shakespeare's Identity]===
 * Active Justices
 * Roberts, Chief Justice
 * Stevens
 * Scalia
 * Kennedy
 * Souter
 * Thomas
 * Ginsburg
 * Breyer
 * Alito
 * Retired Justices
 * O'Connor
 * Blackmun*
 * Brennan*

Videos About the Authorship Controversy:

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