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Marcus Hiltz
Byrne Robotics Member
Joined: 07 September 2004
Location: United States
Posts: 1032
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| Posted: 15 December 2005 at 3:40pm | IP Logged | 1
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I got into a discussion with my classmate the other day about the debate over who penned the work of Shakespeare. I recall you talking about this at one point. Have you read any books on the subject that you can recommend?
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John Byrne
Grumpy Old Guy
Joined: 11 May 2005
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| Posted: 15 December 2005 at 6:44pm | IP Logged | 2
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There are two. One is light and easy, titled "Shakespeare: Who Was He?" by Richard F. Whalen. The other -- the most comprehensive I have seen on the subject -- is a fairly massive tome by the late Charlton Ogborn, titled "The Mysterious William Shakespeare".Ogburn, as a point of reference, is the one who convinced David McCullough ("Truman". "John Adams", "The Path Between the Seas") that it was Edward DeVere, 17th Earl of Oxford, who adopted the pen name "William Shakespeare" to cover his unsavory activities as a playwright.
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Marcus Hiltz
Byrne Robotics Member
Joined: 07 September 2004
Location: United States
Posts: 1032
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| Posted: 15 December 2005 at 6:58pm | IP Logged | 3
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Thanks, I appreciate the tip! I'll look for those two books...
Ogburn (although I had forgotten his name until now) wrote the only article I've read on the subject - I think it was reprinted from Harvard Magazine.
Edited by Marcus Hiltz on 15 December 2005 at 7:00pm
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John Mietus
Byrne Robotics Member
Joined: 16 April 2004
Location: United States
Posts: 9704
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| Posted: 15 December 2005 at 7:04pm | IP Logged | 4
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JB, on your recommendation, I was able to find a copy of the Ogburn book
and am giving it to my mother for Christmas (she has her MFA in Theatrical
Direction and is a Shakespeare-ophile -- this should generate some really
interesting controversial conversations at our weekly family get-togethers).
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Andrew Old
Byrne Robotics Member
Joined: 26 October 2005
Location: Australia
Posts: 245
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| Posted: 15 December 2005 at 9:21pm | IP Logged | 5
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Hey, that's a good idea - I've been wracking my brains for what to get my Mum for Xmas.
Now... will I be able to find a copy in the week of shopping left to me?
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Andrew Hess
Byrne Robotics Member
Joined: 16 April 2004
Location: United States
Posts: 9843
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| Posted: 16 December 2005 at 9:03am | IP Logged | 6
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I'm right now in the middle of the Ogburn book (page 670 out of almost
900). VERY comprehensive, tho his habit of barrelling thru a subject
without giving enough of an overview is a little daunting.
The best thing about the book is Ogburn addresses all of the nay-sayers
point by point.
I would be very interested if there is a book that as thoroughly deals with
Ogburn's points. Bears checking.
And Andrew: good luck gettting this in the next week. There are private
sellers selling it on Amazon, but who knows if they can get it to Australia
in time.
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Andrew Hess
Byrne Robotics Member
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Posts: 9843
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| Posted: 22 December 2005 at 12:44pm | IP Logged | 7
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Okayyyy.
Finally finished the Ogburn book, and I have a question that I don't think
was adequately answered in the book:
After Edward de Vere used the name "William Shakespeare" in a couple of
his works, he *then* looked for a flesh and blood person who happened
to have a very similar name who was living in London at the time to be
the "face" of the author?
That seems to be a stretch, finding someone with such a similar name by
chance. Granted, London was a big city, but . . .
And along that line, why Edward de Vere might use the name
"Shakespeare" as a nom de plume was covered, but not "William," or
"Willy" as was used as a nickname for the Earl before the name got
attached to the plays.
JB?
Anyone?
Time to Google during lunch, I think.
AND, btw, thank you JB for recommending this book! it was from one of
your earlier discussions of this subject that I was put on the trail of the
two books you name at the top of *this* thread.
I have long been interested in the subject, but didn't know where to start.
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John Byrne
Grumpy Old Guy
Joined: 11 May 2005
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| Posted: 22 December 2005 at 1:49pm | IP Logged | 8
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After Edward de Vere used the name "William Shakespeare" in a couple of his works, he *then* looked for a flesh and blood person who happened to have a very similar name who was living in London at the time to be the "face" of the author? **** That the "real" Shakespeare was a front for DeVere is but one of many explanations of what may or may not have been a relationship between the two men. "Shakespeare" even today is not an uncommon name. It would not be too much of a stretch to imagine Will Shackspere, of Stratford, turning up in London looking for work as an actor, and gravitating to the same venues in which DeVere operated. Keep in mind, Shackspere is not known to have signed himself as "Shakespeare" to any document. The five "authentic" spellings of his name are Shackper, Shakspear, Shakspea, Shackspere and Shakspere. A sixth, which spells the name Shakespeare, is often disputed as by a different hand. (I am no expert, but it certain looks like a different hand to me. Most prominently, in the "authentic" signatures, the S in the second name has a distinctive back curving swoop over the letter, while the "Shakespeare" spelling shows no such line.) Incidentally, there is a not insubstatial body of evidence to support the proposition that none of the "signatures" are, in fact, that. That they are, instead, the handwriting of various law clerks, and that Shackspere himself could not write!
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