Smeared Type

My recent blog about the works of William Shakespeare and the long-running controversy over whether he was the true author of eighteen plays and hundreds of poems and sonnets appears to have stirred some interest.

I have received comments from those who support the theory that Edward de Vere, the 17th Earl of Oxford, was the true author of Shakespeare’s Works.

The Shakespeare – Oxford Society, which is dedicated to researching and honoring the true Bard, presents a compelling case for doubts about Shakespeare’s authorship. They point out that his character, background, education, family, friends, behavior towards his debtors and neighbors and his attitude to money and property is in direct conflict with the character of someone who became the world’s greatest author.

It is also pointed out that there has been controversy over true authorship – almost incessantly since the death of William Shakespeare, and it has been impossible to prove that Shakespeare wrote the plays, poems and sonnets.

The two main issues that have kept this issue simmering for centuries are that the mismatch between the man and the work and the absence of a proper documentary record, showing that the Stratford actor/merchant wrote these works.

On the other hand, the Earl of Oxford was one of the leading patrons of the Elizabethan Age, and during his lifetime, thirty three works were dedicated to him, being either original or translated works of world literature. He was also an Elizabethan courtier, playwright, poet, sportsman, and sponsor of at least two acting companies and a company of musicians.  He was well traveled and closely favored by Queen Elizabeth.

Reading the history of the Earl, his undoubted talents and royal connections, it seems perfectly plausible that he could be the true author of Shakespeare’s work.  Many members of the aristocracy of the time had reputations as poets, playwrights, and authors.  Hardly any of them published their creative work.  It would have been considered unacceptable for an aristocrat to be writing for the public theatre, which provides an explanation why Oxford might have used Shakespeare as his “front man” for his numerous creative works.

Oxford’s advanced education, knowledge of aristocratic life, the military and the law, background and knowledge of theatre lead to considerable praise for Oxford’s plays and poems. The uncanny similarities between Oxford’s life and many of the Shakespearean plays, gives additional weight to those supporters of the Oxford theory.

Amazingly, since the plays were written only 400 years ago, there is no record that can prove the authorship.  This from a country where there are numerous records going back to Roman times, where history and events were recorded meticulously and where scholarship was rewarded and manuscripts closely guarded.

I have come down on the side of those who support the Oxford theory.  I would be interested to receive your comments and thoughts on this issue.

Ellis M. Goodman, author of Bear Any Burden: www.bearanyburden.com

Tags: Earl of Oxford, Elizabethan Age, William Shakespeare

This entry was posted on Wednesday, September 23rd, 2009 at 12:41 pm and is filed under Ellis Goodman. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.