> Does it say 'this is clearly just one guy'? It says the majority of the plays are likely written by the same person, since Shakespeare have a distinct "voice

> Does it say 'this is clearly just one guy'? It says the majority of the plays are likely written by the same person, since Shakespeare have a distinct "voice" which is clearly different form other contemporary playwrights. But there is a number of pitfalls in the statistical approach because an author might try to mimic the writing style of another author, especially since these collaborations was somewhat like master-apprentice relationships. The Oxford Complete Shakespeare credits Marlowe as co-author of Henry VI part 1, but this is highly controversial since some believe Shakespeare was just strongly inspired by Marlowe in his early plays. Here is a podcast with a bit a bout the controversy: https://www.folger.edu/shakespeare-unlimited/christopher-marlowe-attribution-henry-vi https://www.folger.edu/shakespeare-unlimited/christopher-mar... As for the general authorship question, you can just read anything which isn't written by a crackpot. But Oxford has "William Shakespeare - A Very Short Introduction" which is a pocket-size introduction and biography. If you want something meatier, Marjorie Garbers "Shakespeare After All" is a great book.