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I think that this controversy endures because there are mysteries and unanswered questions about Shakespeare's life. While I'm willing to entertain the Oxfordi

by Smoosh 3y ago

I think that this controversy endures because there are mysteries and unanswered questions about Shakespeare's life. While I'm willing to entertain the Oxfordian theories, they too have many holes and flaws. Which still leaves us with a mystery. The answer is probably in the mundane, as Shakespeare probably simply retired to a quiet life and no-one back in Stratford valued him or his work. But it does seem odd to us now, when we regard him as one of the greatest writers in the English language.

bazoom42 3y ago
What is the mystery?
- Smoosh 3y ago
  See: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shakespeare_authorship_question#Case_against_Shakespeare's_authorship https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shakespeare_authorship_questio...
  - bazoom42 3y ago
    There is nothing mysterious about any of that. It is just a list of arguments used by the conspiracy theorists, and they are all easily debunked. Just take the argument that because Shakespeares mother possibly was illiteral (which we don’t know, but it is plausible) he couldn’t have written about women sending letters. So a guy could write about ancient Rome, Cleopatra , ghosts, and faeries, but couldnt possibly have written about women sending letters if it didnt happen in his childhood home? This is so stupid I’m at a loss for words. Or how could he use the word “tennis balls” in Henry V when his childhood home didnt have a tennis court? So mysterious!
djur 3y ago
There's no real mystery. Shakespeare was a well-regarded poet, actor, and playwright in a time in English history where these were not yet particularly prestigious things to be. Marlowe died a quarter-century before Shakespeare and we have virtually no documentary evidence from his lifetime, and yet nobody is making websites to prove that _Tamburlaine_ was really written by Ben Jonson. The book Contested Will by James Shapiro is a really interesting historical review of why Shakespeare authorship theories are such a persistent and recurring thing, despite the lack of new evidence. He also covers how they got started in the first place and why it's Shakespeare in particular that gets this treatment. Highly recommended.

by Smoosh 3y ago

bazoom42 3y ago

What is the mystery?

Smoosh 3y ago
See: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shakespeare_authorship_question#Case_against_Shakespeare's_authorship https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shakespeare_authorship_questio...
- bazoom42 3y ago
  There is nothing mysterious about any of that. It is just a list of arguments used by the conspiracy theorists, and they are all easily debunked. Just take the argument that because Shakespeares mother possibly was illiteral (which we don’t know, but it is plausible) he couldn’t have written about women sending letters. So a guy could write about ancient Rome, Cleopatra , ghosts, and faeries, but couldnt possibly have written about women sending letters if it didnt happen in his childhood home? This is so stupid I’m at a loss for words. Or how could he use the word “tennis balls” in Henry V when his childhood home didnt have a tennis court? So mysterious!

djur 3y ago

There's no real mystery. Shakespeare was a well-regarded poet, actor, and playwright in a time in English history where these were not yet particularly prestigious things to be. Marlowe died a quarter-century before Shakespeare and we have virtually no documentary evidence from his lifetime, and yet nobody is making websites to prove that _Tamburlaine_ was really written by Ben Jonson. The book Contested Will by James Shapiro is a really interesting historical review of why Shakespeare authorship theories are such a persistent and recurring thing, despite the lack of new evidence. He also covers how they got started in the first place and why it's Shakespeare in particular that gets this treatment. Highly recommended.