Shakespeare research paper
Did Shakespeare write his own plays? This question has been debated many times, and the answer is indeed yes, he did. The evidence that has been found shows just that. Various research articles have given strong reasons as to why Shakespeare did or did not write his plays. However, the majority of the research has been pro toward Shakespeare writing his own plays. A few helpful articles on the idea of Shakespeare writing his own plays or not are written by Alexa Stevenson, Alex Knapp, Sarah Neville, and Steven Dutch. Three main topics on the reality that Shakespeare wrote his plays are Shakespeare was a well-known writer, his name is on the plays and poems that he wrote, and several of Shakespeare’s plays were collaborated.Shakespeare,
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So Shakespeare's writing as good and famous as it is now and back then is no surprise. Alex Knapp states, “Shakespeare first gained notice of the writing world in 1592, in a pamphlet by Robert Greene that refers to him as "an upstart crow" - the work of a veteran writer wary of new blood.” This excerpt is an example of how Shakespeare is known and is not just some random poet with little experience or knowledge for poetry and writing. For example, if Shakespeare was not known during his time, then it may have been a surprise to the people when his writings came out. Also stated, “In 1594 and 1595, there are records of favorable reviews to Shakespeare’s Lucrece, and as noted above, by 1598 he was already famous enough to be worth the time of publishers to attach his names to works they wanted to sell.” This point that is made, recognizes how well known Shakespeare was-- even early on in his …show more content…
To be exact, seventeen of the forty-four plays in the New Oxford Shakespeare are identified as collaborative—an astonishing percentage.Specifically stated in the third article by Neville. Many people think that since Shakespeare collaborated that is considered a reason why William did not create his own work. On the contrast, there are many examples showing that collaborations during Shakespeare’s time were not rare. The evidence given by Neville is, “As scholars came around to the idea that Nashe had a hand in the play, the popularity of substituting “The whiles” gradually faded from editions, and Shakespeare’s domination over his relatively unknown contemporaries was lessened, bit by bit. By making the kinds of changes that recognize the multiplicity behind original texts, editions like the New Oxford Shakespeare put Shakespeare back into the context 12 of his age, a time when collaboration between playwrights could account for up to sixty percent of one company’s annual productions.Statistics like the one above are highly specific, and are possible only because we have a theater producer’s business diary that lists group payments to authors, one of the few kinds of ‘smoking-gun’ evidence for collaboration that even scorners find hard to ignore.” However, In the article, Neville also describes, “For example, Two Noble Kinsmen was a
04/20/17 Shakespeare did write his plays and sonnets. Shakespeare did write his own plays and sonnets. He wrote many plays that are popular today. Shakespeare has always wrote his own plays and there is proof. Shakespeare always loved the theatre, even when he was little.
Are you a Shakespeare enthusiast or are you skeptical about whether he is the true author of his work? Kier Cutler and Simon Schama go neck to neck to determine the truth. Simon Schama's “Shakespeare Shakedown” and Keir Cutler’s “Top 10 Reasons Shakespeare Did Not Write Shakespeare” are the texts we will be looking at today. This century-long argument is going head to head with one thinking Shakespeare wrote his works, and the other not even believing that he existed! Let's get right into it.
The topic of the argument of whether or not Shakespeare has actually written his works is all much related. In The Authorship Debate and Was Shakespeare a Pseudonym for Edward De Vere? both authors’ beliefs are that William Shakespeare might be The Earl of Oxford. In The Authorship Debate, the article declares “The Earl of Oxford apparently stopped his literary pursuits at an early age-unless, as Ogburn postulates, the Earl continued writing under his pen name of William Shakespeare.”
Another way they, non-Shakespearians, try to discredit William Shakespeare as the author of plays that are ascribed to him, is with the “lack of evidence regarding (1) Shakespeare’s basic education… and (3) his whereabouts between the years 1585 and 1593” (Gibson, 309). These are reasonable concerns, and the evidence needed to satify the souls in search of an answer will not be
Shakespeare was one of the if not the most popular playwrights from the Elizabethan time period.
Even though official records from the Holy Trinity Church and the Stratford government record the existence of a William Shakespeare, none of these sources can attest to him being an actor or playwright. However, the majority of Shakespearean scholars agree that William Shakespeare wrote all his own plays. They point out that other playwrights of the time also had sketchy histories and came from modest backgrounds. Even though there is much skepticism about the life and written works of Shakespeare, one thing remains constant. The influence of William Shakespeare on the development of civilizations, eduction, and the lives of people will continue to
Did Shakespeare really write what we give him credit for? As many people know, many predict that Shakespeare wrote all the work that has been credited to him. In his short 52 years of life, he is reputed to have authored 154 sonnets, 2 epic poems, and 37 five-act plays. However, the question that everyone asks himself or herself if Shakespeare really wrote all that has been a controversy for many years.
Records show that William Shakespeare had works published and sold as popular literature. This goes back to him being a great writer how can someone so young and uneducated be so talented. In 592, there is evidence William Shakespeare earned a living as an actor and a playwright in London and possibly had several plays produced. There are not very many records of William Shakespeare because there was not any way of knowing how much of an influence he would have. If he truly was living as an actor and playwright in London at this time he would have been making not so much money.
The world renowned playwright, actor, and shareholder, William Shakespeare, has been under investigation for the authorship of the many plays, poems, and sonnets that have been accredited to him. His work has been given to many aristocrats as the rightful author, but these claims are circumstantial and play on the doubt of those who are not sure what to believe. William Shakespeare is the author of the works with his name because the sonnets only allow him to be the author, the flaws in background knowledge can be contributed to a metropolitan working environment, historians know a man with his name was born and had died in Stratford-upon-Avon, and the plays at the time were for public entertainment and not known as literary genius.
Shakespeare himself died in 1616,5 so it must be he who wrote the play. Multiple sources also estimate that King Lear was written between 1604 and 1606.6, 7, 8 This same principle also applies with Macbeth, which is estimated to have been written between 1605 and 1606.9, 10, 11, 12 This same idea applies for Cymbeline,13, 14, 15 The Winter’s Tale,16, 17, 18 and Timon of Athens,19, 20 as well as some others. Because there are so many plays estimated to have been written
As he continued to write, he began forming his own style of play using unrhymed iambic pentameter with occasional prose or poetry in order to give himself a more dynamic flow of words. Most of Shakespeare’s early plays were historical, such as Richard II, but during this time he also wrote some of his most famous comedies and tragedies. Romeo and Juliet, arguably Shakespeare’s most famous play, was written fairly early in his career, and A Midsummer Night’s Dream as well as Merchant of Venice were written at this time. After Shakespeare’s historical plays, he wrote mostly comedies until around 1600. 1600 saw a shift in genre from mainly comedies to a majority of tragedies and tragicomedies, such as Hamlet, Macbeth, and
Shakespeare is the famous author of many different plays and poems. He began his writing in the 1500’s, and moved on to theatrical work as well. According to Barnet, “ eighteen of his plays were published during his lifetime.” ( Barnet).
William Shakespeare William Shakespeare was an actor, poet, and playwright, but he did so much more than that. He changed psychology, the english language, theater, writing, and created thousands of words we still use today. William Shakespeare wrote and acted in his plays during the Renaissance, which was a time from the 1300s until the 1600s when ideas of society changed. During the Renaissance, a new concept started to form that changed society which was humanism.
After Shakespeare’s death, his three-page will did not mention any of his literary works. All thirty-seven plays, one hundred and fifty-four sonnets, and five poems went unmentioned. Furthermore, one of the main parts of his will gives his “second-best bed” to his wife yet no mention of his vastly important literature (Filin). Many scholars suggest that William Shakespeare was merely just an actor and someone else wrote his works under his name. Even then, it is questioned if William Shakespeare even existed due to his name missing from Henslowe’s Diary, a document naming nearly all the famous playwrights and actors of the current time (Matus 36).
Shakespeare is known by many and is one of the most common playwrights in the world, for he is the second most quoted writer in the English language (Shakespeare Facts”). Shakespeare’s shortest play was only 1,770 lines long, and is only a third of the length of Shakespeare’s Hamlet. Hamlet takes four hours to perform (Shakespeare Facts”). Shakespeare is known for his many works, like his comedies, tragedies, and sonnets.