Many famous writers, from Mark Twain to Henry James, have doubted that William Shakespeare was the man who wrote the plays and sonnets attributed to his authorship. In lieu of other contenders that could have wrote the plays and sonnets, there is actually the least amount of evidence in support of the man who is considered to be Shakespeare.
Was he Educated?
Scholars assume that Shakespeare attended a grammar school in Stratford-upon-Avon. This is not fact, because there is no evidence proving that Shakespeare attended any school at all.
Shakepeare never took the time to educate his daughters at a time when educated, literate parents would in turn educate their daughters, who were not allowed in public schools. His daughters were illiterate.
Access to Books
Books were very hard to come by during the late 1500s when Shakespeare would have been writing. Very few people beyond the wealthy nobility and university educated owned books. In fact, they were chained to desks in universities so students couldn't steal them.
How then, did Shakespeare access reference material to his works, such as Holinshed's Chronicles, if it is not known that he went to a university?
Could He Write?
There are six known sources with Shakespeare's signatures:
- Three are on his last will and testament
- Three are on other legal documents
All look strangely different from one another, as if it was difficult to scratch them on the parchment in front of him. The signatures are well lacking in the facility of a working writer used to writing every day.
Shakespeare's Extensive Vocabulary
According to David Crystal, a linguistic expert in the evolution of the English language, Shakespeare had an extensive vocabulary of well over 30,000 words – the largest vocabulary of any writer in English. This is three times as much as John Milton, another famous British writer who wrote in the period after Shakespeare.
If it it not known for certain if Shakespeare could even read or write, then how did he accumulate the most extensive vocabulary in the English language?
Business Dealings
Of all the things we do know about Shakespeare, we know from his dealings in the business world.
- He applied for and received a coat-of-arms for his father
- He purchased a large home in Stratford-upon-Avon
Elizabethan England was a litigious society, and there are documents showing Shakespeare was involved in a number of lawsuits.
Also, Shakespeare left a very detailed last will and testament detailing all of his personal belongings, and who would inherit each item. But within the chronicled possessions of the world's most famous playwright, he did not list as owning one single book.
Shakespeare's Bust
There is a bust in Shakespeare's hometown, Stratford-upon-Avon, made from his supposed likeness. The original bust is shown with Shakespeare lying his hands on a sack of grain. Throughout time the statue was remade to more accurately resemble Shakespeare's true likeness. Currently, the statue shows Shakespeare holding a quill in front of a piece of paper instead of resting his hands on a sack of grain.
Could the original statue have in fact more accurately depicted the true likeness of Shakespeare? And his true profession?
Politically Connected
Shakespeare's plays are littered with references to political intrigue and insight that only someone well acquainted with the Elizabethan court could have possibly known.
Yet, apparently Shakespeare walked in two worlds, because he could write dialogue for the underworld class of "conny catchers" (thieves) and other unscrupulous scalliwags, as well as the poetic and well versed nobility.
Scholars like to argue that Shakepear was a genius, that the dialogue simply came to him. But, it can be argued, unless time is spent in dialogue with both classes of people, you cannot possibly learn the manners, morals, or affectations of either.
Beyond a Reasonable Doubt
Many scholars and amateur sleuths are intrigued by the authorship question and are vigorously searching for clues and evidence as to who wrote the plays and sonnets.
But unless a piece of direct or physical evidence is uncovered proving that the person known as Shakespeare did or did not write the plays and sonnets, it will probably take a long time before scholars well entrenched in the Shakespeare industry are honestly willing to consider another author.
For Further Study:
- Much Ado About Something
- Price, Diana. Shakespeare's Unorthodox Biography: New Evidence of an Authorship Problem. Westport, CT: Greenwood Press, 2001.
Recommended reading regarding other mysteries of the Renaissance: Raleigh's Secret Society
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