Is Shakespeare Real?

DID SHAKESPEARE REALLY WRITE HIS PLAYS?

By Stephen Wilson

           

Whenever I give a lesson or talk on Shakespeare in Russia someone without fail asks: "Did Shakespeare actually write those works or someone else?"  I have been asked this question countless times. But I ask those students, "Where did you hear the view that Shakespeare may not have been the author?" Some answer that they heard the view expressed in a conference on English literature, an article in a magazine or television program. Yesterday, my colleague Oksana Chebotareva told me she had also read something about this hypothesis. I feel obliged to at least express my views. 

           

The view that the playwright and poet, William Shakespeare could not have written his works is hardly new. Even in Shakespeare's time some jealous playwrights were accusing him of plagiarizing their works, the most famous being Robert Greene who on his deathbed in 1592 accused Shakespeare of 'plucking our feathers'. From then on many famous writers and authors have gone further in claiming he could not have written those works. For example, Charlie Chaplin did not believe Shakespeare wrote his works as well as numerous others. Academics have even written whole books 'supposing ' to prove that Shakespeare was not the author. However, some of the most ludicrous theories are that Sir Francis Bacon or Christopher Marlowe wrote his works despite dying in a brawl in 1593 before many of Shakespeare's most famous works were published. But what are the main reasons for believing this hypothesis? 

           

Firstly, they claim that since Shakespeare came from a humble background and lacked a university education, and never worked at court, he could not have written plays about kings and queens in such explicit detail concerning their manners and strict rules of decorum. He simply lacked the know how. Secondly, they claim we know very little about his biography and surely if Shakespeare had been that famous in his time we would have had more evidence of his existence. Thirdly, many people point out that he spelled his name in different ways and seemed to be illiterate. A more balanced viewpoint claims that Shakespeare partly wrote his plays as at that time writing a play for the theater was often a collective effort. He was not the sole author. 

           

What are we to make of those claims? Firstly, lacking a university education hardly disqualifies you from writing a masterpiece of literature. One of Scotland's greatest poets did not go to university yet wrote great works. This claim indicates more about the prejudice of some highly educated people who overestimate the value of a university education. Shakespeare attended a Grammar school which was sufficient to teach him Latin and Greek as well as the art of rhetoric.

           

It is a current myth to suggest we know next to nothing of Shakespeare's life. We do actually know enough to suggest he was in deed the author of at least 37 plays, 154 sonnets and the long poems 'Venus and Adonis' and 'The Rape of Lucrece' in 1594. His name is printed and mentioned as the sole author of those long poems. And we also have some witnesses who left records suggesting William Shakespeare was in deed the author of his plays. Ironically, one of the 'University wits', Robert Greene wrote a long letter to his three friends castigating William Shakespeare for stealing their glory. Now the former playwright is famous not for his original plays but as serving as concrete evidence that Shakespeare actually existed as a well known playwright. Greene called Shakespeare an "Upstart crow" who "supposes he is as much able to bombast out a blank of verse as the best of you and being an absolute Johannes Factotum is in his own conceit the only Shake-scene in a country." Another witness is the author of Palladis Tamia, Francis Meres who in 1598 mentions Shakespeare more than any other author. He refers to 12 of Shakespeare's plays.

          

When Shakespeare died 14 of his plays were published in Quarto booklets and in1623 two actors, John Heming and Henry Condell published a collected edition of 36 of his plays in one folio volume . There is even the most famous words from a rival actor Ben Jonson who declares "Shakespeare is not only of this age but for all time". There is also an old monument in the local church in Stratford Upon Avon pointing to his fame.

           

It is true that in some English theaters the plays were often the work of a team of actors but by Shakespeare's time a revolution was taking place in the history of drama where individual authorship was rising to prominence. Meticulous linguistic research of Shakespeare's works point to a consistent style and betray the Dialect of Warwickshire. So the overwhelming evidence suggests William Shakespeare existed and was in deed , the author of those plays. Does it matter? An English Actor who runs an English Theater in Moscow as well as teaching Drama, Jonathan Salvey told me, "I have heard this idea that Shakespeare did not write his works. Some people get very passionate when people suggest this.

           

But does it really matter who wrote them? The main point is they are great pieces of literature we can enjoy". Well, it might matter because the main point is not to lose any energy or effort in futile arguments, but in teaching people how to appreciate Shakespeare, perform him and learn how to speak better English. Just by studying Hamlet, a student learns old proverbs and idioms such as 'the Time is out of joint', 'there are more things in heaven and earth, Horatio, than are dreamt in our philosophy' , 'To thine own self be true' and 'Happy, in that we are not overhappy'.

           

Claiming that Shakespeare stole the glory or the works of another author seems rather mean as well as absurd. Most artists are such vain creatures that it is difficult to imagine them asking someone else to take all the credit for their works! We should at least respect an author who generously granted us a priceless gift to world literature.