William Shakespeare's Authorship: Elizabethan Era

Charles Washington

Ms. Love

IB English III, 1st

27 October 2015

Shakespeare's Authorship: To Be or Not To Be William Shakespeare is often hailed as the most brilliant writer of the Elizabethan Era. Most even go so far as to say his writing ability has remained the greatest in all of history. Born in the bustling market town of Stratford-upon-Avon in April of 1564, Shakespeare, armed with only the minimum amount of education at the Stratford Grammar School, would go on to become the most influential, quoted writer of all time ("William Shakespeare"). Shakespeare would be remembered for his thirty-seven plays and 154 sonnets, including superb plays such as Hamlet and graceful poems like Sonnet 18 "Shall I Compare Thee To a Summer's Day." However,

It has even been recorded that a "Shakespeare" served as an actor in Jonson's Sejanus in 1603, and that the notable French philosopher Voltaire referred to Shakespeare as "a great fool" in every place outside of London ("Shakespeare Authorship Argument"). Shakespeare's The Noble Kinsmen was "recorded in the Stationer's Registry in 1634 as being the work of both Shakespeare and... John Fletcher" ("Shakespeare Authorship Argument"). Because the alleged Bard had so many connections with fellow dramatists of his time and also earned a eulogy in his honor within The First Folio written by fellow playwright Ben Jonson, it seems as though there is no reason to doubt Shakespeare's

The assertion that only a "well-educated aristocrat" could have written Romeo and Juliet is the most shameless display of intellectual elitism. With this flawed logic, Albert Einstein, a high-school dropout, did not truly formulate the theory of relativity. Bill Gates, a college dropout, did not really co-found Microsoft, the largest PC software company in the world. History has shown that talent is not necessarily recognized through academic endurance, but practical achievement. It is highly unlikely that the author of the Shakespearean plays could have been an aristocrat either, as the plays presented a terribly inaccurate portrayal of how royal courts actually functioned (Kathman & Ross). As for the little publicity Shakespeare's death received, it must be noted that only noblemen were the subjects of eulogies quickly after their death. As for poets, their eulogies may remain unprinted for years; Jonson's eulogy for Shakespeare came out along with The First Folio seven years after the Bard's death (Jonson). Finally, the Earl of Oxford, while he did write poetry, had no favor that came close to that of William Shakespeare (Kathman & Ross); it is improbable the Earl could have conceived such works of art. Despite the theories,