Talk:Shakespeare authorship question/sandbox draft1
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The Shakespeare authorship question is the debate about whether the works traditionally attributed to William Shakespeare of Stratford-upon-Avon were actually composed by another writer or group of writers.[1] The subject has attracted wide attention and a thriving following, including some prominent public figures, but is dismissed by the great majority of academic Shakespeare scholars.[a][2] Those who question the attribution believe that "William Shakespeare" was a pen name used by the true author (or authors) to keep the writer's identity secret.[3] Of the numerous proposed candidates,[4] major nominees include Edward de Vere, 17th Earl of Oxford, who currently attracts the most widespread support,[5] statesman Francis Bacon, dramatist Christopher Marlowe, and William Stanley, 6th Earl of Derby, who—along with Oxford and Bacon—is often associated with various "group" theories.[6]
Authorship doubters cite evidentiary gaps in Shakespeare of Stratford's biography, and believe if he was involved at all, it was more likely as a front man or play-broker.[7] Skeptics such as Charlton Ogburn and John Michell believe he lacked the extensive education necessary to write the collected works, which display a comprehensive knowledge of classical literature, law and foreign languages,[8] and noted writers such as Mark Twain, Walt Whitman, and Henry James have questioned how he could have gained the life experience and adopted the aristocratic attitude that is evident in them.[9] In an approach which has its foundation in biographical criticism,[10][11][12] many authorship researchers also focus on the relationship between the content of the plays and poems, and a candidate’s known life experiences and recorded history.[13][14]
The hypothesis remains essentially without support among mainstream Shakespeare scholars and literary historians.[b][15] Orthodox reaseachers say that both the First Folio and the Stratford monument bear witness to a correlation between the theatrical author and Shakespeare of Stratford, and that scarcity of biographical data is normal for this period. Mainstream critics including James Shapiro and Jonathan Bate believe that biographical interpretations of literature are unreliable for attributing authorship,[16] and, according to most Shakespearean experts, title pages, testimony by other contemporary poets and historians, and official records are also cited to support the mainstream view.[17]
Despite the lack of mainstream support, the subject has attracted research from independent scholars and a small minority of academics.[18] Anti-stratfordians continue to make efforts to gain acceptance of the authorship question as a legitimate field of academic inquiry, and to promote one or another of the various authorship candidates through publications, organizations, online discussion groups and conferences.[c][19]