Shakespeare or Fakespeare? Essay Example

- emerged fully clothed and prepared for battle from her father Zeus' forehead; this act is often symbolized as spear shaking.

Anderson suggests that "Shake-speare" was a suitable pen name for de Vere as it alluded to the classical goddess associated with the theater. This name could have been chosen because the goddess was connected to learning and the arts, encompassing poetry, sonnets, and plays - which de Vere wrote himself. During the 1500s, individuals were restricted in openly criticizing the government. However, by assuming a different identity and using a pseudonym, one could potentially evade consequences. Consequently, de Vere may have opted to remain anonymous and use a pen name as it granted him greater creative freedom and the ability to speak truth to power. If de Vere was revealing compromising or scandalous information about influential individuals at Court such as Queen Elizabeth, Lord Burghley, or the Earl of Leicester, he may have recognized that discretion was crucial and thus refrained from associating his real name with his works (Jamieson). Additionally, Shakespeare's writing often incorporated personal experiences from de Vere's own life.

One of the most autobiographical plays written closely to Edward de Vere’s past is Hamlet. At age twenty-six, while traveling through France, de Vere encountered a Teutonic prince who showcased his troops in front of de Vere's eyes. Shortly after, de Vere boarded a ship that was seized by pirates, resulting in de Vere being stripped naked and left on the English shore. In Act 4 of Hamlet, there is a sequence that is not found in any known source text for the play. Here, Hamlet witnesses the invading troops of Prince Fortinbra and

later boards a ship overtaken by pirates. This traumatic experience leaves Hamlet humiliated and stripped naked on the Danish shore (Anderson). Shakespeare's work not only reflects de Vere's past but also lacks sufficient evidence to validate his existence.

The information available regarding William Shakespeare from Stratford is limited to a few court documents, the First Folio of 1623, and a bust in Stratford's Holy Trinity Church. However, these pieces of evidence are inadequate to establish him as the author of any works, let alone the sophisticated works attributed to "Shakespeare" (Bethell). Conversely, de Vere possessed the necessary education and social status to extensively write about various subjects such as the classics, law, foreign countries, and languages. It would have been unlikely for an individual like William Shakespeare, a humble man from Stratford-upon-Avon, to possess the knowledge and skill required to write on such topics (Jamieson). Comprehending the language used by "Shakespeare" necessitates effort due to its unfamiliarity.

The quality of Shakespeare's poems, sonnets, and plays suggests a high level of education, which may lead one to question his existence. A comparison can be made between Shakespeare and Edward de Vere, who also achieved remarkable educational accomplishments. Both Shakespeare and de Vere left school at the age of 14. While de Vere graduated from Cambridge University at this young age, he later attained the title of Master of Arts at Oxford University by the age of 16. De Vere then pursued law studies at Gray's Inn. It is interesting to note that as de Vere abandoned poetry under his own name, Shakespeare's literary output began to emerge. Initially, de Vere published some of his early poetry using his

own name; however, this practice ceased once texts started being printed under Shakespeare's name.

According to Jamieson, it is suggested that de Vere adopted the pseudonym "Shakespeare" when Shakespeare's earliest works were first published. This allowed de Vere to write about controversial topics without being identified as the author. Despite leaving school at 14, "William Shakespeare" was known to be well-educated. While there is some circumstantial evidence supporting the theory that de Vere and Shakespeare are the same person, there is no concrete evidence. However, it is argued that 14 of Shakespeare's plays were written after de Vere's death in 1604. This could mean that de Vere had additional works that were published under Shakespeare's name, or that Shakespeare himself wrote all 37 plays, 2 epic poems, and 154 sonnets.

Works Cited

1. Anderson, Mark. Shakespeare" BY ANOTHER NAME: The Life Of Edward De Vere, Earl of Oxford, The Man Who Was Shakespeare. New York: Gotham Books, 2005. Print.
2. Bethell, TomWright, DanielAnderson, Mark K. Sobran, JosephWhalen, Richard F. Paster, Gail KernGarber,
   MarjorieMatus,IrvinBloom HaroldBate Jonathan. "The Ghost Of Shakespeare." Harper's Magazine 298.1787 (1999): 35.MasterFILE Premier.Web.

Michael Delahoyde wrote an article about Edward de Vere for Washington State University on December 8, 2011.

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J. Thomas Looney was mentioned in an article on Wikipedia on December 9, 2011, which was last accessed on December 6, 2011.

On December 9th, 2011, an article titled "Was Shakespeare a Pseudonym for Edward de Vere?" was published on The New York Times website by Lee Jamieson.

Who was Edward de Vere? The New York Times Company, Web. Lea, Tim. Was Shakespeare a Fraud? - The Top Ten Reasons Why Edward De

Vere, The 17th Earl Of Oxford Could Have Written Shakespeare. Wordpress, Web. Rubinstein, William.

"Who Was Shakespeare?." History Today 51.8 (2001): 28. Academic Search Premier. Web. 8 Dec.

2011.

8 Dec. 2011.