Home > Shakespearean Criticism > The Authorship Controversy - Overview

1. Printable Version
2. Download PDF
3. Cite this Page
4. Tweet This

OVERVIEW

John Micheli (essay date 1996)

SOURCE: "Doubts and Questions," in Who Wrote Shakespeare?, Thames and Hudson, 1996, pp. 67-112.

[In the following overview, Micheli outlines the authorship controversy, noting that while Shakespeare 's life is for the most part a mystery, there is no evidence against his claim as author. Micheli also illustrates the primary thrust of the anti-Stratfordian argument, that there exists a tremendous disparity between the life of Shakespeare and "the mind of the person" who authored the plays and poems.]

Shakspere as Candidate: The Pros, Cons and the Silences

The case for William Shakspere of Stratford has classical simplicity, giving it an initial advantage over the more complicated cases for all rival candidates. The name, with adapted spelling, appeared on the title-pages of plays and poems and, even though neither he nor anyone else in his lifetime clearly identified the actor...

Join eNotes

The above is a free excerpt. Get total access to this content with the:

eNotes Pass

1. Introduction
2. Overview
3. The Case For Shakespeare
4. The Case Against Shakespeare: Anti-Stratfordian Arguments
5. William Shakespeare Vs. Edward De Vere, Earl Of Oxford
6. Other Claimants: Bacon And Marlowe
7. The "New" Poems: "Shall I Die?"
8. The "New" Poems: "The Funeral Elegy
9. Further Reading
10. Copyright