The Shakespeare authorship question

    The Shakespeare authorship question is a theory (which was first proposed during the Victorian Era) that William Shakespeare did not write the plays and poems which were accredited to him. [...]

    Believers of the alternative authorship theory often argue that William Shakespeare lacked the education, aristocratic sensibility and familiarity with the royal courts which is clearly evident in his works. Personally, I would say that as a dedicated reader of Shakespeare’s works, many of these claims do not seem to be supported by any reasonable evidence.

    I would suggest that this theory derives from a deeply embedded prejudice rooted in the English class system (most marked during the Victorian Era, when the authorship question first gained widespread credence). Certainly, Shakespeare came from relatively humble beginnings, and was not a member of royalty or part of the nobility – but, I argue, that is no reason to suppose that someone from his background could not write as well as he did, or accrue the wealth, position and influence in London theatrical society that he did. […]

    This is where the implications for people reading Shakespeare today 400 years on are most important. How can we read (and be taught) Shakespeare’s plays, if we can never really understand the complete context of their composition, the time in which they were written and, yes, the prejudice and controversy that still engulfs them.

THE GUARDIAN. Available at: https://www.theguardian.com/childrens-bookssite/2016/apr/23/shakespeare-authorship-question-teenagereaders. Accessed on: February 3, 2021. [Excerpt]