Edward de Vere, the 17th Earl of Oxford
(1550-1604)
Who is the author of the plays, poems, and sonnets attributed to William Shakespeare?
There are two answers to this question; two schools of thought; two interpretations:
The traditional interpretation and the alternative interpretation
The traditional interpretation
According to academic Shakespeare scholars, the answer to the question is William Shakespeare, who lived in Stratford-upon-Avon.
According to academic Shakespeare scholars, the alternative interpretation is based on speculation and wishful thinking and not on any historical facts.
Some academic Shakespeare scholars are so certain that they refuse to discuss the alternative interpretation. They say it is a waste of time.
The alternative interpretation
According to some observers, the answer to the question cannot be William Shakespeare.
According to some observers, William Shakespeare cannot be the author of the plays, poems, and sonnets which are attributed to him.
When they make this claim, a new question appears:
If William Shakespeare is not the author of these plays, poems, and sonnets, who wrote them?
Who is the real author?
Several suggestions have been made. Several suitable candidates have been presented.
Since the 1920s, many observers focus on the same candidate: Edward de Vere, the 17th Earl of Oxford, who lived 1550-1604.
Since William Shakespeare lived in Stratford-upon-Avon, the traditional interpretation is also known as the Stratford theory.
Since Edward de Vere was the 17th Earl of Oxford, the alternative interpretation is also known as the Oxford theory.
The evidence
Why do some observers not accept the traditional interpretation?
What kind of evidence is presented in order to support the alternative interpretation?
The people who support the alternative interpretation have a dual approach to this topic.
# 1. They say little or no evidence proves that William Shakespeare is the person who wrote the plays, the poems, and the sonnets attributed to him.
They say the traditional interpretation is difficult to believe.
They say the historical evidence does not support the claim.
# 2. They say a large amount of evidence supports the suggestion that Edward de Vere is the real author of the plays, poems, and sonnets attributed to William Shakespeare.
Here are some questions which have been asked when the Oxford theory has been discussed:
(A) The man who wrote the plays, poems, and sonnets must be a person who was literate; a person who knew how to read and write.
There was a school in Stratford-upon-Avon, but there is no evidence that William Shakespeare was a student at this school.
William Shakespeare’s signature has been preserved. Six signatures are written in six different ways.
Why?
(B) Many of the plays are set in foreign lands, such as the Italian peninsula.
** The play Romeo and Juliet is set in Verona
** The play Hamlet is set in a castle in Elsinore in Denmark
But William Shakespeare never travelled abroad. He never left England.
How could he have written these plays set in foreign lands if he had never travelled outside England?
Supporters of the traditional interpretation suggest he might have found the information in books in a local library.
This argument seems fair enough. But there is no evidence that William Shakespeare had a personal library.
There is no evidence that he had access to a local library which had books where he could have found the information about life in foreign lands.
(C) Many of the plays focus on life at a Royal Court; on Kings and Queens.
But William Shakespeare was a commoner. How could he have known so many details about life at a Royal Court?
(D) Foreign words often appear in the plays. For instance Latin words.
How could William Shakespeare have known Latin words if he never went to school and if he did not have access to a large library?
If we look at the life and career of Edward de Vere, we will find that we are able to answer all the questions which cannot be answered, if William Shakespeare is supposed to be the author.
(A) Edward de Vere was a member of the nobility. He was given a formal education.
Edward de Vere was raised in the home of Sir Cecil who owned a large private library which was available to Edward de Vere.
(B) Edward de Vere travelled all over the European continent for several years. He visited several European countries. He was in Verona. He was in Denmark.
(C) When Edward was 12, his father died and he became the 17th Earl of Oxford. Since he was a minor, he was a ward of the state, a ward of Queen Elizabeth I.
The Queen suggested that Edward should be raised in the home of Sir Cecil who was for many years her primary secretary; her most trusted official.
Sir Cecil was probably the most powerful man in England at the time. The only person who had more power than him was the Queen who could have fired him, but this never happened.
Since Edward was raised in the home of Sir Cecil, he was close to the Royal Court. He knew what was happening there. He had personal knowledge about the rules and regulations at the Royal Court.
(D) Edward de Vere had several private tutors who taught history and politics as well as foreign languages, including Greek and Latin.
One final point:
If Edward de Vere is the author of the famous plays, why did he not use his real name?
Because he was a member of the nobility. At the time, the theatre was associated with the lower classes. Edward de Vere could not use his real name.
He wrote the plays and handed them to William Shakespeare who was a commoner.
William Shakespeare was a glovemaker and an actor.
His name was used when the plays were performed and later when they were published.
William Shakespeare was a straw man for Edward de Vere.
This is a significant element of the Oxford theory.
This explains the connection between Edward de Vere and William Shakespeare.
Academic Shakespeare scholars regard this arrangement as a conspiracy which is unrealistic and unbelievable.
Conclusion
There is reason to doubt the traditional interpretation which says William Shakespeare is the author of the plays, the poems, and the sonnets attributed to him.
There is reason to believe the plays, the poems, and the sonnets were written by another person.
Who could this other person be?
This other person might very well be Edward de Vere, who seems to have the qualifications needed.
According to academic Shakespeare scholars, the alternative interpretation is based on snobbery.
They claim the supporters of the alternative interpretation cannot accept that an ordinary person like William Shakespeare could have the skills and the talents to create world class literature.
This assumption is not true. This suggestion is far fetched. And it fails to deal with the hard historical facts which are presented by supporters of the Oxford theory.
REFERENCES
# 1. Books
The Mysterious William Shakespeare
By Charlton Ogburn
(1992)
Alias Shakespeare
By Joseph Sobran
(1997)
Shakespeare by Another Name
By Mark Anderson
(2005)
Contested Will:
Who Wrote Shakespeare?
By James Shapiro
(2010)
# 2. Film and video
The Shakespeare Mystery
This film is an episode of Frontline (PBS)
(1989)
Anonymous
A historical drama
(2011)
Last Will and Testament
A documentary film
(2012)
Nothing is Truer than Truth
A documentary film
(2018)
The title of this film is an English translation of Edward de Vere's Latin motto:
Vero Nihil Verius
Shakespeare:
The Truth Behind the Name
A documentary film
(2021)
*****
William Shakespeare
(1564-1616)
Was he an English playwright and poet?
According to the Oxfordian theory of
Shakespeare authorship
the answer to this question is no!
*****
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