Who Wrote Shakespeare?; Author: Michell, John; Paperback

Author: Michell, John
1st pbk. ed; Paperback; 116 Illustrations, Bibliography, Index
272 pages
Published: April 1999
Thames and Hudson Ltd
ISBN: 0500281130
This item non-returnable. Order may not be canceled.

Was the most famous poet and writer of all time a fraud and a plagiarist? Was Shakespeare the upstart crow described by Greene as strutting in borrowed feathers, or Jonson's Poet-Ape who patched plays together from others' work?These questions have been debated ever since the eighteenth century, when the writing styles of Marlowe and other playwrights were discerned in such playsas Titus Andronicus. The orthodox view is that the author of the works of Shakespeare was, of course, the actor and businessman of Statford-upon-Avon. But the known facts about this man are surprisingly meager and contrast puzzlingly with the learned, courtly philosopher revealed in the sonnets and plays -- the universal genius and supreme stylist.John Michell's witty investigation of the theorAn enthralling investigation into the many claims and counter-claims. Scholars have put forward many theories about who wrote the works of Shakespeare, suggesting it could have been Francis Bacon or the Earl of Oxford. This is an investigation of the claims and counter-claims, laying out the arguments for the various candidates, including Shakespeare himself.