Print this page Who Really Wrote Shakespeare? The Great Authorship Debate

For more than a century, scholars, writers and enthusiasts have debated one of literature's most intriguing mysteries: did William Shakespeare really write the plays and poems attributed to him? While most academics accept Shakespeare's authorship, alternative theories continue to capture the public imagination and inspire lively discussion. This thought-provoking course explores the history of the Shakespeare authorship controversy and examines the leading candidates proposed as the true author of the works. Consider the cases for figures such as Christopher Marlowe, Francis Bacon, Edward de Vere, William Stanley, Henry Neville and others, and assess the evidence put forward by supporters of each theory. The course also introduces the methods used to investigate authorship, including historical research, documentary evidence and modern techniques such as stylometric analysis. Along the way, you will discover how and why the debate emerged, why it persists, and what it reveals about literature, history and the way we evaluate evidence.

DELIVERY MODE

Face to face

COURSE RESOURCES

• James Shapiro: Contested Will - who wrote Shakespeare (Simon & Schuster, 2010)
• Mark Anderson: Shakespeare by another name (Gotham, 2005)
• Elizabteh Winkler: Shakespeare was a Woman (Simon & Schuster, 2023)
• Paul Edmondson & Stanley Wells (eds): Shakespeare beyond doubt (Cambridge UP, 2013)

COURSE OUTLINE

• Examine the claims for alternate authors: Marlowe, Bacon, De Vere, Neville, Lanner and others
• Examine the history of this controversy and techniques of assessment (e.g. stylometrics)
• Be confident enough to make your own decision.

LEARNING OUTCOMES

By the end of this course, students should be able to:

• Appreciate the arguments about Shakespearian authorship and make your own decisions about the "truth"