Now we know that neither Edward de Vere, Earl of Oxford nor Sir Francis Bacon wrote Shakespeare, so who did?
How about a young but nationally recognised playwright who was a tearaway and iconoclast of the 1580-1590s and whose plays are still read and performed today, that is... (sound of drum roll)... CHRISTOPHER MARLOWE?
Let us start with a story:
Once upon a time, actually in 1953, a young man was walking down the road in Cambridge when he stubbed his foot on some builders' rubble that was lying on the pavement. Bending down to rub his injured foot, he noticed the frame of a picture sticking out from the lumps of concrete and wood. Seeing that he was standing outside the Master's Lodge of Corpus Christi College, he naturally pulled out the picture frame, looked at the portrait that it enclosed and had it sent away to be cleaned up and identified. No doubt he was delighted to hear that the picture (probably) was of none other than the top playwright of the 1580-90 world of drama, Christopher (Kit) Marlowe.
This conclusion was reached by the experts especially after they had studied the motto in the corner, "Quod me nutrit me destruit" - What feeds me destroys me. Today the portrait hangs proudly in the chancellor's off ice in Corpus Christi College and most books about Marlowe and the Elizabethan theatre say that this is the alleged portrait of this playwright.
So how could it be that Marlowe wrote Shakespeare? First of all, they were both born in 1564: Marlowe, on February 26 and Shakespeare two months later in April. Both were sons of artisans: Marlowe's father was a shoemaker and Shakespeare's was a glove-maker. Both CM and WS were literate and received a good classic education (proved in Marlowe's case but assumed in Shakespeare's) and there is evidence that they both were involved in the London theatre at the end of the Elizabethan era. This being the case, many lit.crit experts and others, including Calvin Hoffman, A.D. Wraight and Wilbur Ziegler claim that Marlowe is Shakespeare.
The only known existing signature by Marlowe, found on a document
when he was a witness to a property deal.
But how can that be so, I hear you say? Marlowe was killed in 1593 in a brawl whereas the Bard continued writing for another twenty years until (about) 1613. The answer to this puzzle will be revealed next time.
Until then, I'll be pleased to receive your comments at: wsdavidyoung@gmail. Thank you.
How about a young but nationally recognised playwright who was a tearaway and iconoclast of the 1580-1590s and whose plays are still read and performed today, that is... (sound of drum roll)... CHRISTOPHER MARLOWE?
Let us start with a story:
Once upon a time, actually in 1953, a young man was walking down the road in Cambridge when he stubbed his foot on some builders' rubble that was lying on the pavement. Bending down to rub his injured foot, he noticed the frame of a picture sticking out from the lumps of concrete and wood. Seeing that he was standing outside the Master's Lodge of Corpus Christi College, he naturally pulled out the picture frame, looked at the portrait that it enclosed and had it sent away to be cleaned up and identified. No doubt he was delighted to hear that the picture (probably) was of none other than the top playwright of the 1580-90 world of drama, Christopher (Kit) Marlowe.
This conclusion was reached by the experts especially after they had studied the motto in the corner, "Quod me nutrit me destruit" - What feeds me destroys me. Today the portrait hangs proudly in the chancellor's off ice in Corpus Christi College and most books about Marlowe and the Elizabethan theatre say that this is the alleged portrait of this playwright.
So how could it be that Marlowe wrote Shakespeare? First of all, they were both born in 1564: Marlowe, on February 26 and Shakespeare two months later in April. Both were sons of artisans: Marlowe's father was a shoemaker and Shakespeare's was a glove-maker. Both CM and WS were literate and received a good classic education (proved in Marlowe's case but assumed in Shakespeare's) and there is evidence that they both were involved in the London theatre at the end of the Elizabethan era. This being the case, many lit.crit experts and others, including Calvin Hoffman, A.D. Wraight and Wilbur Ziegler claim that Marlowe is Shakespeare.
when he was a witness to a property deal.
But how can that be so, I hear you say? Marlowe was killed in 1593 in a brawl whereas the Bard continued writing for another twenty years until (about) 1613. The answer to this puzzle will be revealed next time.
Until then, I'll be pleased to receive your comments at: wsdavidyoung@gmail. Thank you.
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