The Shakespeare Myth

Sir Edwin Durning-LawrenceProject Gutenberg · United StatesDec 2019

2.3

Word count: 67K words
Chapters: 7

Summary

Project Gutenberg was the first provider of free electronic books, or eBooks. Michael Hart, founder of Project Gutenberg, invented eBooks in 1971 and his memory continues to inspire the creation of eBooks and related technologies today.The Shakespeare Myth by Sir Edwin Durning-LawrenceAuthor: Durning-Lawrence, Edwin, Sir, 1837-1914,Language: English, Class: PR: Language and Literatures: English literature, Release Date: Nov 22, 2014

Editor's review

This is a treatise by the British writer Sir Edwin Durning-Lawrence on the authorship question of Shakespeare's works, representing the "anti-Stratfordian" voice in Shakespeare studies. Writing from a Baconian standpoint, the author draws inferences from clues in the Shakespearean texts to argue that these works were not written by William Shakespeare of Stratford. As a polemical work published in the early twentieth century, its value lies not in providing a definitive answer but in presenting the argumentative lines and reasoning methods of the Shakespeare authorship controversy, allowing readers to see how this long-running debate was framed at the time. The style is polemical, with arguments relying on textual details and the author's own interpretive logic, requiring readers to examine them critically. Suitable for readers interested in the history of Shakespeare studies, literary antiquarianism, and the authorship debate, especially as an introduction to the "Baconian theory"; best read alongside mainstream Shakespeare scholarship for contrast.

Who it's for

A good fit for

Readers interested in the Shakespeare authorship controversy who want to learn about the "Baconian theory"
Literature students studying literary antiquarianism and polemical prose
English literature enthusiasts seeking to broaden their view of Shakespeare studies
Speculative readers who enjoy polemical texts and weighing arguments

Not a good fit for

Readers who only want to read Shakespeare's works and do not care about the authorship debate
Readers seeking scholarly consensus who are unwilling to engage with fringe theories
Readers with limited English proficiency who would struggle with polemical English

Reading tips

First learn the basic background of the Shakespeare authorship controversy, then enter the book's specific arguments.
Note the author's reasoning steps as you read, distinguishing textual evidence from subjective inference, and remain critical.
Read alongside mainstream Shakespeare biographies or authorship studies to form a balanced judgment.
Treat it as a sample of polemical style, observing how the author organizes evidence and rebuts opponents.

About the publisher

Project Gutenberg United States · Founded in 1971

Project Gutenberg is a digital publishing project focused on public-domain ebooks. Its publishing direction centers on classic literary works whose copyright has expired, covering genres such as poetry, drama, fiction, and epic. Representative books include Lyrical Ballads by Wordsworth and Coleridge, Proust's Du côté de chez Swann, Shakespeare's Macbeth and The Complete Works of William Shakespeare, Homer's The Iliad, Dante's La Divina Comèdia: Purgatòri, Cervantes's The History of Don Quixote, Volume 2, and Grahame's The Wind in the Willows. Its author resources consist mainly of classic Western writers such as Wordsworth, Proust, Shakespeare, Homer, Dante, Cervantes, Grahame, and Tolstoy. Its publishing feature is the provision of freely accessible ebooks in EPUB and Kindle formats; it is not a traditional publisher, and publicly available information is limited.

FAQ

What main viewpoint does this book argue?

The book takes the "anti-Stratfordian" position, that is, the Baconian side, drawing inferences from clues in the Shakespearean texts to argue that Shakespeare's works were not written by William Shakespeare of Stratford. It presents one polemical voice in the authorship controversy, not scholarly consensus.

What English level is needed to read this book?

This is an English polemical work with fairly complex sentence structures and literary-antiquarian terminology. Good English reading ability is recommended, enough to handle long sentences and argumentative prose; otherwise understanding the author's chain of reasoning will be difficult.

Is this book suitable as an introduction to Shakespeare studies?

Not really as an introduction. It is a controversial work with a distinct stance that relies on a particular interpretive logic. It is better to first have a basic background in Shakespeare's works and the authorship controversy, then read this book alongside mainstream scholarship to avoid forming a one-sided impression.

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About the author

Sir Edwin Durning-Lawrence Author · British · 1837–1914

Sir Edwin Durning-Lawrence (1837–1914) was a British politician and writer best known for arguing that Francis Bacon was the true author of Shakespeare's plays. His two works held in the collection, The Shakespeare Myth and Bacon is Shake-Speare, develop this central claim and belong to the polemical literature of the Shakespeare–Bacon authorship controversy. Such works are typically characterized by textual comparison, historical conjecture, and a combative style, aimed at readers interested in this literary dispute, and they are representative of the popular传播 of the authorship question. Public information on his education, specific public offices, and the details of his writing career is limited, so no inferences are made here; his influence lies mainly in the dissemination of the authorship controversy rather than in mainstream Shakespeare scholarship.