“Last Will. & Testament: The Truth Behind Shakespeare Could Rewrite History”. (2012). Directed by Lisa Wilson and Laura Wilson.
This is a documentary about the Shakespeare Authorship question, i.e. whether the man named William Shakspere from Stratford-on-Avon wrote the works of William Shakespeare.
I thought the first 35 minutes were an excellent introduction to this question. It quotes from some of the historical personages who have doubted that the Stratford man was the writer, such as Mark Twain, Charlie Chaplin, & Henry James. It also features current doubters of the “orthodox” version like actor Sir Derek Jacobi and researcher Diana Price.
After the first 35 minutes, the documentary began arguing for one particular alternative candidate, the Earl of Oxford, who I don’t think is the right solution. But nevertheless the remaining part of the documentary did still cover some important topics like the extent of Shakespeare the writer’s knowledge of Italy, and the Essex rebellion.
It seems to me that mainstream academia on this issue is very much lacking in good research practice, and has to resort to trying to ridicule or accuse of insanity the people who think the Stratford man did not write the works, while side-stepping the arguments and historical supporting evidence of the unorthodox researchers. (George Greenwood's 1908 book The Shakespeare Problem Restated shows how little has changed in a century in this regard.)
There is also a recently published book on this subject that I think is very good:
Shakespeare Beyond Doubt? Exposing an Industry in Denial edited by John M. Shahan and Alexander Waugh. (Tamarac, FL. : Lumina Press, 2013).
The book is a response to an orthodox book with a similar title, but without the question mark: Shakespeare Beyond Doubt: Evidence, Argument, Controversy edited by Paul Edmondson and Stanley Wells. Stanley Wells also appears in the documentary, along with another Shakespearian scholar Jonathan Bate. These two represent the orthodox position. Stanley Wells is one of the leading contemporary Shakespearian academics, who co-edited an Oxford University Press edition of Shakespeare's Complete Works. Wells is also the president of the Shakespeare Birthplace Trust, associated with Stratford-upon-Avon (and its multi-million dollar tourist industry :) .)
I am not sure if I should write at too much length about the topic of the Shakespeare authorship question, as it is possibly too far outside the research interests of the forum?
This is a documentary about the Shakespeare Authorship question, i.e. whether the man named William Shakspere from Stratford-on-Avon wrote the works of William Shakespeare.
I thought the first 35 minutes were an excellent introduction to this question. It quotes from some of the historical personages who have doubted that the Stratford man was the writer, such as Mark Twain, Charlie Chaplin, & Henry James. It also features current doubters of the “orthodox” version like actor Sir Derek Jacobi and researcher Diana Price.
After the first 35 minutes, the documentary began arguing for one particular alternative candidate, the Earl of Oxford, who I don’t think is the right solution. But nevertheless the remaining part of the documentary did still cover some important topics like the extent of Shakespeare the writer’s knowledge of Italy, and the Essex rebellion.
It seems to me that mainstream academia on this issue is very much lacking in good research practice, and has to resort to trying to ridicule or accuse of insanity the people who think the Stratford man did not write the works, while side-stepping the arguments and historical supporting evidence of the unorthodox researchers. (George Greenwood's 1908 book The Shakespeare Problem Restated shows how little has changed in a century in this regard.)
There is also a recently published book on this subject that I think is very good:
Shakespeare Beyond Doubt? Exposing an Industry in Denial edited by John M. Shahan and Alexander Waugh. (Tamarac, FL. : Lumina Press, 2013).
The book is a response to an orthodox book with a similar title, but without the question mark: Shakespeare Beyond Doubt: Evidence, Argument, Controversy edited by Paul Edmondson and Stanley Wells. Stanley Wells also appears in the documentary, along with another Shakespearian scholar Jonathan Bate. These two represent the orthodox position. Stanley Wells is one of the leading contemporary Shakespearian academics, who co-edited an Oxford University Press edition of Shakespeare's Complete Works. Wells is also the president of the Shakespeare Birthplace Trust, associated with Stratford-upon-Avon (and its multi-million dollar tourist industry :) .)
I am not sure if I should write at too much length about the topic of the Shakespeare authorship question, as it is possibly too far outside the research interests of the forum?
