"oxfordian" - 1 õppematerjal

Speculation about Shakespeare

Around 150 years after Shakespeare's death, doubts began to be expressed about the authorship of the works attributed to him.[172] Proposed alternative candidates include Francis Bacon, Christopher Marlowe, and Edward de Vere, 17th Earl of Oxford.[173] Several "group theories" have also been proposed.[174] Only a small minority of academics believe there is reason to question the traditional attribution,[175] but interest in the subject, particularly the Oxfordian theory of Shakespeare authorship, continues into the 21st century. [176] Religion Main article: Shakespeare's religion Some scholars claim that members of Shakespeare's family were Catholics, at a time when Catholic practice was against the law.[177] Shakespeare's mother, Mary Arden, certainly came from a pious Catholic family. The strongest evidence might be a Catholic statement of faith signed by John Shakespeare, found in 1757 in the rafters of his former house in Henley Street.