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Historical allegation

Shakespeare authorshipAtlas

Celebrities & Entertainment · Hidden identities & authorship

Competing accounts of whether William Shakespeare of Stratford wrote the works attributed to him, or whether another educated candidate authored them under that name.

Open the case

Evidence

16 cited sources · both-sides readings on each item

  • British Library

    British Library · primary

    • Pos A · Read as Stationers’ and quarto context for attributions.“Shakespeare”
    • Pos B · Read as a mine for allonym and dedication theories.“Shakespeare”
    • Pos A · Read as preserving early print tying works to the Shakespeare name.“Shakespeare”
    • Pos B · Read as also holding materials used in candidate-author arguments.“Shakespeare”
  • Folger Shakespeare Library

    Folger · primary

    • Pos A · Read as institutional scholarship centering Stratford authorship.“Shakespeare”
    • Pos B · Read as a Stratford-aligned archive that anti-Stratfordians treat as gatekeeping.“Shakespeare”
    • Pos A · Read as holding title-page and theatrical documentation.“Shakespeare”
    • Pos B · Read as the mainstream corpus alternate candidates are read against.“Shakespeare”
  • Shakespeare authorship question — Britannica

    Encyclopaedia Britannica · secondary

    • Pos A · Read as summarizing the mainstream attribution and the existence of the dispute.“Shakespeare”
    • Pos B · Read as framing skepticism as a minority position anti-Stratfordians contest.“Shakespeare”
    • Pos A · Read as outlining documentary bases for Stratford authorship.“Shakespeare”
    • Pos B · Read as cataloging candidate theories used in allonym readings.“Shakespeare”
  • Images from “Folger Shakespeare Library” | Public Domain Image Archive

    pdimagearchive.org · secondary

    • Pos A · Folger early-print related holdings are read as locating Stratford actor-shareholder authorship under the published name, with the archive description cited as centering study of that figure while still noting contemporaries and joint early-modern materials.“dedicated to the study of William Shakespeare”
    • Pos B · Folger early-print related holdings are read as locating Stratford actor-shareholder fronting for another trained candidate, with the archive description cited as keeping the study label while still noting contemporaries and joint early-modern materials.“dedicated to the study of William Shakespeare”
    • Pos A · Folger collection framing is treated as aligning register-style name marks with Stratford Shakespeare in early print study, with period mask claims cast as absent from mainstream corpora the library serves while a living-actor front is cast as a costly allonym plan.“major resource for scholars, students, artists”
    • Pos B · Folger collection framing is treated as aligning register-style name marks with front or allonym practice in early print study, with period mask claims cast as absent from mainstream corpora the library serves while a living-actor front is cast as a plain cover plan.“major resource for scholars, students, artists”
  • Images and permissions | Folger Shakespeare Library

    folger.edu · primary

    • Pos A · Folger life and print pages are read as locating Stratford actor-shareholder authorship under the published name, with First Folio and Stratford-London notes cited as centering that figure while still noting joint playhouse and print practice.“Shakespeare's life in Stratford and London”
    • Pos B · Folger life and print pages are read as locating Stratford actor-shareholder fronting for another trained candidate, with First Folio and Stratford-London notes cited as relocating the main author while still noting joint playhouse and print practice.“Shakespeare's life in Stratford and London”
    • Pos A · Folger First Folio and name-page framing are treated as ordinary name marks for Stratford Shakespeare in early print, with period mask claims cast as absent from mainstream corpora and a living-actor front cast as a costly allonym plan.“the book that gave us Shakespeare”
    • Pos B · Folger First Folio and name-page framing are treated as name marks for front or allonym practice in early print, with period mask claims cast as absent from mainstream corpora and a living-actor front cast as a plain cover plan.“the book that gave us Shakespeare”
  • Shakespeare discoveries by Folger Fellows | Folger Shakespeare Library

    folger.edu · primary

    • Pos A · Folger early-print and life materials are read as locating Stratford actor-shareholder authorship under the published name, with title-page and staging ties centering that figure while still noting joint playhouse practice.“Shakespeare's life in Stratford and London”
    • Pos B · Folger early-print and life materials are read as locating Stratford actor-shareholder fronting for another trained candidate, with title-page and staging ties relocating the main author while still noting joint playhouse practice.“Shakespeare's life in Stratford and London”
    • Pos A · Folger First Folio and print notes are treated as name marks for Stratford Shakespeare in early print, with living-actor attribution cast as standard practice and a known-mask reading absent from mainstream corpora. The competing reading remains available for comparison from the same public materials.“the book that gave us Shakespeare”
    • Pos B · Folger First Folio and print notes are treated as name marks for front or allonym practice in early print, with living-actor attribution cast as a plain cover plan and a known-mask reading absent from mainstream corpora.“the book that gave us Shakespeare”
  • Baconian theory of Shakespeare authorship - Wikipedia

    en.wikipedia.org · secondary

    • Pos A · The Baconian overview is read as a later alternative account that still centers published attribution to the Stratford actor-shareholder, with mainstream scholarly rejection treated as reinforcing title-page and company-record ties to that figure while joint playhouse practice remains noted.“All but a few academic Shakespeare scholars reject”
    • Pos B · The Baconian overview is read as locating a trained candidate behind the Stratford actor-shareholder name, with fronting explanations treated as relocating main authorship from title pages and staging ties while joint playhouse practice remains noted. The competing reading remains available for comparison from the same public materials.“was merely a front to shield the identity”
    • Pos A · Register-style name marks in the Baconian materials are treated as ordinary early-print labels for Stratford Shakespeare, with a living-actor cover cast as a costly allonym plan and period mask claims cited as outside mainstream corpora.“plays that are attributed to William Shakespeare”
    • Pos B · Register-style name marks in the Baconian materials are treated as early-print labels for front or allonym practice, with a living-actor cover cast as a plain cover plan and period mask claims cited as outside mainstream corpora.“merely a front to shield the identity of Bacon”
  • Appendix on Authorship | Folger Shakespeare Library

    folger.edu · primary

    • Pos A · The Folger appendix framing is read as tying early-print naming and company context to the Stratford actor-shareholder, so life-in-Stratford-and-London notes are treated as centering that figure as the works’ author while still recording ordinary joint playhouse practice.“Shakespeare's life in Stratford and London”
    • Pos B · The Folger appendix framing is read as tying early-print naming and company context to a visible Stratford actor-shareholder, so life-in-Stratford-and-London notes are treated as fitting a public front while still recording ordinary joint playhouse practice beside another trained hand.“Shakespeare's life in Stratford and London”
    • Pos A · Register-style naming and Folger print discussion are treated as straightforward name marks for Stratford Shakespeare in early publication, with any mask-or-front reading cast as an added plan not required by the same title-page and company materials.“Appendix on Authorship | Folger Shakespeare”
    • Pos B · Register-style naming and Folger print discussion are treated as reusable name marks compatible with front or allonym practice in early publication, with a living-actor cover cast as a plain plan still consistent with the same title-page and company materials.“Appendix on Authorship | Folger Shakespeare”
  • Our building and grounds | Folger Shakespeare Library

    folger.edu · primary

    • Pos A · Folger site materials are read as centering Stratford-linked life and print holdings that locate the published name with the actor-shareholder figure while documenting playhouse-era works.“Shakespeare's life in Stratford and London”
    • Pos B · Folger site materials are read as centering Stratford-linked life and print holdings that can relocate main authorship behind the published name while documenting playhouse-era works.“Shakespeare's life in Stratford and London”
    • Pos A · Folger presentation of First Folio and life pages is treated as reinforcing early-print name marks for the Stratford figure, with institutional framing casting allonym cover as outside standard holdings narrative.“the book that gave us Shakespeare”
    • Pos B · Folger presentation of First Folio and life pages is treated as compatible with early-print name marks under front practice, with institutional framing casting allonym cover as still outside standard holdings narrative.“the book that gave us Shakespeare”
  • baconian-theory-of-shakespeare-authorship.pdf

    heyprof.files.wordpress.com · secondary

    • Pos A · This overview is read as documenting a nineteenth-century Bacon candidacy that academic materials treat as rejected, keeping Stratford actor-shareholder authorship under the published name while recording the front claim as a historical proposal only.“All but a few academic Shakespeare scholars reject”
    • Pos B · This overview is read as documenting Bacon as author with Stratford Shakespeare treated as a front to shield identity, relocating main authorship under the published name while recording joint playhouse practice beside that cover account.“the historical Shakespeare was merely a front”
    • Pos A · Period front claims in this overview are treated as later theory absent from mainstream early corpora, so register entries and title pages remain name marks for Stratford Shakespeare rather than a living-actor allonym plan.“Shakespeare wrote the works bearing his name”
    • Pos B · Period front claims in this overview are treated as describing allonym cover in early print, so register entries and title pages become name marks for a living-actor front rather than plain Stratford self-attribution practice.“front to shield the identity of Bacon”
  • Images from “British Library” | Public Domain Image Archive

    pdimagearchive.org · secondary

    • Pos B · British Library digital collections of manuscripts and early books are cited as preserving title-page and company-linked materials that relocate main authorship from the Stratford actor-shareholder while noting joint playhouse practice.“supporting a wide range of academic and research”
    • Pos A · British Library digital collections of manuscripts and early books are cited as preserving title-page and company-linked materials that locate Stratford actor-shareholder authorship under the published name while noting joint playhouse practice.“manuscripts, books, sound recordings, and more”
    • Pos A · Register-style name marks in British Library early-print holdings are treated as ordinary attributions to Stratford Shakespeare, with any mask reading cast as absent from the mainstream corpora those collections support.“holds over 170 million items from many countries”
    • Pos B · Register-style name marks in British Library early-print holdings are treated as compatible with front or allonym practice, with a known mask reading cast as available beyond the mainstream corpora those collections support.“Catalogue of Illuminated Manuscripts and their Digitised”
  • Shakespeare First Folio | Folger Shakespeare Library

    folger.edu · primary

    • Pos A · Folger First Folio and life pages are read as locating Stratford actor-shareholder authorship under the published name, citing print history and Stratford-London ties while still allowing joint playhouse practice.“the book that gave us Shakespeare”
    • Pos B · Folger First Folio and life pages are read as locating Stratford actor-shareholder fronting for another trained candidate, citing print history and Stratford-London ties while still allowing joint playhouse practice.“Shakespeare's life in Stratford and London”
    • Pos A · Folger early-print First Folio notes are treated as name marks for Stratford Shakespeare in early print, with known-mask letters cast as absent from mainstream corpora on this site.“Shakespeare in print The First Folio”
    • Pos B · Folger early-print First Folio notes are treated as name marks for front or allonym practice in early print, with known-mask letters cast as absent from mainstream corpora on this site.“The First Folio (the book that gave us”
  • Building history | Folger Shakespeare Library

    folger.edu · primary

    • Pos A · Folger explore pages are read as centering Stratford and London life with First Folio print ties that locate actor-shareholder authorship under the published name while noting the works’ stage world.“Shakespeare's life in Stratford and London”
    • Pos B · Folger explore pages are read as centering Stratford and London life with First Folio print ties that still allow a front reading relocating main authorship while noting the works’ stage world.“Shakespeare's life in Stratford and London”
    • Pos A · Site sections on Shakespeare in print are treated as presenting First Folio name marks as ordinary Stratford attributions, with a living-actor front cast as an unlikely costly allonym plan in that framing.“the book that gave us Shakespeare”
    • Pos B · Site sections on Shakespeare in print are treated as presenting First Folio name marks as compatible with allonym practice, with a living-actor front cast as a plain cover plan in that framing.“the book that gave us Shakespeare”
  • The Inside View | Folger Shakespeare Library

    folger.edu · primary

    • Pos A · Folger materials on Shakespeare's life in Stratford and London are read as situating the Stratford actor-shareholder within the documentary frame of the attributed works, with institutional collection notes treated as centering that figure's ties to print and performance.“Shakespeare's life in Stratford and London”
    • Pos B · Folger materials on Shakespeare's life in Stratford and London are read as situating a public biography that can front for another candidate, with institutional collection notes treated as relocating primary authorship while retaining the published name's stage ties.“Shakespeare's life in Stratford and London”
    • Pos A · Folger presentation of the First Folio and early print is treated as reinforcing name marks for Stratford Shakespeare on title pages, with life-and-works framing cited as consistent with direct attribution rather than a living-actor cover plan.“the book that gave us Shakespeare”
    • Pos B · Folger presentation of the First Folio and early print is treated as preserving name marks that can serve allonym practice on title pages, with life-and-works framing cited as consistent with a public face not ruling out another author.“the book that gave us Shakespeare”
  • The authorship of Shakespeare : Holmes, Nathaniel, 1815-1901 : Free Download, Borrow, and Streaming : Internet Archive

    archive.org · secondary

    • Pos A · Holmes's archived study is read as a later disputant text that still leaves title-page name marks and company ties treated as locating authorship in the Stratford actor-shareholder amid joint playhouse practice.“The authorship of Shakespeare”
    • Pos B · Holmes's archived study is read as an early full case that treats title-page name marks and company ties as compatible with a trained candidate fronted by the Stratford actor-shareholder amid joint playhouse practice.“The authorship of Shakespeare”
    • Pos A · The Holmes archive listing is treated as recording a minority allonym thesis, while register entries and title pages remain name marks for Stratford Shakespeare and a living-actor front stays cast as a costly plan.“The authorship of Shakespeare”
    • Pos B · The Holmes archive listing is treated as recording a developed allonym thesis, while register entries and title pages become name marks for front practice and a living-actor front stays cast as a plain cover plan.“The authorship of Shakespeare”
  • Library of Congress

    Library of Congress · primary

    • Pos A · Read as a broad public corpus of Shakespeare scholarship and early editions.“Shakespeare”
    • Pos B · Read as including anti-Stratfordian publications for comparison.“Shakespeare”
    • Pos A · Read as supporting mainstream attribution surveys.“Shakespeare”
    • Pos B · Read as hosting alternative-candidate literature.“Shakespeare”

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