Description
Book SynopsisInvestigates the role of Edward De Vere, the 17th Earl of Oxford, establishing him as the mostly likely candidate for authorship of Shakespeare's literary oeuvre. Topics include an historical overview of English literature from 1530 through 1575, major contemporary transitions in the theatre, and an examination of Oxford's life and the events leading to his literary prominence.
Trade ReviewMalim follows in the footsteps of (earlier) scholars in arguing scientifically for the 17th Earl of Oxford, Edward de Vere, as author of the works conventionally attributed to the business man William Shakespeare of Straford-upon-Avon. The traditional weakness of this position - the dating of the plays - turns out to be is greatest strength, for Malim is able to demonstrate conclusively that all the commentators on English literature at that time agreed that 'a flowering of talent - what may, because of the completeness and suddeness of its appearance, properly be called a revolution - had already happened' by 1580. We are thus left gaping at the projected brilliance and secondary effects of a supernova that has exploded before our time and disappeared: at its centre to this day lies a 'black hole'; the source not only of the unsurpassed drama and poetry, but of English as a respectable and esteemed literary vehicle... I don't believe anything futher needs to be written; for those who are open, the conclusion becomes self-evident." - Heythrop Journal LIV (2013)
Table of Contents
- Acknowledgments
- Introduction
- 1. English Literature 1530–1575
- 2. The Life 1550–1575
- 3. Oxford in Italy
- 4. The Revolution in English Literature
- 5. The Revolution in the Theater
- 6. The Life 1576–1590
- 7. The Life 1590–1604
- 8. Aftermath
- Afterword
- Appendix A—Tables of Literary References
- Appendix B—William Shakespeare: The Irrelevant Life
- Chapter Notes
- Bibliography
- Index
