The Battle Over Shakespeare’s Identity

Shakespeare’s identity—isn’t that evident? How can anyone doubt that the world’s greatest playwright wrote the plays attributed to him? His name is found on the title pages, in appraisals and on his monumental tomb. All the same, doubt has been cast on the Bard’s authorship, and indeed his very existence. These skeptics run the risk of being branded enthusiasts and worse, but it has not stopped them from participating in the debate for decades and longer.
The battle over Shakespeare’s identity has a long history. Predictions have stated that as knowledge about Shakespeare grows, skepticism will pass, but this has not proven to be the case. We know little about the historic Shakespeare. Skeptics are of the opinion that a world view as advanced as that we find in the plays matches poorly what the documents show about the alleged author. This book covers the long history of this contentious debate, and opens the possibility for evaluating the conversation in a whole new light.

Geir Uthaug is a Norwegian writer, translator and critic. His verse translations include Byron’s Don Juan, Keats’ “Endymion” and Blake’s Songs of Innocence and of Experience.

Geir Uthaug
Format: softcover (7 x 10)
Pages:
Bibliographic Info: ca. 55 photos, notes, bibliography, index
Copyright Date: 2025
pISBN: 978-1-4766-9729-1
eISBN: 978-1-4766-5562-8
Imprint: McFarland