Contested Will : Who Wrote Shakespeare? by James Shapiro (2010) Hardcover/DJ 1ST

Description: Contested Will : Who Wrote Shakespeare? by James S. Shapiro For more than two hundred years after William Shakespeare's death, no one doubted that he had written his plays. Since then, however, dozens of candidates have been proposed for the authorship of what is generally agreed to be the finest body of work by a writer in the English language. In this remarkable book, Shakespeare scholar James Shapiro explains when and why so many people began to question whether Shakespeare wrote his plays. Among the doubters have been such writers and thinkers as Sigmund Freud, Henry James, Mark Twain, and Helen Keller. It is a fascinating story, replete with forgeries, deception, false claimants, ciphers and codes, conspiracy theories—and a stunning failure to grasp the power of the imagination. As Contested Will makes clear, much more than proper attribution of Shakespeare’s plays is at stake in this authorship controversy. Underlying the arguments over whether Christopher Marlowe, Francis Bacon, or the Earl of Oxford wrote Shakespeare’s plays are fundamental questions about literary genius, specifically about the relationship of life and art. Are the plays (and poems) of Shakespeare a sort of hidden autobiography? Do Hamlet, Macbeth, and the other great plays somehow reveal who wrote them? Shapiro is the first Shakespeare scholar to examine the authorship controversy and its history in this way, explaining what it means, why it matters, and how it has persisted despite abundant evidence that William Shakespeare of Stratford wrote the plays attributed to him. This is a brilliant historical investigation that will delight anyone interested in Shakespeare and the literary imagination. 1ST EDITION; 2010 Simon & Schuster, 1st printing; VG+/NF; solid hardcover, spine ends bumped, binding square and tight, pages fresh and unmarked, one page corner creased with tiny tear; bright, unclipped dust jacket, crimping at spine ends, in new protective mylar sleeve Additional pictures of this item can be provided upon request. Please specify what aspects of the item you'd especially like to see. The Uncommon Book will combine shipping on your purchase of two or more books to save you money! International Buyers: Click on the tab above (just below the main picture) marked "Shipping and Payments" to find the cost of shipping to anywhere in the world! Be sure to add me to your favorites list!

Price: 17.95 USD

Location: Decorah, Iowa

End Time: 2024-12-13T15:18:03.000Z

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