Anonymous?

[callmemadam]

This film sets out to show that Shakespeare’s plays were written by the Earl of Oxford. Oh yawn. Does it matter? To the tourist industry of Stratford on Avon, rather a lot, but to the rest of us? I think it does. What always strikes me about these crackpot theories is their snobbery. How likely is it, sniff the misguided critics, that a common boy from Stratford, with no more education than the local grammar school could provide, was able to write works of genius? The same argument could apply to Keats, or Dickens or Thomas Hardy but their lives are well documented and no one suggests that the poetry of the cockney Keats was actually written by Lord Byron. Who knows where genius will appear? Just look at the life of Michael Faraday.

Comments

[mimmimmim.livejournal.com]

I think Byron would have been horrified if anyone had suggested he wrote Keat's poetry. Hell, I'd be horrified, but then Keats has always been my least favourite of the Romantics.

[callmemadam.livejournal.com]

Oh, shame! Keats is my top favourite. Did you see the episode of Outnumbered in which the elder boy wrote an essay beginning, 'The romantic poets were a bunch of emos.'? Ha ha!

[geraniumcat.livejournal.com]

Having had a quick look at the trailer I fear it's going to be the worst kind of anachronistic nonsense, attributing modern sensibilities to the "characters" (as opposed to real people). Oh, and we're supposed to believe that de Vere wrote Midsummer Night's Dream when he was nine? I don't think I'll be watching it, it would annoy me too much. But I doubt if Stratford should be too anxious.

[callmemadam.livejournal.com]

You are absolutely right. huskyteer has just sent me a link to this brilliant article by someone much better qualified to discuss the subject than I am.

[callmemadam.livejournal.com]

Good man!