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Summer 2007 Shakespeare Matters Page  Summer 2007 Shakespeare Matters page 6:4 “Let me not to the marriage of true minds admit impediments...” Summer 2007 11th Annual Shake- speare Authorship Shakespeare—Who Studies Conference Convenes held the Pen? By Bonner Miller Cutting and Earl Showerman Insights Meets Research By Alan Stott oncordia Uni- versity hosted The man of letters is, in truth, ever writing his own biogra- Cits11th an- phy. — Anthony Trollope (1815–82). nual Shakespeare Authorship Studies The marvel of Shakespeare’s genius is that in his secular mir- Conference from ror the divine light also shines. April 12 to 15th, an — John Middleton Murry. occasion marked by many seminal very theatregoer and every reader can perceive the authentic papers, the launch voice, can sense the spirit, in and behind the work of the of the first graduate- Eworld’s leading dramatic poet, known as “William Shake- level programs in speare.” The First Folio (1623) of his collected plays, however, authorship studies, was only published years after his death. Of the actor, one Wil- and the signing of liam Shakespere (1564–1616) — the name never spelt as in the the “Declaration of First Folio — very little is known. Apparently neither manuscript Reasonable Doubt nor letter is extant. The many enigmas surrounding the whole about the Identity phenomenon comprise “the authorship question.” The identity of William Shake- of the Bard, according to Emerson (1803–1882), is “the first of speare.” While this all literary problems.” John Michell1 surveys the candidates with report will attempt a commendable fairness, outlining the history of the search for to summarize the the man who held the pen. The American author Mark Twain2 conference events – Samuel Langhorne Clemens (1835–1910) – observed: “Shake- and presentations, speare had no prominence while he lived, and none until he had readers should be been dead two or three generations. The Plays enjoyed high fame delighted to learn from the beginning.” that Concordia is S.T. Coleridge (1772–1824), poet and seminal thinker, was preparing to publish almost the discoverer of the subconscious mind. His profound the proceedings of influence on philosophy, psychology, theology and literary the 10th and 11th criticism still continues. Coleridge assumed the conventional conferences later authorship of Shakespeare’s plays, while rejecting the facts of this year in a new his life and character:3 A sign of the times? The Earl of Oxford (in the journal, Verité. Ashbourne portrait) on the cover of The Pocket Companion to Shakespeare’s Plays, revised by Ask your own hearts, – ask your own common sense – to Stanley Wells (see Wells, p. 3) conceive the possibility of this man... being the anomalous, (Continued on p. 24) (Continued on p. 8) page 2 Shakespeare Matters Summer 2007 cipher and by interpreting the sonnets the Essex Rebellion and imprisonment in the proper context of time. Letters: of Southampton in February of 1601. 1 That the capital letter T stands for believe the dedication with its overt as TIME is not at all unlikely. As Hank Whit- well as hidden meaning was conceived temore points out, a central theme of the by Oxford in late 1601. Southampton entire sonnet sequence is Love vs.Time. May 2, 2007 is addressed as Mr. W.H. because under The word “Time”, usually capitalized, arrest in the Tower he has been stripped To the Editor: appears 78 times in the sonnets. Whit- of his title and is known legally as Mr. temore writes, “the sonnets tell the story Wriothesley, Henry. Another clue to tim- Kathryn Sharpe’s letter to the Editor of LOVE struggling against the tyranny ing is the surface meaning of the words in Shakespeare Matters 6:2, Winter 2007 of TIME.” p. xxviii of The Monument. WISHETH THE WELL-WISHING AD- suggests that John M. Rollett’s solution As a brief sampling we find “the bloody VENTURER IN SETTING FORTH. In 1601 to the Sonnet dedication puzzle: THESE tyrant Time” (#16 and #115), “devouring Southampton invested as an “adventurer” SONNETS ALL BY EVER THE FORTH is Time” (#19), “Times injurious hand” in the voyage and proposed colonization unfinished. I agree that it is unfinished (#63), “Times fell hand” (#64), “Time’s of America led by Bartholomew Gosnold. because it does not include the ending fickle glass” (#126), “Time that gave doth Gosnold sailed in the ship Concord from initials T.T. as she points out. But I think now his gift confound” (#60). There are Falmouth, England, for America on there is an alternative solution that I find many other instances as well. March 26, 1602. In a recent book by more convincing. It depends upon how one To return to the solution it means Professor Cyclone Covey of Wake Forest applies Rollett’s 6-2-4 scheme suggested by that Oxford, while still living, wishes that University, Southampton’s involvment the layout of the three inverted pyramids in time the secret of his authorship and in this voyage is explained at length. of the text. One may count periods and of his relationship to Mr.W.H. will be Covey writes that the Gosnold voyage hyphens as signals to stop or one may discovered by solving the cypher and by was “initiated and financed by Raleigh count only periods. Rollett and Sharpe interpreting the sonnets in the proper enemy Southampton from the Tower. count both hyphens and periods. I believe context of time. Fellow tower inmate ex-Sheriff Thomas the creator of the cypher intended us to The crucial importance of time is Smythe could have put the Earl in touch count only periods. Sharpe also continues knowing when the sonnets were written via Hakluyt with able young pirate to count to the very end including the and also when the dedication was written. Bartholomew Gosnold or vice versa, but initials T.T. Following this scheme she Whittemore makes a case for dating all Southampton already knew his Garland gets: THESE SONNETS ALL BY EVER of the sonnets except the first 26 after THE FORTH T. The fourth letter “t” in (Continued on p. 32) the dedication is in the word BEGETTER. Accordingly she gets: THESE SONNETS Shakespeare Matters Subscriptions to Shakespeare Matters are ALL BY EVER THE BEGETTER. While this Published quarterly by the $40 per year ($20 for online issues only). Family may be a possible solution, it appears to or institution subscriptions are $45 per year. The Shakespeare Fellowship Patrons of the Fellowship are $75 and up. me redundant. If the sonnets are all by Please address correspondence to: Please send subscription requests to: E. Vere, to repeat that he is the begetter Editorial Offices is redundant. P.O. Box 65335 The Shakespeare Fellowship An alternative is to count only Baltimore, MD 21209 PO Box 421 periods as stops and like Sharpe to con- Hudson, MA 01749 tinue counting through the initials. This Editor: Roger Stritmatter, PhD The purpose of the Shakespeare Fellowship method gives: ALL THESE SONNETS BY is to promote public awareness and acceptance EVER-LIVING WELL-WISHING T. As- Contributing Editors: of the authorship of the Shakespeare Canon by suming that the cipher was created by Ox- Mark Anderson, K.C. Ligon, Lynne Kositsky, How- Edward de Vere, 17th Earl of Oxford (1550-1604), ard Schumann, Dr. Charles Berney, and further to encourage a high level of schol- ford himself, as Sharpe also assumes, the Charles Boyle, Dr. Felicia Londre, arly research and publication into all aspects of message is that Oxford while still living Alex McNeil, Shakespeare studies, and also into the history and is foreseeing his death and well-wishing Dr. Anne Pluto, Elisabeth Sears, culture of the Elizabethan era. William Boyle, Richard Whalen, The Society was founded and incorporated something indicated by the capital letter Hank Whittemore, Dr. Daniel L. Wright in 2001 in the State of Massachusetts and is T. I suggest that the capital letter T stands chartered under the membership corporation laws for TIME. This gives the solution: ALL Phone (Baltimore, MD): (410) 764-9202 of that state. It is a recognized 501(c)(3) nonprofit email: [email protected] (Fed ID 04-3578550). THESE SONNETS BY EVER-LIVING, All contents copyright ©2007 Dues, grants and contributions are tax-de- WELL-WISHING TIME. In other words, The Shakespeare Fellowship ductible to the extent allowed by law. Oxford, while still alive, foreseeing his Shakespeare Matters welcomes articles, essays, commentary, book reviews, letters and news items. death, wishes that in time the secret of Contributions should be reasonably concise and, when his authorship and of his relationship to appropriate, validated by peer review. The views expressed by contributors do not necessarily reflect those of the Mr. W.H. will be discovered by solving the Fellowship as a literary and educational organization. Summer 2007 Shakespeare Matters page 3 From the Editors Fencing with Dr. Wells... and Clues From My Mailbox or the record, Professor Stanley today’s discussion is an “F.” Now, does Wells, Chairman of the Stratford anyone have anything else they want FShakespeare Birthplace Trust Fund to talk about? and senior editor of the Oxford University Press edition of the collected works of the Straight A-Student: Professor, why bard, is a gentleman. Of course, it can be does Hamlet delay? difficult to maintain a sense of perspec- tive when whiplashed by the rhetoric of After discussing the prospect with Wells’ April 2007 Washington Post debate several leading Oxfordians, Outlook of- article, which begins by contemptuously fered your editor the opportunity to write dismissing the authorship question as Professor Stanley Wells, Chairman of the article. It turned out, however, that a “nonsense” — and goes downhill from the Stratford Birthplace Trust Fund.
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