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Fall 2005 Shakespeare Matters Page 1 Fall 2005 Shakespeare Matters page 1 5:1 "Let me not to the marriage of true minds admit impediments..." Fall 2005 Falstaff in the Low Countries By Robert Detobel n his book Monstrous Adversary1 Prof. Alan Nelson has Oxford boast of his par ticipation in the battle of Bommel dur- Iing his visit to the Low Countries in the summer 1574. Nelson’s statement, my article shows, results from a double error. First he has failed to note the basic difference which existed between a battle and a siege in the Low Countries since 1573; second, and more James Newcomb, Fellowship member and Oregon Shakespeare Festival leading man, importantly, Nelson did not perceive (per- with Mark Anderson (right), winner of the 2005 Oxfordian of the Year Award. Newcomb haps because he did not want to) that Oxford’s stars this OSF season as a wickedly energetic Richard III. tale about his great feats was a Baron Münchhausen’s tall tale and was clearly so intended. More properly spoken it was a OSF, SF, and SOS Join Forces in “Falstaffiade, ” as will appear in the second part in which we observe the similarities between Oxford’s tale and Falstaff’s tales. Historic Conference (Continued on page 4) By Howard Schumann he first ever jointly sponsored conference of The Shakespeare Fellowship and The Shakespeare Oxford Society was a “breakthrough” and an important step in piercing the “bastion of orthodoxy” regarding the Shakespeare Tauthorship issue, according to James Newcomb, the Oregon ShakespeareFestival (OSF) actor who portrayed the villainous King Richard in the OSF’s magnificent production of Richard III. “The Ashland Conference reunited friends in a gorgeous Shakespearean setting,” said SOS President James Sherwood. “Both Shakespeare Fellowship President Lynne Kositsky and I enjoyed affirming a spirit of good will which found universal support in more Oxfordians attending a longer conference than any in previous memory. Together we look forward to next year.” The conference took place from September 29th to October 2nd at the historic Ashland Springs Hotel in Ashland, Oregon, home of the largest repertory theater group in the United States, and featured presentations by prominent Oxfordians, members of the OSF artistic staff, and renowned scholars and educators. Included as part of the four- day conference was a backstage tour, a First Folio viewing, and two plays, Richard III and Twelfth Night, Or What You Will. (Continued on page 10) The truth is, Sir John, you live in great infamy He that buckles him in my belt cannot live in less --II Henry IV, 1.2 page 2 Shakespeare Matters Fall 2005 Letters Dear Editor: Dear Editor: Shakespeare by Another Name, Mark It is presumptuous of Dr. Altrocchi to the existence of a prior son he was not Anderson’s recently published book on the write a one-sided article on “The Origins allowed to acknowledge.” The editor Shakespeare authorship question, signals and History of the Prince Tudor Theory” — considered this point sufficiently important the dawn of a new day in the authorship an article which either ignores, or gives that it is printed separately on the page in controversy. With forthright command of short shrift, to virtually all contrary bold. There is a much simpler explanation. well organized and well documented evidence and arguments — and expect that Oxford was a Christian. To be a Christian information and logic, Anderson has put the result will be to reduce the level of means to think of God as someone who had the world of orthodox academia on notice “contentious debate among Oxfordians.” a son. Is it not obvious that the other “son” of just how high the bar is set. Those, like myself, who have examined the Oxford is referring to is God’s son, Jesus? SBAN fulfills the requirements set out PT theory and found it wanting, will not be Are PT theorists so used to taking by United States Supreme Court Justice convinced by an endless stream of articles Christianity with a grain of salt that they John Paul Stevens in the moot court debate which repeat the same, tired old arguments cannot imagine someone like Oxford held in Washington DC in the fall of 1987. which have taking his religion so seriously that its In a review of the watershed event by the been thoroughly discredited. Ideological tenets would be reflected in his personal New Yorker, the Justice’s subsequent fervor is no substitute for rigorous writings? remarks were recalled: “If Oxfordians were scholarship, including a willingness to This is not the first time that this rather ever going to make further progress with consider alternative explanations, rather obvious alternative explanation has been their argument they would have to put than jumping immediately to the PT pointed out. Nor, probably, will it be the together a concise, coherent theory of how conclusion and then staying put. last. and why Oxford came to write the plays An obvious example: Dr. Altrocchi points without owning up to them, and how the out that upon learning that his wife was Sincerely, subterfuge was continued after his death.” pregnant in 1575, Oxford wrote in a letter John M. Shahan Anderson has done precisely that. that “. it hath pleased God to give me a Glendale, California Although each and every Oxfordian will son of my own . “ According to Altrocchi, not agree with Anderson across the board, “‘Son of my own’ is an odd way to express there is no denying his grasp of the news of his wife’s pregnancy, suggesting multitudinous data laboriously extracted from verifiable research, “put together” in Shakespeare Matters Subscriptions to Shakespeare Matters are a presentation that is both “concise” and Published quarterly by the $40 per year ($20 for online issues only). “coherent.” No mean feat in and of itself. The Shakespeare Fellowship Family or institution subscriptions are $45 per Please address correspondence to: year. Patrons of the Fellowship are $75 and up. The added beauty of his writing style is Please send subscription requests to: sheer serendipity, to wit: “The outlines of Editorial Offices Hamlet are so pronounced within de Vere’s P.O. Box 65335 The Shakespeare Fellowship life that one invariably illuminates the Baltimore, MD 21209 PO Box 421 other.” Hudson, MA 01749 Salutations Mr. Anderson; may the Force Editor: Roger Stritmatter, PhD The purpose of the Shakespeare Fellowship Oxfordian be with you. is to promote public awareness and acceptance Contributing Editors: of the authorship of the Shakespeare Canon by Bonner Miller Cutting Mark Anderson, K.C. Ligon, Lynne Kositsky, Edward de Vere, 17th Earl of Oxford (1550- Howard Schumann, Dr. Charles Berney, 1604), and further to encourage a high level of Houston, Texas Charles Boyle, Dr. Felicia Londre, scholarly research and publication into all 17 October 2005 Alex McNeil, aspects of Shakespeare studies, and also into Dr. Anne Pluto, Elisabeth Sears, the history and culture of the Elizabethan era. William Boyle, Richard Whalen, The Society was founded and incorporated Hank Whittemore, Dr. Daniel L. Wright in 2001 in the State of Massachusetts and is chartered under the membership corporation Photo credits for this issue: Julie Phone (Baltimore, MD): (410) 764-9202 laws of that state. It is a recognized 501(c)(3) Young, Ted Story. email: [email protected] nonprofit (Fed ID 04-3578550). All contents copyright ©2005 Dues, grants and contributions are tax- The Shakespeare Fellowship deductible to the extent allowed by law. Shakespeare Matters welcomes articles, essays, commentary, book reviews, letters and news items. Contributions should be reasonably concise and, when appropriate, validated by peer review. The views expressed by contributors do not necessarily reflect those of the Fellowship as a literary and educational organization. Fall 2005 Shakespeare Matters page 3 Literary scholars almost always attempt Oxford wrote the works, not Shakespeare. to excavate the details of an author’s life to But this is demonstrated to be absurd by inform the reading of his works. Almost the long-standing and indisputable precept always. With Shakespeare we have forborne that anything that challenges orthodox Oxford’s Torment: to do this. Embarrassingly, the life of our Shakespearean scholarship is absurd. immortal poet is... embarrassing. Taking account of every factual evidence we have Taking account that we know almost The Last Chapter of his comings and goings, he seems to nothing of how Shakespeare spent his days, have been an ignorant, rough-hewn knave. there is nothing to stop us from positing in the Authorship Not Iago, surely, but not Jack Falstaff either. that he spent a great deal of his time in Not a Pistol, to be sure, but not that far from research. Positing, which is not— Controversy Nym. emphatically not—making things up, is If the details of Shakespeare’s life lend again a long-standing precept of us any clues to the quality of his literary Shakespearean scholarship. Since we By Greg Swann output, we should excavate at once in search already have the Bard researching in a of misspelled dirty jokes and forged general way everything he would have Editor’s Note: normally this space is invoices. Wisely, orthodox Shakespearean known if he were the Seventeenth Earl of reserved for commentary from your editor, but sometimes lightening strikes: “gee whizz, I couldn’t have said that better if I had written it myself!” Gregg Swann’s We now have in our We need only posit that internet parody of orthodox bardology, posted in its original format at Greg’s possession the long Shakespeare spent some Presence of Mind website, is such an hypothesized ‘lost particularly huge amount of time essay. works’ of Edward de researching Edward de Vere he enduring mystery of William Vere, Seventeenth Earl himself! This must be so, since Shakepeare has become a little less there is no other non-heretical Tmysterious.
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