Reflections on Spelling and the Shakespeare Authorship Question: 'What's in (the Spelling of) a Name?'

Abstract

What’s in a name? Perhaps, as Juliet recognized, not much (see Romeo and Juliet, act 2, sc. 2).

This essay, published on the Shakespeare Oxford Fellowship Website on August 9, 2018, argues that the differences in spelling between “Shakspere,” “Shakespeare,” and their variants do not in themselves provide the strongest argument for doubt about the authorship of the works of "William Shakespeare" (the likely pseudonym of Edward de Vere, 17th Earl of Oxford, 1550-1604), conventionally said to be written by William Shakspere of Stratford-upon-Avon (1564-1616). While the late Oxfordian scholar Peter Moore (one of our best) went too far in calling it a “zero argument,” this essay does agree with Moore—and to some extent with David Kathman, a Stratfordian scholar—that many non-Stratfordians have placed too much emphasis on spelling issues.

But, as this essay seeks to show, the spelling issues do in fact raise very significant and interesting questions as part of the broader Shakespeare Authorship Question (SAQ).

The spelling issues add to the evidence indicating early doubts about the identity of the author “Shakespeare,” the subject of Professor Wildenthal's 2017 conference presentation and 2019 book, "Early Shakespeare Authorship Doubts." A modified version of this essay constitutes Part III.A of the book.

Free excerpts of the manuscript of the book (though not including Part III) have been separately posted on SSRN, as TJSL Research Paper No. 3007393 (originally posted July 26, 2017). Just type in the usual "SSRN abstract" URL equal-sign 3007393. Any scholars wishing to review the final version of Part III, or any other portions of the book, are welcome to contact me to request a copy of those portions.

Keywords: Shakespeare authorship question, SAQ, Edward de Vere, Earl of Oxford, Shakspere, Stratford, Peter Moore, David Kathman, spelling, early authorship doubts

JEL Classification: K39