A semi-autobiographical work by American author and humourist Mark Twain, in which he questions the identity of the Elizabethan poet and playwright who has enchanted humanity for the past four centuries and has become an icon of western culture. In a detailed research and with a detective-like examination of the historical and literary evidence, Twain challenges the established view of Shakespeare as being a self-taught genius whose sublime skills had earned him eternal fame.
The book is written in the familiar, humorous style that had earned the author his international celebrity and endeared him to the general public.
For the curious reader this work promises to be not only an enormous source of knowledge and joy, but also a compelling challenge to their prejudice and an amusing exercise of open-mindedness.
The Shakespeare Authorship Question is a long-standingcontroversy that has engaged many prominent people such as Ralph Waldo Emerson, Henry James, Sigmund Freud and Walt Whitman, who were puzzled by the baffling gap between the bare facts of William Shakespeare's life and his vast literary production, which not only exhibits magnificent poetic skills but also reflects an extensive knowledge of languages, law, history and literature.
Although the thesis of an alternative author for the renowned works has been rejected by academic establishment and is generally regarded as a 'conspiracy theory', it still appeals to many people from different walks of life, and it will probably continue to challenge traditional scholarship.
Mark Twain's Is Shakespeare Dead is a very informative and comprehensive introduction to this fascinating issue.
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