'Counterfeiting' Shakespeare: Evidence, Authorship and John Ford's Funerall Elegye [Hardcover]

Brian Vickers (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0521772435 | ISBN-13: 978-0521772433 | Publication Date: October 7, 2002

Brian Vickers addresses the fundamental issues of what Shakespeare actually wrote, and how this is determined. In recent years Shakespeare's authorship has been claimed for two poems, the lyric "Shall I die?" and A Funerall Elegye. These attributions have been accepted into certain major editions of Shakespeare's works. Through a new examination of the evidence, Professor Vickers shows that neither poem has the stylistic and imaginative qualities we associate with Shakespeare. He identifies the poet and dramatist John Ford as the actual author of the Elegye.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"The structure of Vickers's argument is indeed brilliant as it moves from refutation to confirmation. The innnovative historian of rhetoric displays how masterfully he can put the methodology of rhetorical persuasion to his own use. The book is thus a tour de force of considerable beauty. It is also a very useful guide for those wishing to do studies in attribution." Renaissance Quarterly

"[This book] is an impressive triumph of scholarship over marketing." New York Sun

"...an important book...persuasive..." Sixteenth Century Journal

"The book offers itself as a very convincing guide on how to conduct an attribution study, with Vickers, a major Rennaissance scholar and editor of Francis Bacon, drawing on his vast knowledge of early modern grammar, rhetoric, and culture. Recommended." Choice

"Vickers...has brought clarity to the old and hotly debated question of Shakespeare's work with co-authors. As a result changes will be made in some future editions of Shakespeare." New York Times Book Review

Book Description

Brian Vickers addresses the fundamental issues of what Shakespeare actually wrote, and how this is determined. In recent years Shakespeare's authorship has been claimed for two poems, the lyric 'Shall I die?' and A Funerall Elegye. These attributions have been accepted into certain major editions of Shakespeare's works. Through a fresh examination of the evidence, Professor Vickers shows that neither poem has the stylistic and imaginative qualities we associate with Shakespeare. He identifies the poet and dramatist John Ford as the actual author of the Elegye.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 596 pages
• Publisher: Cambridge University Press (October 7, 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0521772435
• ISBN-13: 978-0521772433
• Product Dimensions: 9.2 x 6.4 x 1.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.4 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #5,615,463 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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