[Northkeep] Anonymous

[Jennifer Carlson]

The movie follows one of the many theories about the "true" author of Shakespeare's works: that it was Edward de Vere, the Earl of Oxford.  Some theories also claim he was Elizabeth I's illegitimate son.
 
There are more theories about who wrote Shakespeare's plays than there are about who really shot Kennedy, or what really happened to John Wilkes Booth.  Some people just can't swallow the idea of an uneducated actor being the voice of his age, so they come up with all sorts of things.  The de Vere theory is most popular, but my favorite is that the plays were written by a Jewish woman who had a post in the court bureaucracy, and that the "Dark Lady of the Sonnets" was based upon herself, and that Shylock's great soliloquy came from the heart.  There is also a cool theory that "Shakespeare" was a brand name, like Martha Stewart or V.C. Andrews, in that there was a real person by that name, but the works were a collaborative effort, kind of like the writing teams that produce most TV scripts these days.
 
But, there's no reason why they couldn't have been written (and in my opinion, probably were) by Willy himself.  Yes, even he says he had "little Latin and less Greek" and we know from the historical records that he had only a rudimentary education, but in an era where few read, there is more emphasis on the spoken word and just because he wasn't a litterati like de Vere doesn't mean he wasn't erudite, and poets come from every strata of society.
 
It's going to be gorgeous, fun, and it's chock-full of major actors like Derek Jacoby and Vanessa Redgrave, who is playing Elizabeth I instead of Mary of Scots this time.  What's got my curiosity up is that it's directed by Roland Emmerich, best known for "Independence Day," "The Day After Tomorrow," "Universal Soldier" and "Godzilla."  Now, the the reign of Elizabeth was not without its mayhem and chaos, but I'm curious to see what he does with it.  Apparently part of the film covers the Essex rebellion.
 
In servicio,
 
Talana
Major Shakespeare geek