Shakespeare, Co-Author by Brian Vickers
No issue in Shakespeare studies is more important than determining what he wrote. For over two centuries scholars have discussed the evidence that Shakespeare worked with co-authors on several plays, and have used a variety of methods to differentiate their contributions from his. In this wide-ranging study, Brian Vickers takes up and extends these discussions, presenting compelling evidence that Shakespeare wrote Titus Andronicus together with George Peele, Timon of Athens with Thomas Middleton, Pericles with George Wilkins, and Henry VIII and The Two Noble Kinsmen with John Fletcher. In Part One Vickers reviews the standard processes of co-authorship as they can be reconstructed from documents connected with the Elizabethan stage, and shows that every major, and most minor dramatists in the Elizabethan, Jacobean, and Caroline theatres collaborated in getting plays written and staged. This is combined with a survey of the types of methodology used since the early nineteenth century to identify co-authorship, and a critical evaluation of some 'stylometric' techniques. Part Two is devoted to detailed analyses of the five collaborative plays, discussing every significant case made for and against Shakespeare's co-authorship. Synthesizing two centuries of discussion, Vickers reveals a solidly based scholarly tradition, building on and extending previous work, identifying the co-authors' contributions in increasing detail. The range and quantity of close verbal analysis brought together in Shakespeare, Co-Author present a compelling case to counter those 'conservators' of Shakespeare who maintain that he is the sole author of his plays.
Those who enjoy reading literary mysteries, should purchase this book to explore its insightful explanations* Anna Faktorovich, Pensylvania Literary Journal *
Vickers provides a marvelous review of standard Elizabethan stage practices ... The intelligence and marvelous erudition of this fine book are complemented by a fine and clear prose style ... This rich monograph is a pleasure to read and ponder, from beginning to end. * The Virginia Quarterly Review *
Brian 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 . . . Vickers's book also gives a good sense of the opposing forces in the co-authorship debate. * The New York Times *
... a major re-examination not just of the collaborative plays but of multiple authorship in Renaissance drama generally. Historical as well as critical, [Vickers's] survey exposes the ignorance of many a modern editor and commentator ... His book is a major event - and at a very fair price. * English Studies *
Vickers provides a marvelous review of standard Elizabethan stage practices ... The intelligence and marvelous erudition of this fine book are complemented by a fine and clear prose style ... This rich monograph is a pleasure to read and ponder, from beginning to end. * The Virginia Quarterly Review *
Brian 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 . . . Vickers's book also gives a good sense of the opposing forces in the co-authorship debate. * The New York Times *
... a major re-examination not just of the collaborative plays but of multiple authorship in Renaissance drama generally. Historical as well as critical, [Vickers's] survey exposes the ignorance of many a modern editor and commentator ... His book is a major event - and at a very fair price. * English Studies *
Brian J.Vickers (PhD, Southern Baptist Theological Seminary) is an assistant editor of the Southern Baptist Journal of Theology and a professor of New Testament interpretation and biblical theology at the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary. He is actively interested in short-term mission missions and international teaching. He is also a member of the Institute for Biblical Research and the Evangelical Theological Society.
| SKU | Unavailable |
| ISBN 13 | 9780199269167 |
| ISBN 10 | 0199269165 |
| Title | Shakespeare, Co-Author |
| Author | Brian Vickers |
| Condition | Unavailable |
| Binding Type | Paperback |
| Publisher | Oxford University Press |
| Year published | 2004-01-08 |
| Number of pages | 580 |
| Cover note | Book picture is for illustrative purposes only, actual binding, cover or edition may vary. |
| Note | Unavailable |