The Shakespeare Claimants: A Critical Survey of the Four Principal Theories concerning the Authorship of the Shakespearean Plays

Dated and Slanted

Perhaps the most dangerous critique of an idea or theory is one that gives the impression of being fair-minded and objective, but is actually not at all. The parallels between Oxford's life and the content of the plays and poems are staggering, yet Gibson chooses two silly non-examples from Colonel M. Douglas' 1952 book, "Lord Oxford and the Shakespeare Group," to dismiss all. Douglas does indeed stretch the imagination to suppose that because de Vere had relatives with certain names, and these names appear in Shakespeare, that de Vere must be the author. But Gibson dismisses all Oxfordian scholarship with these ludicrous examples, not mentioning the scores of fascinating connections between the life of de Vere and the works of Shakespeare. All in all, this book is dated and slanted. If you're open minded and really want to explore the question, google Hank Whittemore's 100 reasons Shake-Speare was the Earl of Oxford. Read more