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READING PASSAGE 2
Who wrote Shakespeare’s plays?
Experts suggest ‘Shakespeare’ may have been a
pseudonym – a pen-name – for another writer.
Robert Matthews investigates
A
Even today, almost 400 years after his death, the works
of William Shakespeare have lost none of their appeal, nor have questions about
the source of his genius. Is it credible that an ordinary man from
Stratford-upon-Avon could have produced such extraordinary drama? Some argue
that Shakespeare’s brilliance is no more suspicious than Einstein’s discovery
of relativity. Others insist that a man with limited schooling could not have
written such sophisticated works. They believe “Shakespeare” may have been a
pen-name used by someone with far superior qualifications. After centuries of
debate, researchers are now turning to scientific methods to resolve the
controversy. One promising method analyses literary “fingerprints,” a field
called stylometry, allowing scientists to compare writing styles with
impressive accuracy.
B
The roots of these scientific techniques go back to 1851,
when the mathematician Augustus de Morgan proposed that authorship might be
revealed through analysing the frequency of word lengths. His idea attracted
American physicist Thomas Mendenhall, who used it to study Shakespeare’s works.
Mendenhall believed that by identifying stylistic patterns, one could determine
whether the plays were actually written by someone else.
C
By the 1790s, philosopher Sir Francis Bacon was being
suggested as the true author of Shakespeare’s plays. Although Bacon’s
motivation for hiding his authorship remains uncertain, Mendenhall’s studies
appeared to support this theory. However, his results from 1901 were soon
criticised. Scholars argued his approach was unreliable, as literary style
could vary across genres, subjects, and even different periods of an author’s
life. In short, Mendenhall’s famous “literary fingerprint” did not conclusively
prove that Shakespeare and Bacon wrote differently.
D
A major new area of investigation now focuses on
Shakespeare's relationship with other dramatists. Traditional methods relied on
analysis of metaphors or themes, but such features can be influenced by
cultural fashion. Modern stylometry is far more technical, examining tiny
details such as the frequency of particular letters, words, or punctuation
marks. Today’s high-powered computers allow researchers to analyse thousands of
linguistic features within seconds. With pattern-recognition software, experts
can now identify a “fingerprint” for each author with remarkable precision.
E
Yet even with modern tools, one puzzle persists:
Shakespeare’s genius seems too extraordinary for someone with so little formal
education. In 1996, scholar Ward Elliott and mathematician Robert Valenza
tested Shakespeare’s works against 30 proposed “rival authors.” After analysing
more than 50 stylistic characteristics, they found that none of the rivals
matched Shakespeare’s profile. However, some researchers argue that these
results merely show Shakespeare was “too important” to be an ordinary person.
F
Elliott and Valenza’s work produced another surprising
result. Some early plays—especially Henry VI and Titus Andronicus—appear
to contain stylistic traces of Christopher Marlowe, a brilliant contemporary of
Shakespeare who was born in the same year. According to Dr Thomas Merriam, one
of Britain’s leading stylometry experts, this supports the traditional belief
that Marlowe influenced Shakespeare’s early writing. Some studies even suggest
that Marlowe may have contributed directly to a few early works.
G
Despite these advances, many scholars remain cautious.
“If the texts have been edited, amended, or shortened over the centuries, the
stylistic record becomes unreliable,” warns Dr Markus Dahl of the University of
London. Even so, recent studies tend to support the long-held belief that
Shakespeare refined his craft continually, becoming a more skilful writer as he
grew older.
QUESTIONS 14–19
Which paragraph contains the following information?
Write the correct letter A–G.
- Uncertainty
about whether an author would wish to remain anonymous
- Reference
to the continuing popularity of Shakespeare’s work
- Reasons
why a particular researcher’s approach was unsatisfactory
- The
time when stylometry was first proposed
- Support
for the opinion that Shakespeare became more skilful as he got older
- A
similarity between Shakespeare and a scientist known for exceptional
ability
QUESTIONS 20–22
Complete the summary below.
Choose ONE WORD ONLY from the passage for each answer.
Stylometry
A key controversy concerns Shakespeare’s relationship
with other writers. It has always been uncertain whether he worked in 20
__________ with others. To investigate this, early analysts focused on
stylistic features such as metaphor choice, although these could be influenced
by cultural factors.
Modern stylometry became possible due to the invention of
powerful 21 __________, which can identify many linguistic patterns. By
combining stylometric methods with pattern-recognition systems, a reliable 22
__________ of an author can be established.
QUESTIONS 23–26
Match each statement with the correct person, A–E.
Write the correct letter, A–E.
List of People
A. Thomas Mendenhall
B. Ward Elliott and Robert Valenza
C. Professor Kate McCluskey
D. Dr Thomas Merriam
E. Dr Markus Dahl
- People
search for a more distinguished author because they doubt a normal person
could write brilliant plays.
- It
should be possible to recognise writers by counting letters in the words
they use.
- Shakespeare’s
works may have been altered over the years, making analysis difficult.
- Shakespeare’s
style differs from that of authors proposed as alternatives.
EXACT ANSWERS FROM THE IMAGE
-
C
-
A
-
C
-
B
-
G
-
A
-
collaboration
-
computers
-
fingerprint
-
C
-
A
-
E
-
B
