Name: Is Shakespeare Dead?
SKU: 56512192
Price: 636.00 TWD
Availability: InStock
Author: Mark Twain
ISBN: 9781484002926

Type

Physical Book

Author

Mark Twain

Publisher

Createspace

Language

English

Pages

Format

Paperback

Dimensions

24.6x18.9x0.3 cm

Weight

0.13 kg.

ISBN13

9781484002926

Synopsis "Is Shakespeare Dead?"

Is Shakespeare Dead? is a short, semi-autobiographical work by American humorist Mark Twain. It explores the controversy over the authorship of the Shakespearean literary canon via satire, anecdote, and extensive quotation of contemporary authors on the subject. It was published in April 1909 by Harper & Brothers, twelve months before Mark Twain's death. The book attracted controversy for incorporating a chapter from The Shakespeare Problem Restated by George Greenwood without permission or proper credit, an oversight Twain blamed on the accidental omission of a footnote by the printer. The book has been described as "one of his least well received and most misunderstood works." Although she admits that Twain appears to have been sincere in his beliefs concerning Shakespeare, Karen Lystra argues that the essay reveals satirical intentions that went beyond the Shakespeare-Bacon controversy of the time. Though it is commonly assumed to be nothing more than a stale and embarrassing rehash of the Shakespeare-Bacon controversy, Twain was up to something more than flimsy literary criticism. He was using the debate over Shakespeare's real identity to satirize prejudice, intolerance, and self-importance-in himself as well as others.... But after his passionate diatribe against the "Stratfordolators" and his vigorous support of the Baconians, he cheerfully admits that both sides are built on inference. Leaving no doubt about his satirical intent, Twain then gleefully subverts his entire argument. After seeming to be a serious, even angry, combatant, he denies that he intended to convince anyone that Shakespeare was not the real author of his works. "It would grieve me to know that any one could think so injuriously of me, so uncomplimentarily, so unadmiringly of me," he writes mockingly. "Would I be so soft as that, after having known the human race familiarly for nearly seventy-four years?" We get our beliefs at second hand, he explains, "we reason none of them out for ourselves. It is the way we are made." Twain has set a trap-an elaborate joke at the expense of what he scornfully refers to as the "Reasoning Race." He is satirizing the need to win an argument when it is virtually impossible to convince anyone to change sides in almost any debate. His excessive rhetoric of attack is obviously absurd-calling the other side "thugs," for example-yet it has been taken at face value.

Mark Twain

(Author)

View Author's Page

Mark Twain, pseudonym of Samuel Langhorne Clemens, was born in 1835 in Missouri and is considered one of the great geniuses of American literature. Author of classics such as “The Adventures of Tom Sawyer” and “The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn”, Twain revolutionized narrative with his humor, social criticism, and approachable style. His works, set on the Mississippi River, explore themes such as freedom, childhood, and justice. Recognized worldwide, Twain received numerous awards and his legacy continues to inspire readers of all ages, connecting generations through unforgettable stories.

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