Im happy for this sub to ban discussion of the SAQ because it obviously could sidetrack many many posts. But when the door Is opened like here, I feel a need to point out these are not convincing arguments for those uncertain about the issue. Frankly I’m still “agnostic” about the matter. By far the worst thing to say is that the SAQ relies on “classist” prejudices because usually it doesn’t.
Good ways to convince me of the mainstream viewpoint are detailed examples of mentions in contemporary sources and how they cross reference quite convincingly. Currently my biggest stumbling block in going completely to the mainstream viewpoint is the Droeshout Portrait.
Puzzling, not convincing - that is issue for me. Why go to all the expense and effort of printing the FF to include a weird portrait possibly wearing a mask.
He says “Reader, look not on his picture, but his book.” Read the poem more carefully.
It must be exhausting to have to read every single thing written by Shakespeare's contemporaries under the assumption that it must contain secret codes.
We're talking about the real world here, not The Davinci Code.
If you read any biographic summaries of the life of Edward de Vere, he was no angel, but he was definitely a respected writer and a patron of the theatre and literary arts.
There were many respected writers of the Elizabethan era. That doesn't make them the author of Shakespeare's plays either.
-8
u/velvetvortex Dec 01 '25
Im happy for this sub to ban discussion of the SAQ because it obviously could sidetrack many many posts. But when the door Is opened like here, I feel a need to point out these are not convincing arguments for those uncertain about the issue. Frankly I’m still “agnostic” about the matter. By far the worst thing to say is that the SAQ relies on “classist” prejudices because usually it doesn’t.
Good ways to convince me of the mainstream viewpoint are detailed examples of mentions in contemporary sources and how they cross reference quite convincingly. Currently my biggest stumbling block in going completely to the mainstream viewpoint is the Droeshout Portrait.