Who was Edward de Vere, the 17th earl of Oxford?

Edward de Vere, the 17th earl of Oxford (1550–1604), was an English lyric poet and theatre patron. During his lifetime, he was known to have written some plays, though no examples are known to exist. Some believe de Vere was the primary author of Shakespeare’s plays. De Vere became the 17th earl of Oxford in 1562. He was a royal ward under William Cecil and later married Cecil’s daughter, Anne, in 1571. By the early 1580s, his financial situation was strained. In 1586, Queen Elizabeth granted him an annuity of £1,000. He was a patron of writers and maintained a company of actors. J. Thomas Looney argued that there was a biographical similarity between Oxford and both Bertram and Hamlet and that Oxford’s poems resembled Shakespeare’s early work.

What was Edward de Vere known for during his lifetime?

During his lifetime, Edward de Vere, the 17th Earl of Oxford, was known as an English lyric poet and theatre patron. There is evidence suggesting that Oxford wrote some plays, though no examples are known to exist today. Oxford was a patron of writers, and many books were dedicated to him, including those by Robert Greene and Anthony Munday. He maintained a company of actors called Oxford's Men from 1580. Additionally, he employed John Lyly, the author of Euphues , as his secretary for many years and gave him the lease of Blackfriars Theatre.

What kinds of poetry and plays did Edward de Vere write?

Edward de Vere, the 17th Earl of Oxford, was an English lyric poet and theatre patron. Although he was known to have written some plays, no examples are known to still exist. Twenty-three of his acknowledged poems were written in his youth. De Vere was also a patron of writers, and numerous books were dedicated to him. He employed John Lyly, the author of Euphues , as his secretary for many years and gave him the lease of Blackfriars Theatre.

Why do some people believe Edward de Vere wrote Shakespeare’s plays?

Some people believe Edward de Vere, the 17th Earl of Oxford , wrote Shakespeare's plays because similarities exist between Oxford's biography and characters in Shakespeare's works, such as Hamlet . Proponents of this theory also point out that Oxford's acknowledged poems, written in his youth, seemingly stopped just before Shakespeare's work began to appear. A hypothesis suggests Oxford used a pseudonym to shield his family from the social stigma of the stage and because of the political nature of the plays. However, a significant challenge to this theory is Oxford's death in 1604, as many of Shakespeare's most important plays were written after that date. Also, Shakespeare's contemporaries, including well-known writers like Ben Jonson , accepted him as the author of the plays.

What evidence is used to support the idea that Edward de Vere might be the real author behind Shakespeare's works?

The theory that Edward de Vere, the 17th Earl of Oxford , was the true author of Shakespeare's works emerged in the 20th century. Advocates of this theory suggest biographical parallels between Oxford and characters in Shakespeare's plays, such as Hamlet . Some propose Oxford's acknowledged poems, written in his youth, paved the way for Shakespeare's later works, with Oxford ceasing his poetry writing just before Shakespeare's work began to appear. It is also hypothesized that Oxford used a pseudonym to shield his family from social stigma or because of the political nature of the plays. However, the strongest challenge to this theory is that Oxford died in 1604, while many of Shakespeare's most important plays were written after that date.

How has Edward de Vere's literary reputation changed over time?

Edward de Vere, the 17th Earl of Oxford, was an English lyric poet and theatre patron. During his lifetime, he was known to have written some plays, though no examples are known to be extant. In the 20th century, Oxford emerged as a prominent candidate for the authorship of Shakespeare’s plays. J. Thomas Looney argued that Oxford's poems resembled Shakespeare's early work and drew biographical similarities between Oxford and characters in Shakespeare's plays. Proponents of this theory suggest that Oxford may have used a pseudonym to shield his family from social stigma. However, the theory faces challenges due to Oxford's death in 1604, as many of Shakespeare's major plays were written after that date. Despite the skepticism, the debate about his authorship remained lively into the 21st century.

Edward de Vere, 17th earl of Oxford

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Born:: April 12, 1550, Castle Hedingham, Essex, England

Died:: June 24, 1604, Newington, Middlesex (aged 54)

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Edward de Vere, 17th earl of Oxford

English poet and dramatist

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Who was Edward de Vere, the 17th earl of Oxford?
Edward de Vere, the 17th earl of Oxford (1550–1604), was an English lyric poet and theatre patron. During his lifetime, he was known to have written some plays, though no examples are known to exist. Some believe de Vere was the primary author of Shakespeare’s plays.

De Vere became the 17th earl of Oxford in 1562. He was a royal ward under William Cecil and later married Cecil’s daughter, Anne, in 1571. By the early 1580s, his financial situation was strained. In 1586, Queen Elizabeth granted him an annuity of £1,000. He was a patron of writers and maintained a company of actors. J. Thomas Looney argued that there was a biographical similarity between Oxford and both Bertram and Hamlet and that Oxford’s poems resembled Shakespeare’s early work.
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1. Vere Family
2. Edward de Vere, 17th earl of Oxford
Created from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles.
What was Edward de Vere known for during his lifetime?
During his lifetime, Edward de Vere, the 17th Earl of Oxford, was known as an English lyric poet and theatre patron. There is evidence suggesting that Oxford wrote some plays, though no examples are known to exist today.

Oxford was a patron of writers, and many books were dedicated to him, including those by Robert Greene and Anthony Munday. He maintained a company of actors called Oxford's Men from 1580. Additionally, he employed John Lyly, the author of Euphues, as his secretary for many years and gave him the lease of Blackfriars Theatre.
1 Britannica Source
1. Edward de Vere, 17th earl of Oxford
Created from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles.
What kinds of poetry and plays did Edward de Vere write?
Edward de Vere, the 17th Earl of Oxford, was an English lyric poet and theatre patron. Although he was known to have written some plays, no examples are known to still exist. Twenty-three of his acknowledged poems were written in his youth.

De Vere was also a patron of writers, and numerous books were dedicated to him. He employed John Lyly, the author of Euphues, as his secretary for many years and gave him the lease of Blackfriars Theatre.
2 Britannica Sources
1. William Shakespeare: Questions of authorship
2. Edward de Vere, 17th earl of Oxford
Created from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles.
Why do some people believe Edward de Vere wrote Shakespeare’s plays?
Some people believe Edward de Vere, the 17th Earl of Oxford, wrote Shakespeare's plays because similarities exist between Oxford's biography and characters in Shakespeare's works, such as Hamlet. Proponents of this theory also point out that Oxford's acknowledged poems, written in his youth, seemingly stopped just before Shakespeare's work began to appear.

A hypothesis suggests Oxford used a pseudonym to shield his family from the social stigma of the stage and because of the political nature of the plays.

However, a significant challenge to this theory is Oxford's death in 1604, as many of Shakespeare's most important plays were written after that date. Also, Shakespeare's contemporaries, including well-known writers like Ben Jonson, accepted him as the author of the plays.
3 Britannica Sources
Created from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles.
What evidence is used to support the idea that Edward de Vere might be the real author behind Shakespeare's works?
The theory that Edward de Vere, the 17th Earl of Oxford, was the true author of Shakespeare's works emerged in the 20th century.

Advocates of this theory suggest biographical parallels between Oxford and characters in Shakespeare's plays, such as Hamlet. Some propose Oxford's acknowledged poems, written in his youth, paved the way for Shakespeare's later works, with Oxford ceasing his poetry writing just before Shakespeare's work began to appear. It is also hypothesized that Oxford used a pseudonym to shield his family from social stigma or because of the political nature of the plays.

However, the strongest challenge to this theory is that Oxford died in 1604, while many of Shakespeare's most important plays were written after that date.
3 Britannica Sources
Created from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles.
How has Edward de Vere's literary reputation changed over time?
Edward de Vere, the 17th Earl of Oxford, was an English lyric poet and theatre patron. During his lifetime, he was known to have written some plays, though no examples are known to be extant.

In the 20th century, Oxford emerged as a prominent candidate for the authorship of Shakespeare’s plays. J. Thomas Looney argued that Oxford's poems resembled Shakespeare's early work and drew biographical similarities between Oxford and characters in Shakespeare's plays. Proponents of this theory suggest that Oxford may have used a pseudonym to shield his family from social stigma.

However, the theory faces challenges due to Oxford's death in 1604, as many of Shakespeare's major plays were written after that date. Despite the skepticism, the debate about his authorship remained lively into the 21st century.
3 Britannica Sources
Created from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles.

Edward de Vere, 17th earl of Oxford (born April 12, 1550, Castle Hedingham, Essex, England—died June 24, 1604, Newington, Middlesex) was an English lyric poet and theatre patron, who became, in the 20th century, the strongest candidate proposed (next to William Shakespeare himself) for the authorship of Shakespeare’s plays. Evidence exists that Oxford was known during his lifetime to have written some plays, though there are no known examples extant.

Succeeding to the earldom as a minor in 1562, Oxford lived for eight years as a royal ward under the care of William Cecil (later Lord Burghley) and in December 1571 married Burghley’s daughter, Anne Cecil. Along the way he studied with Arthur Golding (who translated Ovid’s Metamorphoses into English in the 1560s) and at Queens’ College and St. John’s College, Cambridge. By the early 1580s his financial position had become very straitened, perhaps chiefly through his lack of financial sense. His younger children were provided for by Burghley, with whom he remained friendly even after Anne’s death (June 1588) and his own remarriage in 1591 or 1592. In 1586 Queen Elizabeth granted him an annuity of £1,000.

He was never appointed to any important office or command, though he was named on the commissions of some noted trials of peers, including that of Mary, Queen of Scots, and was said to have been made a privy councilor by James I. It has therefore been suggested that the annuity may have been granted for his services in maintaining a company of actors (Oxford’s Men, from 1580) and that the obscurity of his later life is to be explained by his immersion in literary pursuits. He was indeed a notable patron of writers, and numerous books were dedicated to him, including ones by Robert Greene and Anthony Munday. He also employed John Lyly, the author of the novel Euphues, as his secretary for many years and gave the lease of Blackfriars Theatre to him.

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Although mentioned as part of the group-authorship theories of the mid-1800s, that Oxford might be the sole primary author of Shakespeare’s plays was first advanced in a major way in “Shakespeare” Identified in Edward de Vere, the Seventeenth Earl of Oxford (1920), a study by J. Thomas Looney. Looney argued that there was a biographical similarity between Oxford and both Bertram (in All’s Well That Ends Well) and Hamlet and that Oxford’s poems resembled Shakespeare’s early work. Oxford’s 23 acknowledged poems were written in youth, and, because he was born in 1550, Looney proposed that they were the prelude to his mature work and that this began in 1593 with Venus and Adonis. This theory is supported by the coincidence that Oxford’s poems apparently ceased just before Shakespeare’s work began to appear. A further hypothesis is that Oxford assumed a pseudonym due to the political nature of the plays and in order to protect his family from the social stigma attached to the stage; his extravagance had also brought him into disrepute at court. A major difficulty in the Oxfordian theory, however, is the date of his death (1604); according to the standard chronology, more than a dozen plays attributed in full or in part to Shakespeare were apparently written after that time, including many of the most important ones. This chronology was disputed by skeptics, however, and the debate remained lively into the 21st century.

This article was most recently revised and updated by Encyclopaedia Britannica.

Edward de Vere, 17th earl of Oxford

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