The Shakespeare Authorship Question: Much Ado About Who Wrote the Plays: Quick Facts

Written and fact-checked by

The Information Architects of Encyclopaedia Britannica

Photos and Videos

William Shakespeare

Portrait known as the Corpus Christi Portrait, believed to depict Christopher Marlowe, showing a young man with light skin, brown hair, and a dark patterned coat, dated 1585.

A Midsummer Night's Dream Act III, scene 1: Nick Bottom's transformation

Examine the First Folio Edition of William Shakespeare's Plays and Consider Its Allure for Collectors and Scholars

See All Videos and Images →

Topics

dramatic literature author Harry Potter and the Much-Anticipated Return tragedy Why is Romeo and Juliet so popular?Romeo and Juliet So Popular?What Was the Feud Between Mary McCarthy and Lillian Hellman?List of Day Jobs of Famous Writers comedy 10 Angry Young Men byline The Time a Law Clerk Successfully Forged a New Shakespeare Play to Impress His Dad Today in History—March 11: A Raisin in the Sun Makes Theatrical History