Changes

Shakespeare was a [[conservative]] then, and even more so by today's standards. His play ''[[The Taming of the Shrew]]'' is anti-[[feminist]] and censored from some schools today for that reason.  Major conservative themes in his works include the sacred nature of the family in [[King Lear]], the recognition of God in his plays and personal life, the existence of necessary war in ''[[The Famous Life of King Henry V]]'', and the exposed injustice of taxation in [[Coriolanus]]. Not surprisingly, modern [[liberal]] literary critics often ignore these themes because of their place on the modern political spectrum.  Shakespeare's hilarious jokes were often at the expense of the [[liberal]] base, such as his following quip  by Dick the Butcher in Shakespeare's ''Henry VI'': "The first thing we do, let's kill all the lawyers."<ref>Part II, act IV, Scene II, Line 73.</ref>  Shakespeare was [[politically incorrect]].

Shakespeare was a [[conservative]] then, and even more so by today's standards. His play ''[[The Taming of the Shrew]]'' is anti-[[feminist]] and censored from some schools today for that reason.  Major conservative themes in his works include the sacred nature of the family in [[King Lear]], the recognition of God in his plays and personal life, the existence of necessary war in ''[[The Famous Life of King Henry V]]'', and the exposed injustice of taxation in [[Coriolanus]]. Not surprisingly, modern [[liberal]] literary critics often ignore these themes because of their place on the modern political spectrum.  Shakespeare's hilarious jokes were often at the expense of the [[liberal]] base, such as his following quip  by Dick the Butcher in Shakespeare's ''Henry VI'': "The first thing we do, let's kill all the lawyers."<ref>Part II, act IV, Scene II, Line 73.</ref>  Shakespeare was [[politically incorrect]].

The "First Folio," which is the first edition of 36 plays of Shakespeare from more than 400 years ago, of which about 220 survived (only about 20 of which are in private ownership) from the printing of 750 copies, sold at an auction in July 2022 for about $2.5 million.<ref>https://www.theguardian.com/culture/2022/jul/22/shakespeare-first-folio-sells-for-2m-at-auction</ref>  The only portrait purportedly of him while alive went on sale for more than $11 million in [[London]] in 2022, amid doubts about its authenticity.<ref>https://www.theguardian.com/culture/2022/nov/16/shakespeare-portrait-said-to-be-only-one-made-in-his-lifetime-on-sale-for-10m</ref> A revered icon of traditional [[British]] culture, Shakespeare receives 20 full pages of detailed explanation and commentary in the entry about him in the ''[[Encyclopedia Britannica]]'' - far more than nearly any other historical figure.  Shakespeare is considered [[Britain]]'s greatest author, and is credited with coining more than 1,500 words and expressions still used today.<ref>https://www.discoverwalks.com/blog/london/top-10-most-popular-british-writers/</ref>

The "First Folio," which is the first edition of 36 plays of Shakespeare from more than 400 years ago, of which about 220 survived (only about 20 of which are in private ownership) from the printing of 750 copies, sold at an auction in July 2022 for about $2.5 million.<ref>https://www.theguardian.com/culture/2022/jul/22/shakespeare-first-folio-sells-for-2m-at-auction</ref>  The only portrait purportedly of him while alive went on sale for more than $11 million in [[London]] in 2022, amid doubts about its authenticity.<ref>https://www.theguardian.com/culture/2022/nov/16/shakespeare-portrait-said-to-be-only-one-made-in-his-lifetime-on-sale-for-10m</ref> A revered icon of traditional [[British]] culture, Shakespeare receives 20 full pages of detailed explanation and commentary in the entry about him in the ''[[Encyclopedia Britannica]]'' - far more than nearly any other historical figure.  Shakespeare is considered [[Britain]]'s greatest author, and is credited with coining more than 1,500 words and expressions still used today.<ref>https://www.discoverwalks.com/blog/london/top-10-most-popular-british-writers/</ref> Familiar expressions used today that were first coined by Shakespeare include "elbow-room"<ref>King John, Act 5, Scene 7 [https://nosweatshakespeare.com/quotes/famous/elbow-room/#:~:text='Elbow%20room'%20is%20a%20phrase,and%20function%20in%20some%20enterprise]</ref> and "catching a cold."<ref>"Once Shakespeare came up with this phrase, he used it in everything from Troilus and Cressida to King Lear to Cymbeline." [https://www.shmoop.com/shakespeare-quotes/catch-a-cold/meaning-then.html#:~:text=Shakespeare%20introduced%20this%20idea%20of,to%20King%20Lear%20to%20Cymbeline.]</ref>

== Works ==

== Works ==

Shakespeare wrote 17 comedies, 10 tragedies, 10 historical plays, 154 love [[sonnet]]s, and several other works of non-dramatic poetry.<ref>[https://www.bardweb.net/plays/timeline.html Chronology of Shakespeare's plays].</ref> All his plays are freely available on the internet.<ref>[http://www-tech.mit.edu/Shakespeare/ Shakespeare]</ref>  Shakespeare developed first as a poet and then, when his acting career was ended by the [[Plague]] temporarily closing theaters in [[London]], he turned to writing plays.<ref>https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poems-and-poets/poets/detail/william-shakespeare</ref>

Shakespeare wrote 17 comedies, 10 tragedies, 10 historical plays, 154 love [[sonnet]]s, and several other works of non-dramatic poetry.<ref>[https://www.bardweb.net/plays/timeline.html Chronology of Shakespeare's plays].</ref> All his plays are freely available on the internet.<ref>[http://www-tech.mit.edu/Shakespeare/ Shakespeare]</ref>  Shakespeare developed first as a poet and then, when his acting career was ended by the [[Plague]] temporarily closing theaters in [[London]], he turned to writing plays.<ref>https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poems-and-poets/poets/detail/william-shakespeare</ref>

Shakespeare spent his early years in Stratford-upon-Avon, [[Warwickshire]], and is also known as "the Bard of Avon." Because of sharing the name "Stratford," the towns of Stratford, Ontario, in Canada and Stratford, Connecticut, have become the homes of Shakespeare festivals where his plays are performed on a regular basis.

Shakespeare spent his early years in Stratford-upon-Avon, [[Warwickshire]], and is also known as "the Bard of Avon." Because of sharing the name "Stratford," the towns of Stratford, Ontario, in Canada and Stratford, Connecticut, have become the homes of Shakespeare festivals where his plays are performed on a regular basis.

Shakespeare did not become famous until late in his life and few details are known about his early life. Although no attendance records remain, it is believed that he attended Stratford-Upon-Avon Grammar School, where he would have received a sound education in the Latin and Greek classics, reflected in many of his plays. The social class from which he came could be described as wealthy tradesmen. His father, John Shakespeare, was a glove-maker who became mayor of Stratford-upon-Avon despite almost certainly being a Roman Catholic (in the early part of the reign of Elizabeth I, penalties against Catholics were light and often not imposed). His mother, Mary Arden, the daughter of a farmer, was certainly Catholic. William Shakepeare himself knew many of the Warwickshire Catholic gentry who later led the Gunpowder Plot to overthrow King James VI. Shakespeare himself did not adhere publicly to the Roman religion and it is not known if, like many Catholics, he practised it in private.<ref>''In Search of Shakespeare'', by Michael Wood. BBC Books, 2003.</ref> There are few pictures of him but his near-contemporary as a playwright, Ben Jonson, stated that the famous engraving by Martin Droeshout, shown on this page, was a good likeness.

Shakespeare did not become famous until late in his life and few details are known about his early life. Although no attendance records remain, it is believed that he attended Stratford-Upon-Avon Grammar School, where he would have received a sound education in the Latin and Greek classics, reflected in many of his plays. The social class from which he came could be described as wealthy tradesmen. His father, John Shakespeare, was a glove-maker who became mayor of Stratford-upon-Avon despite almost certainly being a Roman Catholic (in the early part of the reign of Elizabeth I, penalties against Catholics were light and often not imposed). His mother, Mary Arden, the daughter of a farmer, was certainly Catholic. William Shakespeare himself knew many of the Warwickshire Catholic gentry who later led the Gunpowder Plot to overthrow King James VI. Shakespeare himself did not adhere publicly to the Roman religion and it is not known if, like many Catholics, he practiced it in private.<ref>''In Search of Shakespeare'', by Michael Wood. BBC Books, 2003.</ref> There are few pictures of him but his near-contemporary as a playwright, Ben Jonson, stated that the famous engraving by Martin Droeshout, shown on this page, was a good likeness.

To his contemporaries, Shakespeare was not well-educated, and his coming among them and making a success was upsetting to the University-educated playwrights of the time.  It is believed that the poet, Philip Green, was referring to Shakespeare when he wrote

To his contemporaries, Shakespeare was not well-educated, and his coming among them and making a success was upsetting to the University-educated playwrights of the time.  It is believed that the poet, Philip Green, was referring to Shakespeare when he wrote

Shakespeare used "31,534 different words. 14,376 words appeared only once and 846 were used more than 100 times."<ref name="Words">https://kottke.org/10/04/how-many-words-did-shakespeare-know</ref>  While the average English speaker knows between only 10,000 and 20,000 words, it is estimated based on a statistical extrapolation that Shakespeare knew 66,534 words.<ref name="Words"/>

Shakespeare used "31,534 different words. 14,376 words appeared only once and 846 were used more than 100 times."<ref name="Words">https://kottke.org/10/04/how-many-words-did-shakespeare-know</ref>  While the average English speaker knows between only 10,000 and 20,000 words, it is estimated based on a statistical extrapolation that Shakespeare knew 66,534 words.<ref name="Words"/>

His plays show so much erudition that theories have arisen that those works were written by someone else. Famous candidates include [[Christopher Marlowe]], the [[Oxfordian|Earl of Oxford]] and Sir [[Francis Bacon]]. Most scholars reject these theories, but there are enough questions that new theories of Shakespearean authorship continue to arise.

His plays show so much erudition that theories have arisen that those works were written by someone else. Famous candidates include [[Christopher Marlowe]], the [[Oxfordian|Earl of Oxford]], and Sir [[Francis Bacon]]. Most scholars reject these theories, but there are enough questions that new theories of Shakespearean authorship continue to arise.

A long-standing theatrical [[superstition]] holds that it is bad luck to refer to ''Macbeth'' directly by its name while inside a theater, and accordingly, actors traditionally refer to it obliquely as "the Scottish play." It is considered acceptable to voice the play's name only while rehearsing or performing the production itself.

A long-standing theatrical [[superstition]] holds that it is bad luck to refer to ''Macbeth'' directly by its name while inside a theater, and accordingly, actors traditionally refer to it obliquely as "the Scottish play." It is considered acceptable to voice the play's name only while rehearsing or performing the production itself.

*[[infinity]] - viewed with disdain by intellectuals since [[ancient Greece]], except for [[Jesus]], Shakespeare promoted the concept with success

*[[infinity]] - viewed with disdain by intellectuals since [[ancient Greece]], except for [[Jesus]], Shakespeare promoted the concept with success

*“hoist with his own petard” - Act III, Scene IV of ''[[Hamlet]]''

*“hoist with his own petard” - Act III, Scene IV of ''[[Hamlet]]''

*"politics makes for strange bedfellows" - adapted from ''[[The Tempest]]'' (“Misery acquaints a man with strange bedfellows")<ref>Charles Dudley Warner, a 19th century writer and friend of [[Mark Twain]], is credited with the adaptation of the quote to its modern political sense. [https://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/charles_dudley_warner_379741]</ref>

*"politics makes for strange bedfellows" - adapted from ''[[The Tempest]]'' (“Misery acquaints a man with strange bedfellows")<ref>Charles Dudley Warner, a 19th-century writer and friend of [[Mark Twain]], is credited with the adaptation of the quote to its modern political sense. [https://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/charles_dudley_warner_379741]</ref>

*"[[Gilded Age]]" - adapted from ''[[King John]]'' (1595) (“To gild refined gold, to paint the lily ... is wasteful and ridiculous excess.”)

*"[[Gilded Age]]" - adapted from ''[[King John]]'' (1595) (“To gild refined gold, to paint the lily ... is wasteful and ridiculous excess.”)

*“What the dickens?” - Shakespeare’s ''[[The Merry Wives of Windsor]]''.  

*“What the dickens?” - Shakespeare’s ''[[The Merry Wives of Windsor]]''.  

Many of the story lines for Shakespeare's works were based on prior works.  But three of Shakespeare's plays were completely original in their plots: ''Love's Labour's Lost'', ''A Midsummer Night's Dream'', and ''The Tempest''.

Many of the storylines for Shakespeare's works were based on prior works.  But three of Shakespeare's plays were completely original in their plots: ''Love's Labour's Lost'', ''A Midsummer Night's Dream'', and ''The Tempest''.

===Quotes Original to Shakespeare===

===Quotes Original to Shakespeare===

Several writers who knew Shakespeare, including Ben Jonson, attest to his authorship in the ''First Folio'', a collection of his plays published in 1623. There is no indication that this claim was controversial, either at the time or for another 200 years.<ref>Shapiro, James, ''[https://books.google.ca/books/about/Contested_Will.html?id=4j4UqFnb4AoC Contested Will: Who Wrote Shakespeare?]'' (2011)</ref>  

Several writers who knew Shakespeare, including Ben Jonson, attest to his authorship in the ''First Folio'', a collection of his plays published in 1623. There is no indication that this claim was controversial, either at the time or for another 200 years.<ref>Shapiro, James, ''[https://books.google.ca/books/about/Contested_Will.html?id=4j4UqFnb4AoC Contested Will: Who Wrote Shakespeare?]'' (2011)</ref>  

Although researchers discovered Shakespeare's will and several other personal documents, popular biographies published in the early 19th century stressed the contrast between Shakespeare's fame and how little biographical information was known.<ref>McCarter, Jeremy, "[http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9406E6DB113EF931A35756C0A9669D8B63 A Question of Authorship]", ''New York Times, May 2, 2010</ref> Alternative theories of authorship concerning Homer and the Gospels also emerged at around this time. In 1857, American author Delia Bacon wrote a book arguing that Shakespeare was a fraud and that the real author of his work was Sir Francis Bacon (no relation). This book kicked off the "Shakespeare authorship controversy," which continues to this day. Various late 19th century figures took up Bacon's cause, including Ignatius Donnelly, Mark Twain, Sigmund Freud, and Helen Keller.

Although researchers discovered Shakespeare's will and several other personal documents, popular biographies published in the early 19th century stressed the contrast between Shakespeare's fame and how little biographical information was known.<ref>McCarter, Jeremy, "[http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9406E6DB113EF931A35756C0A9669D8B63 A Question of Authorship]", ''New York Times, May 2, 2010</ref> Alternative theories of authorship concerning Homer and the Gospels also emerged at around this time. In 1857, American author Delia Bacon wrote a book arguing that Shakespeare was a fraud and that the real author of his work was Sir Francis Bacon (no relation). This book kicked off the "Shakespeare authorship controversy," which continues to this day. Various late 19th-century figures took up Bacon's cause, including Ignatius Donnelly, Mark Twain, Sigmund Freud, and Helen Keller.

In 1895, a book by Wilbur G. Zeigler argued that English playwright [[Christopher Marlowe]] was the author of Shakespeare's plays.<ref>Zeigler, Wilbur G., ''It Was Marlowe'' (1895)</ref> While Marlowe's style is closer to Shakespeare's than that of other suggested candidates,<ref>Shakespeare's ''Henry VI'' is written in a style similar to that of Marlowe's, so the two authors may have collaborated. See "[http://www.jstor.org/stable/30200393?&Search=yes&searchText=Marlowe&searchText=Christopher&list=hide&searchUri=%2Faction%2FdoBasicSearch%3FQuery%3DChristopher%2BMarlowe%26fromHomePage%3Dtrue%26acc%3Don%26wc%3Don%26fc%3Doff&prevSearch=&item=1&ttl=5330&returnArticleService=showFullText&seq=1#page_scan_tab_contents Tamburlaine Stalks ''Henry VI'']" by Thomas Merriam.</ref> he died in 1593 when Shakespeare's writing career was just beginning.<ref>Marlowe worked as an intelligence agent for Thomas Walsingham, Queen Elizabeth's spymaster. Walsingham may have had Marlowe murdered for fear that his involvement with atheism would make both of them notorious.[https://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/3647398/Who-killed-Christopher-Marlowe.html] The murderer was later pardoned by the queen. See the [http://marlowe-shakespeare.blogspot.com/ The Marlowe-Shakespeare Connection] for various wildly implausible faked death theories.</ref> In 1920, English author J. Thomas Looney suggested that the Earl of Oxford wrote the plays. Looney argued that Oxford's travels in Europe and aristocratic life at the English court made him a more plausible author than an untitled glover's son. Since the 1920s, Looney's theory has been dominate among Shakespeare skeptics.<ref>[http://oxford-shakespeare.com/ The Oxford Authorship Site]</ref>

In 1895, a book by Wilbur G. Zeigler argued that English playwright [[Christopher Marlowe]] was the author of Shakespeare's plays.<ref>Zeigler, Wilbur G., ''It Was Marlowe'' (1895)</ref> While Marlowe's style is closer to Shakespeare's than that of other suggested candidates,<ref>Shakespeare's ''Henry VI'' is written in a style similar to that of Marlowe's, so the two authors may have collaborated. See "[http://www.jstor.org/stable/30200393?&Search=yes&searchText=Marlowe&searchText=Christopher&list=hide&searchUri=%2Faction%2FdoBasicSearch%3FQuery%3DChristopher%2BMarlowe%26fromHomePage%3Dtrue%26acc%3Don%26wc%3Don%26fc%3Doff&prevSearch=&item=1&ttl=5330&returnArticleService=showFullText&seq=1#page_scan_tab_contents Tamburlaine Stalks ''Henry VI'']" by Thomas Merriam.</ref> he died in 1593 when Shakespeare's writing career was just beginning.<ref>Marlowe worked as an intelligence agent for Thomas Walsingham, Queen Elizabeth's spymaster. Walsingham may have had Marlowe murdered for fear that his involvement with atheism would make both of them notorious.[https://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/3647398/Who-killed-Christopher-Marlowe.html] The murderer was later pardoned by the queen. See the [http://marlowe-shakespeare.blogspot.com/ The Marlowe-Shakespeare Connection] for various wildly implausible faked death theories.</ref> In 1920, English author J. Thomas Looney suggested that the Earl of Oxford wrote the plays. Looney argued that Oxford's travels in Europe and aristocratic life at the English court made him a more plausible author than an untitled glover's son. Since the 1920s, Looney's theory has been dominant among Shakespeare skeptics.<ref>[http://oxford-shakespeare.com/ The Oxford Authorship Site]</ref>

In 1996, computer style analysis at the Shakespeare Clinic at Claremont College in California compared Shakespeare's writing to that of a corpus of twenty-six Elizabethan authors, including Bacon, Marlowe and Oxford. Ten style criteria were used to test the corpus, including use of relative clauses and the use of hyphenated compound words. Shakespeare's writing was found have a style distinct from that of every other author in the study. The authors were ranked according to how similar their styles were to that of Shakespeare. Oxford scored 22nd of the 26 claimants.<ref>Ward Elliott and Robert Valenza, "[http://shakespeareauthorship.com/elval.html Was the Earl of Oxford the true Shakespeare? A Computer-aided analysis]" (1991)<br/>

In 1996, computer-style analysis at the Shakespeare Clinic at Claremont College in California compared Shakespeare's writing to that of a corpus of twenty-six Elizabethan authors, including Bacon, Marlowe and Oxford. Ten style criteria were used to test the corpus, including the use of relative clauses and the use of hyphenated compound words. Shakespeare's writing was found to have a style distinct from that of every other author in the study. The authors were ranked according to how similar their styles were to that of Shakespeare. Oxford scored 22nd of the 26 claimants.<ref>Ward Elliott and Robert Valenza, "[http://shakespeareauthorship.com/elval.html Was the Earl of Oxford the true Shakespeare? A Computer-aided analysis]" (1991)<br/>

Elliott and Valenza, "[http://eric.ed.gov/?id=EJ571023 And Then There Were None: Winnowing the Shakespeare Claimants]", ''Computers and the Humanities'', v30 n3 p191-245 1996. For a summary, see [http://www.shakespeareauthorship.com/ox6.html here].<br/>Elliott and Valenza, "[https://www.academia.edu/612631/Oxford_by_the_Numbers_What_Are_the_Odds_That_the_Earl_of_Oxford_Could_Have_Written_Shakespeares_Poems_and_Plays Oxford by the Numbers: What Are the Odds That the Earl of Oxford Could Have Written Shakespeare's Poems and Plays?]. (2004) "The odds that either could have written the other’s work are much lower than the odds of getting hit by lightning."</ref>

Elliott and Valenza, "[http://eric.ed.gov/?id=EJ571023 And Then There Were None: Winnowing the Shakespeare Claimants]", ''Computers and the Humanities'', v30 n3 p191-245 1996. For a summary, see [http://www.shakespeareauthorship.com/ox6.html here].<br/>Elliott and Valenza, "[https://www.academia.edu/612631/Oxford_by_the_Numbers_What_Are_the_Odds_That_the_Earl_of_Oxford_Could_Have_Written_Shakespeares_Poems_and_Plays Oxford by the Numbers: What Are the Odds That the Earl of Oxford Could Have Written Shakespeare's Poems and Plays?]. (2004) "The odds that either could have written the other’s work are much lower than the odds of getting hit by lightning."</ref>

Despite the overwhelming evidence against the theory of Oxfordian authorship, a majority of the [[U.S. Supreme Court]]—including Justices [[Antonin Scalia]], [[John Paul Stevens]], [[Lewis Powell]], [[Sandra Day O'Connor]], and [[Harry Blackmun]]—apparently all believed that the Earl of Oxford was the true author of [[Shakespeare]]'s works rather than the commoner from Stratford.<ref>http://shakespeareoxfordfellowship.org/end-of-an-oxfordian-era-on-the-supreme-court/</ref>  Justice Scalia cited Shakespeare far more than any other Supreme Court Justice, according to one study.<ref>Scott Dodson & Ami Dodson, “Literary Justice,” 18 Green Bag 2d 429 (2015), cited by Professor Bryan H. Wildenthal, "End of an Oxfordian Era on the Supreme Court?

Despite the overwhelming evidence against the theory of Oxfordian authorship, a majority of the [[U.S. Supreme Court]]—including Justices [[Antonin Scalia]], [[John Paul Stevens]], [[Lewis Powell]], [[Sandra Day O'Connor]], and [[Harry Blackmun]]—apparently all believed that the Earl of Oxford was the true author of [[Shakespeare]]'s works rather than the commoner from Stratford.<ref>http://shakespeareoxfordfellowship.org/end-of-an-oxfordian-era-on-the-supreme-court/</ref>  Justice Scalia cited Shakespeare far more than any other Supreme Court Justice, according to one study.<ref>Scott Dodson & Ami Dodson, “Literary Justice,” 18 Green Bag 2d 429 (2015), cited by Professor Bryan H. Wildenthal, "End of an Oxfordian Era on the Supreme Court?

Remembering Justice Antonin Scalia (1936-2016)" (linked in prior footnote).</ref>

Remembering Justice Antonin Scalia (1936-2016)" (linked in a prior footnote).</ref>

== Sonnet controversy ==

== Sonnet controversy ==

Shakespeare wrote 154 love sonnets between the 1590s and perhaps 1605, and early versions of his sonnets 128 and 144 were published in 1599 as part of poetry entitled ''The Passionate Pilgrim''.  His love sonnet 18 is his most famous.

Shakespeare wrote 154 love sonnets between the 1590s and perhaps 1605, and early versions of his sonnets 128 and 144 were published in 1599 as part of poetry entitled ''The Passionate Pilgrim''.  His Love Sonnet 18 is his most famous.

Because some of these love sonnets are about male beauty, critics have suggested that Shakespeare was gay or bisexual.  But Stanley Wells writes, in ''Looking for Sex in Shakespeare'', that more recent, liberal commentators have possibly allowed their ideology to influence their understanding.<ref> Cambridge University Press, 2008, pp.8–9.</ref> Love sonnet 20 appears to condemn [[homosexuality]] by asking whether the narrator, presumably a man, has fallen in love with someone who was originally a woman turned into a man by nature, which implies that [[homosexuality]] is an aberrant form of [[sexuality]].

Because some of these love sonnets are about male beauty, critics have suggested that Shakespeare was gay or bisexual.  But Stanley Wells writes, in ''Looking for Sex in Shakespeare'', that more recent, liberal commentators have possibly allowed their ideology to influence their understanding.<ref> Cambridge University Press, 2008, pp.8–9.</ref> Love Sonnet 20 appears to condemn [[homosexuality]] by asking whether the narrator, presumably a man, has fallen in love with someone who was originally a woman turned into a man by nature, which implies that [[homosexuality]] is an aberrant form of [[sexuality]].

Many of Shakespeare's sonnets are tributes to male beauty, but the narrator could have been a woman, or the love sonnets could be fantasies about a woman in love with Shakespeare.  Many refer to a "Fair Lord" or "Fair Youth," who scholars assume is the same person as "Mr W.H.", to whom the sonnets are dedicated. That there are very few exclusive female pronouns in these sonnets has led liberal critics to believe that Shakespeare was gay.

Many of Shakespeare's sonnets are tributes to male beauty, but the narrator could have been a woman, or the love sonnets could be fantasies about a woman in love with Shakespeare.  Many refer to a "Fair Lord" or "Fair Youth," who scholars assume is the same person as "Mr W.H.", to whom the sonnets are dedicated. That there are very few exclusive female pronouns in these sonnets has led liberal critics to believe that Shakespeare was gay.

Some feel that Shakespeare is overhyped, and debunk several of the claims that praise his work.<ref>https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/magazines/panache/from-coining-1k-words-to-poor-latin-5-myths-about-shakespeares-contribution-to-english/articleshow/93939383.cms?from=mdr</ref>  The elite were critical of how little Shakespeare made use of [[Latin]] phases, and the absence of any of the [[Greek]] language in his works.

Some feel that Shakespeare is overhyped, and debunk several of the claims that praise his work.<ref>https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/magazines/panache/from-coining-1k-words-to-poor-latin-5-myths-about-shakespeares-contribution-to-english/articleshow/93939383.cms?from=mdr</ref>  The elite were critical of how little Shakespeare made use of [[Latin]] phases, and the absence of any of the [[Greek]] language in his works.

Many of the names of Shakespeare's plays and word usage are 7 letters or less, such that studying his work is not the best way to expand one's vocabulary.  Shakespeare's somewhat primitive word choice could be attributable what works best in theater, or to Shakespeare's own humble background.  Many of the words supposedly invented by Shakespeare consist of word alterations for the stage, which could then have been considered slightly improper English in written form.

Many of the names of Shakespeare's plays and word usage are 7 letters or less, such that studying his work is not the best way to expand one's vocabulary.  Shakespeare's somewhat primitive word choice could be attributable to what works best in theater, or to Shakespeare's own humble background.  Many of the words supposedly invented by Shakespeare consist of word alterations for the stage, which could then have been considered slightly improper English in written form.

== Cancel culture ==

== Cancel culture ==