Finding Shakespeare from an Historical Perspective - An Authorship 101 Presentation by Tom Townsend

Our true Shakespeare: who was this person? Clearly someone with superior intelligence, a person immensely well educated and one phenomenally literate. An incomparable genius to be sure, but even geniuses need exposure to the subjects they are proficient in. Those who support the Stratford man as the true author cannot explain how he learned about law, about Italy, about so many subjects not taught in 16th century schools. They maintain their traditional conjectures with dubious evidence and minimal historical data. Thanks to computers and databases, however, new data is becoming available all the time meaning that the history of this period is still not yet completely known.

This updated ‘Authorship 101’ presentation is based on recent historical data and seeks to demonstrate that the name “Shakespeare” was in fact a pseudonym used by Edward de Vere, the 17th Earl of Oxford. It explains why he was unable to use his own name on the plays, poems, and sonnets. Tom shows how de Vere’s education -- by excellent tutors such as Sir Thomas Smith, Laurence Nowell, and Arthur Golding – along with his indispensably critical father-in-law, William Cecil, exerted a powerful influence on his entire life.

For 35 years Tom Townsend has been researching Elizabethan history and the Shakespeare
Authorship Question. He has presented at past SOF Conferences as well as for several general
audiences in the Seattle area. He was previously Director of Consumer Insights for a large
advertising agency. He holds a master’s degree from Case Western Reserve University in
Cleveland.

Learn more at https://shakespeareoxfordfellowship.org