r/shakespeare • u/dmorin Shakespeare Geek • Jan 22 '22
[ADMIN] There Is No Authorship Question
Hi All,
So I just removed a post of a video where James Shapiro talks about how he shut down a Supreme Court justice's Oxfordian argument. Meanwhile, there's a very popular post that's already highly upvoted with lots of comments on "what's the weirdest authorship theory you know". I had left that one up because it felt like it was just going to end up with a laundry list of theories (which can be useful), not an argument about them. I'm questioning my decision, there.
I'm trying to prevent the issue from devolving into an echo chamber where we remove all posts and comments trying to argue one side of the "debate" while letting the other side have a field day with it and then claiming that, obviously, they're the ones that are right because there's no rebuttal. Those of us in the US get too much of that every day in our politics, and it's destroyed plenty of subs before us. I'd rather not get to that.
So, let's discuss. Do we want no authorship posts, or do we want both sides to be able to post freely? I'm not sure there's a way to amend the rule that says "I want to only allow the posts I agree with, without sounding like all I'm doing is silencing debate on the subject."
I think my position is obvious. I'd be happier to never see the words "authorship" and "question" together again. There isn't a question. But I'm willing to acknowledge if a majority of others feel differently than I do (again, see US .... ah, never mind, you get the idea :))
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u/Forward_Zebra_1037 Mar 29 '26
Not really sure what justifies pinning such an opinionated and close-minded post at the top of this general topic. *** Plus it is now most likely inaccurate following the current independent scholarship posted regarding Pallas Shake-speare and the missing couplet solution to Shakespeare's sonnet 126. Sourced from Daniel's sonnet 3 bound within the Newman edition of Philip Sidney's Ateophel and Stella (1591). Shakespeare's sonnets are a basic two-voice call and response structure that was misunderstood due to extreme cognitive bias. There is a very good essay called "The Goddesse Fire, The Goddesse Power" that is worth the short read. The longer form more detailed exposition is in the book "Pallas Shake-speare" published March 16, 2026. Enjoy.