The Fugitive Shakespeare and Sonnet 144

Charles Murray Willis

• Publisher: Austin Macauley Publishers
• Year: 2024
• Topic: History
• eBook ISBN:
  9781035822362
• Subtopic: World History
• Index: History

THE FUGITIVE SHAKESPEARE AND SONNET 144 The discovery of a 16th century manuscript version of Shakespeare's Sonnet 144 is the most important historical and literary find ever made relating to Shakespearean studies. The date of composition of this manuscript indicates ca.1577-78 when William Shakspere (the original spelling of his family name) was aged between 13-14 which would suggest that he couldn't have written this Sonnet because he was too young. The story behind this discovery and how the document was found is as astonishing as how the document has managed to survive for over 400 years. The connection in this story between Shakespeare and the famous playwright Ben Jonson is also explored as it was Jonson who provided the most important evidence that Shakespeare was the author of the First Folio which was published in 1623. "At last, after more than four hundred years there is a glimmer of light at the end of the tunnel, a significant Shakespearean clue has been discovered which may help to solve the Shakespeare authorship question." – Sir Derek Jacobi, award-winning Shakespearean actor.

Table of contents

• Cover Page
• Title Page
• About the Author
• Dedication
• Copyright Information ©
• Acknowledgement
• Illustrations
• Foreword by Sir Derek Jacobi
• Introduction
• Chapter 1
• Chapter 2 The Evidence that Puttenham Was Alive Between ca. 1590–1610 and Living the Life of a Fugitive
• Chapter 3 Indication that Puttenham Was Living After 1590
• Chapter 4 George Puttenham’s Family Background
• Chapter 5 George Puttenham’s Education and Family Conflicts
• Chapter 6 Puttenham and Shakespeare’s Sonnets
• Chapter 7 Puttenham’s Legal Knowledge and References to Law in the Sonnets
• Chapter 8 The Partheniades Poems 1580–81
• Chapter 9 Queen Elizabeth’s Justification Document for The Execution Of Mary, Queen Of Scots 1587
• Chapter 10 Hamlet, George Puttenham and Sir James Dyer
• Chapter 11 King Lear and George Puttenham
• Chapter 12
• Chapter 13 Puttenham’s Book Collection
• Chapter 14 How the Prince ought to entreat the state of nobility in general.
• Appendix I George Puttenham
• Appendix II The Families of Puttenham and Putnam
• Appendix III Chronology of Puttenham’s Life
• Appendix IV Chronology of Ben Jonson ’s Life
• Appendix V
• Reviews
• Reviews
• Reviews
• Bibliography