Shakespeare identified as main author of Edward III play

Summarised from 2 outlets · Updated 19 Oct, 00:31 · Archive

Computer analysis confirms Shakespeare was the principal author of the play Edward III, first published anonymously in 1596.

Computer textual analysis has concluded that William Shakespeare was the principal author of Edward III, a history play published anonymously in 1596. The research also identifies Christopher Marlowe as a major collaborator, marking an unexpected discovery of collaboration between Shakespeare and his contemporary rival.

Scholars had long believed Shakespeare wrote at least a few scenes of the play, but the new computerised analysis, using multiple linguistic methods, suggests he was the main author. Researchers broke the play into segments and compared them with securely attributed works by ten professional playwrights active from the late 1580s to the mid-1590s, examining features including word frequency and spacing between terms within sentences.

Dr Rory Loughnane, a reader in early modern studies at the University of Kent, told the Guardian that the findings are 'beyond any reasonable doubt'. 'Both Shakespeare, now confirmed beyond doubt, and Marlowe, unexpectedly found for the first time, are present in the play,' he said. 'It has massive implications for our understanding of the relationship between the two most important dramatists of this period. This changes both the Shakespeare canon and the Marlowe canon.' Brett Greatley-Hirsch, a professor of renaissance literature at the University of Leeds, collaborated on the study.

How it is being reported

• New research suggests Edward III was 'beyond any reasonable doubt' written by William ShakespeareGroundbreaking new research has revealed, "beyond any reasonable doubt", that the history play Edward III was written by William Shakespeare. In a further bombshell, the play, first published without an author's name in 1596, was also co-written by Shakespeare's great contemporary and rival, Christopher Marlowe. While historians long agreed Shakespeare wrote at least a few scenes for the play, new computerised textual analysis suggested the Stratford-born playwright was the principal writer, with Marlowe as a major collaborator. Literary scholars said the new research has "massive…GB News · 19 Oct, 00:13
• Scholars conclude ‘beyond doubt’ that Shakespeare was main author of Edward IIIExclusive: Play anonymously published in 1596 was collaboration between Shakespeare and Christopher Marlowe, according to computer analysis Dramatic new evidence concludes that the play Edward III should be added to William Shakespeare’s canon, and also that it was a major collaboration with his contemporary rival Christopher Marlowe. The history was published anonymously in 1596, and it has long been thought that Shakespeare wrote at least a few scenes. However, Dr Rory Loughnane, a leading scholar and co-author of the research, told the Guardian that computerised textual analysis pushed…The Guardian · 18 Oct, 16:00

In this story: William Shakespeare · Christopher Marlowe · Dr Rory Loughnane · Brett Greatley-Hirsch · University of Kent · University of Leeds · Stratford

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