And how dare anyone suggest that a working class-boy couldn't be a genius? So in that part of the Shakespeare story I'd bought into. Because, really, I believed in the myth of the grammar school boy, that somehow there was this natural-born genius who created this work of art. And so the chasm of doubt began to open up from that small crack? Yeah, absolutely. And in that, it said there was the same stage direction, or the recording of Ann Boleyn's coronation was the same as the stage direction, in Shakespeare's Henry the Eighth. And there was a reference in one book to the Tower notebook. And I wandered into a bookshop in Stratford and went to the Shakespeare section - partly as a kind of relief from the stress - and just start pulling books off the shelf and looking in the index for references to Henry the Eighth. And what got you interested in the Shakespeare authorship question? I was directing Henry the Eighth as part of the Complete Works season at Stratford in 2006, and we had a point during the tech where something had to be sorted out. I did the Winter's Tale in Karachi in Pakistan in Urdu, and I've worked with Shakespeare in English, places like the Royal Shakespeare Company and beyond. So in Nepali working with actors from Nepal. I'm here with Gregory Thompson, a theatre director, and you've taken Shakespeare all over the world, haven't you, Greg? I have, yes. Whether undertaken as a standalone course, or as preparation for the University of London BA in English, this course will be food for thought. Those of you already interested in the Shakespeare authorship question will be encouraged to question your own assumptions in fruitful ways. Through forensic exploration of key texts, you will learn why Shakespeare’s authorship is questioned, and what evidence is cited on both sides of the debate.įor those of you interested in exploring the works of Shakespeare from a new angle, or just wanting to hone your analytical thinking skills, this course offers an introduction to a fascinating area of interest. Using doubt about Shakespeare’s authorship as our playground, we will explore the key concept of authorship attribution, while developing skills in literary analysis, interpretation, and argument. This free course from the University of London explores critical thinking, and the interpretation of texts, through the Shakespeare authorship question.

My Only One by Gregory M. Thompson