The Claim That Shakespeare Was Not the True Author

Some feminist historians are making a bold assertion about William Shakespeare’s authorship. They argue that he did not, in fact, write the renowned plays and sonnets attributed to him. Instead, they identify a black Jewish woman as the true author.

In her recently released book, The Real Shakespeare: Emilia Bassano Willoughby, Eileen Coslett claims that Emilia Bassano is the actual person behind Shakespeare’s works. Bassano was a prominent poet during the Tudor era, and Coslett contends that the man from Stratford-upon-Avon was merely an “uneducated interloper” who appropriated her writings.

“If Shakespeare were a woman of color, perhaps there would be more emphasis on issues like peace and justice,” Coslett stated. “What does it mean when women play critical roles in history but are marginalized or erased from the mainstream narrative?”

Coslett has described Shakespeare as a “semi-illiterate moneylender” who lacked the skill to produce such literary masterpieces. She points out that Bassano had Jewish and Moorish heritage and family connections to Venice.

Bassano had a close relationship with Henry Carey, who served as Lord Chamberlain under Elizabeth I and was a patron of the Lord Chamberlain’s Men Theater Company. The book suggests that a portrait of Bassano may have been altered to lighten her complexion in order to conform to the beauty standards of the Elizabethan period.

Coslett has acknowledged that concrete evidence of how Shakespeare could have plagiarized Bassano’s work is lacking, stating that it is “reasonable to think” he might have exploited her situation.

However, this theory has met with skepticism from Shakespeare scholars. For instance, Kate McCluskey, who directs the Shakespeare Institute at the University of Birmingham, described the evidence as “entirely circumstantial” and lacking any documentary support. She stated it is “a beautiful story that is completely false.”

This isn’t the first time such an idea has surfaced. Scholar John Hudson initially proposed a similar theory back in 2008. Additionally, novelist Jody Pickult makes a comparable argument in her 2024 book, By Any Other Name.

Throughout Shakespeare’s lifetime, his talent was widely recognized; even his rival Ben Jonson called him “an eternal genius.”