Review: Is Shakespeare Dead?

Is Shakespeare Dead? by Mark Twain
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

"Is Shakespeare Dead?" is a book best read in context. It was written by Mark Twain in the heyday of the Baconian theories, and in that it perhaps tells us more about Twain and his age than it does about Shakespeare.

Before I even consider the actual content, I must say that it is a delight to read. Twain is witty, the prose is well-composed and the argument flows well. It is short, but in that length Mark Twain justifies his position as a celebrated author through carefully chosen phrases and motifs. It is entertaining to read, and it would be even if the content was not interesting.

And the content is interesting. The Baconian theory that Shakespeare didn't write his plays is explored in a very focused way, through the assertion that Shakespeare did not have the skills and professional training to have written his plays the way he did. Does Twain succeed in his argumentation? Not entirely, no. There are still doubts to be raised, questions to be asked, and more recent works have refuted some of his assertions quite significantly. So, if you're looking to better understand the Shakespeare-Bacon question, perhaps you would be served through more modern essays and books.

At the same time, the book reflects Twain so well. He picks and draws incidents and ideas, explores them vigorously, and it makes you feel positively thrilled. It shows us how someone of his age might have been thinking, it includes bits and pieces from other eminent individuals of his time and, overall, is a good way to examine the history of the debate rather than the debate itself.

If you're interested in the niche history of the Shakespeare-Bacon debate, or if you're looking for an engaging, slightly humorous essay, or even if you're looking to fill an evening understanding Twain better, this book is for you. It is definitely not for everyone. It is very specific in what it does, and very specific people will enjoy it. Yet, that is true for a multitude of works of literature and art, and thus is not the finest complaint.

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