Happy birthday, Shakespeare (Ed de Vere)

WJ Ray (wjray.net/shakespeare...); Dhr. Seven, Ashley Wells (eds.), Wisdom Quarterly

Edward de Vere, Welbeck portrait

For every reader of the First Folio, from Sir George Greenwood and W.W. Greg to Leah Marcus, the Droeshout portrait of "Shakespeare" has been an unsolved puzzle, symbolic of the disturbing mystery:

Who wrote the Shakespeare canon of plays?

Emerson considered this “the first of all literary questions.” Nor have we solved the riddle of the “To the Reader” on the facing page.

Without an understanding of these blatant challenges, the most knowledgeable follower of “Shakespeare” is kept from the author and how he lived, essential to appreciating any work of art. The key that turns the lock opens the door.

Secrets of the Droeshout Portrait in Shakespeare’s First Folio

The Droeshout portrait, frontispiece of the First Folio, was contrived as a collection of linguistic and visual puns to impart the name and title of the Shakespeare plays’ author, Edward de Vere, 17th Earl of Oxford.

The ulterior use of such puns — foreign language, typographical, numerical, and visual — are evident throughout the introductory materials.

Martin Droeshout portrait of  "Shakespeare"

Historically, the title page and facing poem have been taken at face value and the anomalies shrugged off.

Consensus belief, commercial promotion, and analytic neglect, perhaps intimidated by tradition, together perpetuated the original deception and gave it credibility by default. More

• Full essay with detailed illustrations and appendices: PDF
• VIDEO: "The Secret Evidence of Who Wrote the Shakespeare Canon" DVD from Willits Community TV Inc.