Samuel Blumenfeld on the Shakespeare Hoax, part 1

Samuel Blumenfeld, author of The Marlowe-Shakespeare Connection: A New Study of the Authorship Question (McFarland 2008), interviewed by a Harvard undergrad in Cambridge, MA, on May 14, 2009. In this segment, Blumenfeld briefly discusses why playwright Christopher Marlowe is the most likely candidate to have authored the Shakespeare works, and why William Shakespeare himself is a weak candidate. Blumenfeld references Diana Price's excellent 2001 text, Shakespeare's Unorthodox Biography: New Evidence of an Authorship Problem.

For part 2 of this interview, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XnpnXFnV2Sk

Samuel Blumenfeld, a World War II veteran of the Italian campaign, has authored more than ten books. He is a former editor in the New York book publishing industry and has lectured widely. His writings have appeared in such diverse publications as Esquire, Reason, Education Digest, Vital Speeches of the Day, Boston, and many others.

For more on the Marlowe-as-Shakespeare theory, go to:
http://www.marlowe-shakespeare.blogspot.com
and
http://www.marloweshakespeare.org/

For a raving review of Mike Rubbo's PBS/Frontline film Much Ado About Something, which explores the Marlowe-as-Shakespeare theory, this from Salon.com: http://dir.salon.com/story/ent/feature/2002/03/02/shakespeare/index.html

For a clip from the film, with recent comments by the filmmaker: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OsJTbWF1-lg

Daryl Pinksen's website: http://marlowesghost.com/

Some notable Shakespeare doubters: Charles Dickens, Mark Twain, Ralph Waldo Emerson, Henry James, John Galsworthy, Charlie Chaplin, Orson Welles, John Gielgud, Derek Jacobi - see http://www.doubtaboutwill.org/

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[JackintheGreen89]

I enjoyed all five parts of the interview; Marlowe is the most intriguing candidate - he was a spy and a highly successful playwright. He certainly knew a thing or two about intrigue, so I could totally see him pulling this conspiracy off.

[MSCblogspot]

The International Marlowe-Shakespeare Society (IMSS) and the Marlowe-Shakespeare Connection blog are great resources. Btw, anyone who says Marlowe's style differs from Shakespeare's probably hasn't done his homework/read much of Marlowe. The IMSS has a great section on what the scholars say about the similarities between the two.

[Almuric7]

I am starting to agree, before the supposed (universally agreed to be strange) death of Christopher Marlowe, he was the greatest, after Marlowe "died" Shakespeare appears also a master of the same Blank Verse & immediately takes over as the greatest. Add to that Shakespeare's effigy as a grain dealer/merchant (as attested by two different artists of the era) & the fact he left no literature in his will, penny pinched about everything BUT "his" plays & had no college IQ & no literary links??

[Vakinar]

Samuel Blumenfeld's book is great, finished last week, very compelling. A good book to read. My favorite conspiracy theory, in fact, the only one I consider plausible.

[libertyconspiracy]

Sam mentioned the genius of Marlowe. Sam himself is a genius. His scholarship and insight on this subject is rivaled only by his knowledge of the dangers of government involvement in education. Go get 'em, Sam!

[LunaRosa6]

I enjoyed these videos. Thanks.

[ChristineA67]

Shakespeare doubters: let's all "digg" this clip and spread the word!