Project Gutenberg 2000-12-01 Public domain in the USA. 350 Twain, Mark 1835 1910 Clemens, Samuel Langhorne Twain, Mark (Samuel Clemens) Is Shakespeare Dead? From My Autobiography Transcribed from the 1909 Harper & Brothers edition by David Price. Proofing by Alan Ross, Ana Charlton and David "Is Shakespeare Dead?" by Mark Twain is a reflective and satirical treatise on the authorship of Shakespeare’s works, written during the early 20th century. In this work, Twain grapples with long-standing debates over who truly wrote the plays attributed to Shakespeare, questioning the historical record and delving into the inconsistencies surrounding the poet's life. The narrative combines Twain's autobiographical anecdotes with a sharp critique of literary pretensions and the human tendency to believe in grand claims without substantial evidence. The opening of the book introduces Twain's perspective on the elusive nature of historical truths, particularly regarding Shakespeare. He shares recollections of discussions with a passionate pilot named Ealer, who held firm beliefs about Shakespeare's authorship, which Twain initially supported. However, as the dialogue progresses, Twain's skepticism grows, leading him to adopt a more nuanced stance. He reflects on the contradictions in Shakespeare's background and the scant evidence of his literary genius, positing that the legendary figure may not have penned such profound works. This mix of humor and critique sets the stage for Twain's examination of the broader implications of literary legends and the nature of belief itself. (This is an automatically generated summary.) Reading ease score: 64.2 (8th & 9th grade). Neither easy nor difficult to read. en Shakespeare, William, 1564-1616 -- Authorship -- Baconian theory PR Text Category: Humour Category: Essays, Letters & Speeches Category: American Literature 156539 2025-07-01T12:53:49.413918 text/html 154796 2008-07-07T17:57:36 text/html 58313 2008-07-07T17:59:55 text/html application/zip 128523 2025-07-01T12:53:53.681836 application/epub+zip 129007 2025-07-01T12:53:50.987864 application/epub+zip 129006 2025-07-01T12:53:49.972835 application/epub+zip 263034 2025-07-01T12:53:55.773885 application/x-mobipocket-ebook 245344 2025-07-01T12:53:53.088897 application/x-mobipocket-ebook 225971 2022-09-02T04:03:31.946174 application/x-mobipocket-ebook 146379 2025-07-01T12:53:49.111837 text/plain; charset=us-ascii 146128 2008-07-07T17:59:55 text/plain; charset=us-ascii 56495 2008-07-07T17:59:55 text/plain; charset=us-ascii application/zip 18477 2025-07-01T12:53:55.896835 application/rdf+xml 14442 2025-07-01T12:53:50.456834 image/jpeg 3681 2025-07-01T12:53:50.213839 image/jpeg 126766 2025-07-01T12:53:49.427835 application/octet-stream application/zip Archives containing the RDF files for *all* our books can be downloaded at https://book.klll.cc/wiki/Gutenberg:Feeds#The_Complete_Project_Gutenberg_Catalog en.wikipedia