The question over whether or not the works of William Shakespeare were ‘plagiarised’ has been a long standing debate in academia. The following paper examines some of the main scholarly accounts of Shakespeare’s alleged plagiarism in terms of validity and the potential consequences of such claims. The following discussion focuses on five sources that discuss plagiarism and the works of Shakespeare.
Thomas, Max W. “Eschewing Credit: Heywood, Shakespeare, and Plagiarism before Copyright.”
In his article, Thomas examines plagiarism ‘before copyright’ and places a particular emphasis on plagiarism before the formal laws of copyright through reference to William Shakespeare. In relation to Shakespeare’s works Thomas notes the problems in transposing the idea, concept and remit of plagiarism as understood in today’s society against the practices of the past. In relation to Shakespeare, Thomas notes that under today’s copyright laws, William Jaggard through virtue of his work ‘owned;’ the copyright that was later attributed as a work of Shakespeare.
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Berek, Peter. “The” Upstart Crow,” Aesop’s Crow, and Shakespeare as a Reviser
In a similar article, Berek focuses on the fact that William Shakespeare began his career as a reviser of plays and thus was well embedded in the literary establishment. Berek’s article focuses on Greene’s Groatsworth of Wit, bought with a million of Repentan both the potential opportunity for plagiarism coupled with the claims of plagiarism made against William Shakespeare. The article thus focuses on the claim made by Greene that the opportunity of plagiarism, and actual plagiarism, was embedded into the work of Shakespeare who attributes the work ‘Shake’ as a implicit reference to the wide spread plagiarism.
Austin, Warren B. “A Supposed Contemporary Allusion to Shakespeare as a Plagiarist.”
Am now less then contemporary scholarly perspective that deals with Shakespeare as a plagiarist is the article by Austin, which is based around the idea that Shakespeare’s ‘re-handled’ earlier texts that became apparent in his later work. The article is developed from the fact that during the time, Shakespeare was familiar with current works by virtue of his position within the literary establishment. Thus the argument is based on the opportunity to appropriate others work coupled with the difference in intellectual property at the time.
Rose, Mark. “Pragmatic plagiarism: Authorship, profit, and power.”
The book by Rose explores the pragmatic issues concerning Shakespeare particularly regarding profit and power within the literary community at the time. The focus is the way in which Arthur Brooke’s Romeus and Juliet is duplicated by Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliette. The point made by Rose is that the problem with authorship and copyright become intertwined in any discussion on Shakespeare and thus fall into the problematic argument concerning the true origins and rights that flow from copyright ownership. In particular, the problematic nature of the idea-expression paradigm in intellectual property: between the legitimate appropriation and subsequent development of ‘ideas’ verse the illegitimate copying of another’s works.
Lemay, Eric. “Star-Crossed Something-or-Others.”
The final source used is Lemay’s “Star-Crossed Something-or-Others” which implicitly discusses the role of plagiarism in Shakespeare’s work through the medium of the class room. Similarly to the previous articles, a large portion of Lemay’s article is based on how the work of William Shakespeare would by contemporary standards be considered as plagiarised work. Of particular note is the reference Lemay makes to previous works, such as Arthur Brooke’s Romeus and Juliet. As a primary source that identifies clear plagiarism (by contemporary standards at least) in Romeo and Juliette. What is particularly useful about the article in question is the way in which plagiarism and authorship is treated as a relative term which in any discussion on the alleged plagiarism committed by Shakespeare, is paramount.
- Thomas, Max W. “Eschewing Credit: Heywood, Shakespeare, and Plagiarism before Copyright.” New Literary History 31.2 (2000): 277-293.
- Berek, Peter. “The” Upstart Crow,” Aesop’s Crow, and Shakespeare as a Reviser.” Shakespeare Quarterly (1984): 205-207.
- Austin, Warren B. “A Supposed Contemporary Allusion to Shakespeare as a Plagiarist.” Shakespeare Quarterly 6.4 (1955): 373-380.
- Rose, Mark. “Pragmatic plagiarism: Authorship, profit, and power.” Comparative Literature 54.3 (2002): 270-272.
- Lemay, Eric. “Star-Crossed Something-or-Others.” Harvard Review (2007): 17-29.
