Last week I reported on plans to open the tomb of Fulke Greville at Saint Mary’s Church in Warwick. Some historians believe that Greville was the writer actually responsible for the works of Shakespeare and a main claimant in the authorship debate. It is believed that the tomb contains an original manuscript of Antony and Cleopatra – which would be the only original manuscript of a Shakespeare play in existence.
The archaeologists’ applications to examine the tomb have now been rejected by the Diocesan Advisory Committee because there is not enough evidence to warrant disturbing Greville’s tomb.
I’m sure that this news will spark discontent among the anti-Stratfordans – “another example of blocking research that could knock Shakespeare off his pedestal!”
However, I think it’s important to note that Greville designed his tomb himself – whatever he had buried with him was obviously not intended for public consumption, and perhaps we should respect that.
What do you think? How compelling should evidence be to disturb tombs … and should we take a peek inside Greville’s?
Comments
Lots of pressing reasons exist to open other graves (which is not an easy process). if the only existing original play was in the tomb, it would be nice to view it; but the speculation is not enough to warrant the intrusion.
I am not really bothered by the debate. if concrete evidence were discovered expsoing someone else wrote the plays and for whatever reason and wanted to be anonymous and labeled themsevles ‘Shakespeare’, then i could accept it. i think the debate is stirred by the little left of shakespeare (like the lack of any original plays) or even his own hand writing. it believe only 2 or 3 examples of Shakespeare’s handwriting exist and they are only his name (i may be incorrect – did not feel like looking it up). the most perplexing item about someone who has been so momental to literature is the writings could have been lost if not for the effort of 2 men who gathered the first collection some time after shakespeare’s death. i could not remember or locate the information i had heard about them. while it is probable shakespeare would have been remembered, it is striking those 2 men began the effort through which so much is attempted to be discovered -
I am in favour of opening Greville’s tomb. I am sure that he wouldn’t mind after over 400 years. On the other hand, if he did write Shakespeare, he obviously wasn’t bothered to let it be known during his lifetime. Although I ardently believe the man from Stratford DID NOT write the plays attributed to him, perhaps we should honor Greville’s wish and let sleeping bones lie.
I say we open the tomb. Even if there isn’t a copy of Anthony and Cleopatra in there, it still might be valuable information that could be gleaned from the contents.
I am a 10 year old that loves and admiers shakespeare
Sure dig it up, and find nothing! How many times has that been done; but just keep digging.Then dig up all the graves of the 16th & 17th century England royalty, et al. Where will it end? Pursuit of knowledge? Pursuit of nonsense!
Perhaps the debate of Shakespeare’s authorship is a necessary artifice since it sparks the imagination, sparks interest in reading the plays, and generally encourages scholarship. Perhaps the unknown is better for all of us! The longer people debate the works of Shakespeare, the longer people are exposed to great literature- say NO to exhuming Greenville!
What exactly would you gain from finding that out? I mean if he wrote it or not, he published it as Shakespeare… Maybe it was a debt, a friendly gesture, maybe he just wanted to be the man…. All in all, who really cares?
Did they write cool stuff that makes us happy, yes… do you need to take this to the point of pulling some dead guy out of the ground to prove who’s better?
Seriously, we’re people this day have not only some nerve, we have some “balls” (excuse my French). At the end of the day, experience history and art, enjoy what those before us left for us and try to do the same for future generations, just get off the “Kicking Shakespeare off his whatever” mindset.
99% of people are remembered for more or less then what they truly did, so what, just be glad he did something!
P
I am keen on the proposal to excavate Shakespeare’s tomb. Despite the verse “Cursed be he that moves my bones, and blessed be that spares these stones”, I would be in interested in studying Shakespeare’s TEETH, without disturbing the bones ! I would like to have the DNA of the dentine analysed, and the teeth could tell us whether Shakespeare smoked a pipe. There were various kinds of “tobacco” in Shakespeare’s time, including Nicotiana from Virginia, “Indian “tobacco” (Cannabis – the “noted weed” of Sonnet 76, oerhaps, as I have formally suggested), and even a “tobacco” from Peru which may be coca leaves (cocaine was identified in early 17th century clay pipes from Stratford in addition to nicotine and a strong indication of Cannabis, otherwise known as marijuana). SO: please let us excavate the tomb of Shakespeare in Holy Trinity Church in Stratford-upon-Avon, and let us at least study his TEETH !
Prof Francis Thackeray
South Africa
Schoenbaum in his book “Shakespeare’s Lives” makes references that the Bard’s grave may well have been violated in the early 19th century, and the skull stolen. Others claimed that nothing remained but dust. I have read that forensic evidence gained would be suspect as no one knows for sure who, if anyone, is buried there.
I really feel pity for these modern day detractors and grave-diggers – they are so petty! There are enough contemporary evidences about the authorship which cannot be set aside by these fraudulent later day concoctions.
I think it will never be found out. It would be too inconvenient for the industry to remove Shakespeare from his place in history and art. It has already been agreed that it is better to leave things as they are, no matter how evident the case is against him. Better to live in a lie than discovering the truth. The ‘hidden powers’ will not tolerate anybody to reveal the truth. Remember, it is all about money. Money is behind all this. Money makes the world go round.