Gelfert poor argument (nr2) to invalidate the Marlowe/Shakespeare Thesis -  |
| Hans-Dieter Gelfert Beethoven / Mozart and Goethe / Schiller |
Shakespeare, of the same age than Marlowe, only began to exist after Marlowe was stabbed.
Both overlapped in their literary activity not a single day!
Anglist and Shakespeare expert Professor [Emeritus] Hans -Dieter Gelfert, Berlin wrote in his prologue "Who created the works of Shakespeare?" of his new book "William Shakespeare in his time " (Jan.2014 Beck Verlag) that he felt compelled, to counteract the ongoing global authorship debate, e.g. of the Marlowe Thesis of B.Conrad "The true Shakespeare: Christopher Marlowe " (2nd Edition , December 2013 ) ..he shortly summarized five arguments against the Thesis. To this end he used consistently his own prejudice. For none of his five arguments it would have been necessary to open and tackle the arguments of the book.
Argument 2 (Gelfert: straightforward translation)
"Stylistically, the two [Shakespeare and Marlowe] are as far apart as Beethoven and Mozart in music and like Schiller and Goethe in the German literature"
This assessment is problematic. Did Gelfert ever estimated the range of Beethoven's music ? (between his op.1 and op 135)? - Op.1 is still in great proximity to Mozart. According to Gelferts arguments Shakespeare's work such as "Titus Andronicus" in terms of both style and content is much further removed from Shakespeare's "Macbeth" than the virtually congruent pieces of Edward II (Marlowe) and Richard III (Shakespeare).
The thesis of the book of Conrad is:
Marlowe's plays and poems are early works of the poet genius (not yet attributed,to W.S.) Shakespeare's plays and poems are Marlowes late works under the pseudonyme Shake-speare of a real masking person with that name. --
Shakespeare, of the same age than Marlowe, only began to exist after Marlowe was stabbed. Both overlapped in their literary activity not a single day!
