By Any Other Name

Over the years much has been written about William Shakespeare and the many plays and poems he is credited with having written. Part of the speculation has occurred because little has been documented about the life of William Shakespeare. How did he receive the education to write the plays? How did he achieve the knowledge to write on the variety of topics and places depicted in his plays?  In By Any Other Name Jodie Picoult puts forward the theory that a number of writers wrote the plays that carry Shakespeare's name including a woman, Emilia Bassano.

The story is told in two time frames. In this work of historical fiction the life and writing of Emilia Bassano is portrayed as she attempts to have her writing recognised. Meanwhile in the twenty-first century Melina Green, a descendant of Emilia, is also attempting to have her own work published and performed.

In the novel, when she is thirteen Emilia becomes the mistress of the Lord Chamberlain until she becomes pregnant. She is then dismissed from the Lord Chamberlain's household and forced to marry a cousin who only wants her money. Kit Marlow introduces her to a man names Shakespeare who is prepared to pay her for her plays though she never receives any credit.

Meanwhile Melina Green has written a new play inspired by the life of her ancestor, but when a friend submits it to a competition without her permission, life suddenly becomes difficult for all involved. 

The novel is largely a discussion on the discrepancy of the value of a work of writing or art depending on whether it is produced by a man or a woman or a minority group. We learn much about life of women during Elizabethan England as they struggle to survive in a world largely dictated by men.

Throughout the book quotes from Shakespeare's plays and poems become part of the general text and a listing of these quotations appears at the end of the work. The author also includes information about many of the people who appear in the novel and admits that there is no concrete evidence as to how the plays attributed to Shakespeare were written. The debate continues. Meanwhile Jodi Picoult provides an interesting take on the debate in this work of historical fiction.

Musical - The Dark Lady 

Emilia Lanier (Bassano) - Wikipedia

Shakespeare's Dark Lady of Spitalfields - Spitalfields Life

Emilia Bassano Lanier - Historical Research - City Theatre