Who Wrote Shakespeare? IELTS Reading Answers & Explanation

Was the legendary William Shakespeare truly the author of the masterpieces that transformed world literature, or was his name merely a “pseudonym” masking other aristocratic minds? The reading passage “Who Wrote Shakespeare?” is not just a journey into historical truth; it is also a critical thinking exercise that helps you sharpen your ability to analyze opposing viewpoints. This article from ECE provides a comprehensive look, from a precise translation to a detailed breakdown of the answers, helping you master the logic traps in the Matching Endings and Table Completion sections of the IELTS Reading test.

Reading Passage & Questions

WHO WROTE SHAKESPEARE?

William Shakespeare is the Western world’s most famous playwright – but did he really write the plays and poems that are attributed to him?

There has been controversy over the authorship of the works of Shakespeare since the nineteenth century. The initial impetus for this debate came from the fact that nineteenth-century critics, poets and readers were puzzled and displeased when they were presented with the few remaining scraps of evidence about the life of “Shakspere”, as his name was most commonly spelled. The author they admired and loved must have been scholarly and intellectual, linguistically gifted, and knowledgeable about the lifestyle of those who lived in royal courts, and he appeared to have travelled in Europe.

These critics felt that the son of a Stratford glove-maker, whose only definite recorded dealings concerned buying property, some minor legal action over a debt, tax records, and the usual entries for birth, marriage and death, could not possibly have written poetry based on Classical models. Nor could he have been responsible for the wide-ranging intellectually and emotionally challenging plays for which he is so famous, because, in the nineteenth century world-view, writers inevitably called upon their own experiences for the content of their work.

By compiling the various bits and pieces of surviving evidence, most Shakespearian scholars have satisfied themselves that the man from Stratford is indeed the legitimate author of all the works published under his name. A man called William Shakespeare did become a member of the Lord Chamberlain’s Men, the dramatic company that owned the Globe and Blackfriars Theatres, and he enjoyed exclusive rights to the publication and performance of the dramatic works. There are 23 extant contemporary documents that indicate that he was a well-known poet or playwright. Publication and even production of plays had to be approved by government officials, who are recorded as having met with Shakespeare to discuss authorship and licensing of some of the plays, for example, ‘King Lear’.

However, two Elizabethans who are still strongly defended as true Shakespeare are Christopher Marlowe and Edward de Vere, both of whom would have benefited from writing under the secrecy of an assumed name. Marlowe’s writing is acknowledged by all as the precursor of Shakespeare’s dramatic verse style: declamatory blank verse that lifted and ennobled the content of the plays. The records indicate that he was accused of being an atheist: denying the existence of God would have been punishable by the death penalty. He is recorded as having ‘died’ in a street fight before Shakespeare’s greatest works were written, and therefore it is suggested that he may have continued producing literary works while in hiding from the authorities.

De Vere was the Earl of Oxford and an outstanding Classical scholar as a child. He was a strong supporter of the arts, including literature, music and acting. He is also recorded as being a playwright, although no works bearing his name still exist. However, in 16th-century England, it was not acceptable for an aristocrat to publish verse for ordinary people, nor to have any personal dealings with the low-class denizens of popular theatre.

To strengthen the case for their respective alternatives, literary detectives have looked for relationships between the biographies of their chosen authors and the published works of Shakespeare. However, during the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries, there was no tradition of basing plays on the author’s own life experiences, and therefore, the focus of this part of the debate has shifted to the sonnets. These individual poems of sixteen lines are sincerely felt reactions to emotionally charged situations such as love and death, a goldmine for the biographically inclined researcher.

The largest group of these poems express love and admiration and, interestingly, they are written to a “Mr W.H.” This person is clearly a nobleman, yet he is sometimes given forthright advice by the poet, suggesting that the writing comes from a mature father figure. How can de Vere or Marlowe be established as the author of the sonnets?

As the son of a tradesman, Marlowe had no aristocratic status; unlike Shakespeare, however, he did attend and excel at Cambridge University where he mingled with the wealthy. Any low-born artist needed a rich patron, and such is the argument for his authorship of the sonnets. The possible recipient of these sonnets is Will Hatfield, a minor noble who was wealthy and could afford to contribute to the arts; this young man’s friendship would have assisted a budding poet and playwright. Marlowe’s defenders contend that expressions of love between men were common at this time and had none of the homosexual connotations that Westerners of the twenty-first century may ascribe to them.

The Earl of Oxford had no need of a wealthy patron. The object of De Vere’s sonnets, it is suggested, is Henry Wriothesley, Earl of Southampton, whose name only fits the situation if one accepts that it is not uncommon to reverse the first and surnames on formal occasions. De Vere was a rash and careless man and, because of his foolish behaviour, he fell out of favour with Queen Elizabeth herself. He needed, not an artistic patron, but someone like Henry to put in a good word for him in the complex world of the royal court. This, coupled with a genuine affection for the young man, may have inspired the continuing creation of poems addressed to him. Some even postulate that the mix of love and stern advice may stem from the fact that Henry was de Vere’s illegitimate son, though there is no convincing evidence of this fact.

Questions

Questions 27-29

Choose THREE letters A – G

Which THREE of the following are given as reasons for the arguments that someone else wrote Shakespeare’s works?

A. Shakespeare did not come from Stratford.

B. We have little information about Shakespeare’s life.

C. We know that Shakespeare did not go overseas.

D. Shakespeare went to prison for owing money.

E. Shakespeare spoke only the English language.

F. Shakespeare’s life appears to have been limited.

G. The plays suggest that the writer was familiar with a high-class lifestyle.

Questions 30–35

Complete the table below.

Choose NO MORE THAN TWO WORDS from the passage for each answer.

Question 36

Choose the correct letter, A, B, C or D.

The sonnets are useful for researchers because they are

A. shorter and easier than the plays.

B. all written to the same person.

C. more personal than the plays.

D. addressed to a lower-class person.

Questions 37–40

Complete each sentence with the correct ending, A–G, below.

37. W.H. was probably a young man because

38. W.H. could have been Marlowe’s friend because

39. W.H.’s name could have been Henry Wriothesley because

40. W.H. could have been De Vere’s friend because

List of Endings:

A. W.H. had some influence with important people.

B. the poems are addressed to the writer’s child.

C. the content of the poems strongly suggests this.

D. W.H. was able to provide financial support.

E. W.H. had been to Cambridge University.

F. W.H. had a lot of high-class enemies.

G. the poet may have changed the order of his initials.

Detailed Translation of the Reading Passage

Who Wrote Shakespeare’s Works?

William Shakespeare is the most famous playwright in the West – but did he actually write the plays and poems attributed to his name?

Controversy over Shakespeare’s authorship has existed since the 19th century. The initial impetus for this debate stemmed from the fact that critics and readers of that time felt puzzled by the scarce evidence regarding the life of “Shakspere.” The author they admired must have been an intellectual scholar, linguistically gifted, and knowledgeable about courtly life. Skeptics argued that the son of a Stratford glove-maker, who only had records of property dealings or debts, could not possibly have written poetry based on classical models or such intellectually challenging plays.

However, most current Shakespearean scholars believe that the man from Stratford is indeed the legitimate author. He was a member of the Lord Chamberlain’s Men and held exclusive rights to publish and perform the works. There are 23 contemporary documents proving he was a famous poet/playwright, and government officials even met with him to discuss licensing for plays like “King Lear.”

Nevertheless, there are two strong candidates often proposed as the “real” Shakespeare: Christopher Marlowe and Edward de Vere. Marlowe’s writing style is considered the precursor to Shakespeare’s. He was accused of being an atheist (a crime punishable by death) and was recorded as having “died” in a street fight, leading to theories that he went into hiding to continue writing. Meanwhile, De Vere (the Earl of Oxford) was an outstanding scholar and a fervent supporter of the arts. However, in the 16th century, it was unacceptable for an aristocrat to publish poetry for the common people or to associate with the low-class theatre scene.

To strengthen their case, literary detectives have focused on the Sonnets. These are poems expressing sincere emotions about love and death. Most of these poems were addressed to a “Mr. W.H.” – a young nobleman. For Marlowe, this person could be Will Hatfield – a wealthy noble who supported his career. For De Vere, the subject could be Henry Wriothesley (Earl of Southampton). De Vere needed someone like Henry to speak on his behalf at court after his foolish behavior displeased the Queen. Some even suggest that Henry was De Vere’s illegitimate son, though there is no definitive proof.

Summary of Academic Vocabulary in the Passage

Answer Explanations

Questions 27-29: Multiple Choice (Pick 3)

B: Paragraph 1 states: “…presented with the few remaining scraps of evidence about the life of ‘Shakspere’…” (only a few scraps of evidence).

F: Paragraph 2 describes his life as limited to Stratford, involving property, debt, and taxes (life appeared to have been limited).

G: Paragraph 1 notes: “The author… must have been… knowledgeable about the lifestyle of those who lived in royal courts…” (must be familiar with high-class court life).

Questions 30–35: Table Completion

30. exclusive rights: Paragraph 3: “…he enjoyed exclusive rights to the publication and performance…”

31. government officials: Paragraph 3: “…approved by government officials, who are recorded as having met with Shakespeare…”

32. an atheist: Paragraph 5: “…he was accused of being an atheist…”

33. street fight: Paragraph 5: “He is recorded as having ‘died’ in a street fight…”

34. playwright: Paragraph 6: “He is also recorded as being a playwright…”

35. ordinary people: Paragraph 6: “…it was not acceptable for an aristocrat to publish verse for ordinary people…”

Question 36: Multiple Choice

C: Paragraph 7 explains that while plays did not follow the author’s life, the Sonnets were “…sincerely felt reactions to emotionally charged situations…” (sincere emotional reactions – more personal).

Questions 37–40: Matching Endings

37. C: Paragraph 8