What is the significance of the name "Shake-speare"?

Is "Shake-speare" a pseudonym of Edward de Vere or does it actually refer to William Shakspere, the man from Stratford-upon-Avon? After researching the name and the practices of Elizabethan England, it appears as though de Vere, the Earl of Oxford, has more claim to "Shake-speare" than Shakspere himself. First, a name such as "Shake-speare" would have surely been recognized as a pseudonym in Elizabethan England for several reasons. The most obvious reason is the hyphen separating the name, but the appearance of the name on the subscription to the dedication in the only two works the author ever published himself is also noteworthy. As a result, it is very unlikely that "Shake-speare" was anything but a pseudonym. Furthermore, de Vere had many ties to the phrase. He was a champion spear-thrower, wore an emblem that portrayed a lion brandishing a spear, and was known for his "countenace [that] shakes spears." Consequently, if de Vere were to take a pseudonym, "Shake-speare" would be a natural choice. Indeed, there is also much proof that de Vere would have had to take a pseudonym to continue his literary career. In Elizabethan England the royal family was not allowed to publicly produce literature. Hence, de Vere's conquests would have brought shame to the Court and would have opened up the plays to entirely different interpretations--ones that could possibly have disgraced the Throne. Obviously, Queen Elizabeth would not have allowed that. Further, de Vere was also privately known as one of the finest writers of the era. Indeed, when one puts the puzzle pieces together, it is easy to imagine that de Vere was the true author of these magnificent literary works.

--Brett Carter

Sources:

Ogburn, Charlton. The Mysterious William Shakespeare: The Myth and the Reality. McLean, VA: EMP Publications, 1992. 93-95.

-----. "The Man Who Shakespeare Was Not (and Who He Was)." Reprinted from Harvard Magazine (November 1974). http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/shakespeare/debates/ogburnarticle.html

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