Who was Shakespeare really? Many people have looked into this question, without ever being able to come to a definitive decision. "The Bard", an iconic figure in British literature, celebrated for his genius, praised for his mastery of language, could he really be this glovemaker's son from Stratford-on-Avon who only attended school for a few years? years ?
In his work, the references to various disciplines, inaccessible to ordinary mortals – knowledge of life at court or the occupations of young girls from good families – do not really fit. Intrigued, Aurore Evain investigated and published her work in “Mary Sidney alias Shakespeare” (Ed. Talents Hauts). She takes up the thesis developed by the American Robin Patricia Williams who suggested that, perhaps, a woman could hide in the shadow of genius.
This woman could therefore be Mary Sidney, wife of William Herbert and Countess of Pembroke, one of the most learned women of the 16th century. A contemporary of Shakespeare, she was educated in the arts and sciences that a man of the theater is unlikely to have been able to study. She also has access to a vast library and knows the customs of the court... but has the serious fault of being a woman at a time when it was unthinkable for them to publish - with the exception of translations or religious works or morals.
Signing plays would have been more than inappropriate: it would have been taking the risk of disgrace. Could William Shakespeare have served as his nominee to publish his works? For Aurore Evain, this is a serious possibility. With this idea in mind, she reread the Bard's works and rediscovered his female characters, strong women with common sense who take over from men ultimately full of flaws.
“Mary Sidney aka Shakespeare” by Aurore Evain, Editions Talents Hauts
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