Shakespeare Electronic Conference, Vol. 3, No. 366. Friday, 11 December 1992.
 
From:           Melinda M Hale <
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Date:           Thursday, 10 Dec 92 19:09:50 EST
Subject: 3.0361  Shakespeare as Himself
Comment:        Re: SHK 3.0361  Shakespeare as Himself
 
> I am looking for information on the idea of whether or not Shakespeare
> ever, in writing his plays, speaks through his own voice.  Many argue
> that he does so in the Ghost character of _Hamlet_, but does this
> happen in other characters and plays as well?  Are there times when
> Shakespeare acts as an "opinion editor" of sorts?
 
I have always regarded the final lines of _Two Noble Kinsmen_ as
Shakespeare's own opinion, since they reflect -- almost sum up -- some of
the themes of the other plays.  Furthermore, these lines have such a
"parting advice" flavor; if it were a movie, this would be the part where
the actor turns and faces the camera directly.
 
This is the first thing that pops into my head, though if I really perused
my Riverside, I'm sure I could come up with more.  The comedies,
especially, have a precise order, laid out and even numbered by the
author, and if one reads them in that order, one can see how they fit
together, the common ideas.  Clearly, a lot of the words are Shakespeare's
own opinion (how very Renaissance).
 
Melinda Hale
Boston

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