SAT Conference 2021 - 10 - Earl Showerman - Shakespeare’s Use of Greek Sources

Dr. Earl Showerman: A doctor of emergency medicine in Oregon for more than thirty years and deeply involved in the authorship question, he will speak on “Shakespeare’s Use of Greek Sources.” Accompanied by performances from Sir Mark Rylance and Annabel Leventon at the Shakespearean Authorship Trust conference 2021, Volumes that I prize above my dukedom—Shakespeare’s Sources

If you are interested in the Shakespeare authorship question and/or wish to support the work of the Shakespearean Authorship Trust, why not become a member of the SAT? Click on the website link above.

[Short-Cipher]

Shake-speare's Greater Greek would appear to have been so much more substantive than the lesser Greek myopic mythology wherein--with the few exceptions you point out--the multitudinous Stratfordian mind-set would have it settled. Thank you for your edifying enlightenment, milord, the Earl of Showerman. And thanks to the splendid renditions offered by thespians Rylance & Leventon. 👏 all around!

[janenelson]

Thank you for an interesting and erudite talk. You list numerous Greek sources which you have found influenced Shakespeare. You include ‘Asclepius (unintelligible) Corpus Hermeticum translated by Ficino’ amongst them. However, the existence of a Greek original of Asclepius is problematic. The text was known in Latin translation from about the 6th century. The Corpus Hermeticum was translated into Latin by Ficino in 1463 along with most of the works of Plato whom you do not mention. A newly edited Greek edition of the Corpus Hermeticum by Adrian Turnebe was published in Paris in 1554 and is probably the version listed in John Dee’s library catalogue. Dee was a friend of the English court and known to de Vere. You may be interested to learn that the notorious god-making passage in Asclepius, which gave the text a reputation for bad magic, has a parallel in The Winters Tale (Le Conte d’hiver, or Le Compte de Vere) when the statue of Hermione miraculously comes to life. In my recent doctoral thesis I argue from a detailed Hermetic exegesis that Shakespeare was very familiar with a 1579 French translation of the Hermetica.
In short I think mention of Ficino and the Asclepius add little to your otherwise excellent case for Shakespeare’s knowledge of Greek theatre.

[brendanward]

I usually listen to these at x2 speed, but Earl talks so fast that even x1.5 is difficult to follow.

[duncanmckeown]

A very interesting talk...if you can grasp it at Earl's speed of delivery! Slow down already!

[bastianconrad]

Unfortunately, Oxfordian's Showerman's (re) circulation of the Greek influence on Shakespeare's plays did not satisfy my curiosity about Edward de Vere's competence and knowledge of Greek language and literature, (WHY, actually he didn' give the slightest hint or support for his favorite Oxford theory?) but unhesitatingly attested a greek expertise to the leading University Wit " Marlowe"" (.i.e.his greek knowledge etc. )