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 A play called "Double Falsehood" published in 1728 by a man
who claimed it was based on a lost Shakespeare play but has long
been dismissed as a forgery may indeed be the real deal.
University of Texas researchers have unveiled a sophisticated
new study of "Double Falsehood" that used text-analyzing
software that helped create a "psychological signature" of the
playwright.
"I am quite confident that Shakespeare had a direct hand in
writing 'Double Falsehood.' Put me down for 97 percent
confident," University of Texas social psychologist James
Pennebaker, co-author of the study published in the journal
Psychological Science, said on Friday.
"Double Falsehood" was published by Shakespeare expert Lewis
Theobald, who said it was based on Shakespearean manuscripts
later destroyed in a fire. Many experts considered it an
original work by Theobald that he sought to pass off as
Shakespearean. The lost play is thought to be "The History of
Cardenio."
Recent scholarship has reopened the debate. In 2010, Nottingham
University literary expert Brean Hammond said he was convinced
the play was Shakespearean.
Pennebaker and fellow University of Texas social psychologist
Ryan Boyd examined 33 Shakespearean plays, 12 by Theobald and
nine by John Fletcher, Shakespeare's occasional collaborator.
The texts were scrutinized for the use of pronouns, articles and
prepositions, words relating to emotions, family, sensory
perception and religion and other qualities.
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In doing so, the researchers formulated a psychological signature
for each author.
"We find that the profile of this play very closely matches the
psychological profile of Shakespeare, and also find some parts where
the psychological profile is very close to Fletcher," Boyd said.
"Really, there's just very, very little similarity to Theobald to
the point that it is practically impossible that he wrote it," Boyd
said.
Pennebaker noted that Theobald was considered to be "orderly,
structured, detailed and rigid" and his language matched that
profile. "The writing of 'Double Falsehood' suggested that the
author was reasonably sociable, more relaxed, and educated, someone
like Shakespeare," Pennebaker added.
Boyd suspects this is not the final word on the matter.
"One thing I can say for sure is that I don't think any amount of
evidence is going to stop people from debating about who actually
wrote it. That being said, I think this is pretty convincing," Boyd
said.
(Reporting by Will Dunham; Editing by Eric Beech)
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