The Boston Globe

Arts

alex beam

Much ado about nothing

The searches to track down the ‘real truths’ behind Shakespeare, Jesus, and Homer really don’t matter

The quest for the historically correct William Shakespeare, Homer and Jesus Christ is so much sound and fury, signifying nothing. Take the tangled question of who “really’’ wrote Shakespeare’s plays (Edward de Vere? Francis Bacon? Kit Marlowe? There is endless material for sequels here); It is absurdly arcane, and overlooks one yawning fact: No one cares.

Stay with the story. Get full access to BostonGlobe.com for just 99¢

Unlimited access to BostonGlobe.com for only 99¢ for the first 4 weeks. You can cancel at any time.

  • The FULL story all day: Enjoy all of the high-quality, in-depth journalism in the print edition of the Boston Globe — plus breaking news that's updated 24/7.
  • A truly reader-friendly format: It's online news that looks and reads just like the newspaper — uncluttered, uninterrupted.
  • Breakthrough technology: The responsive design automatically adapts content so it always reads perfectly on the digital device of your choice.
Get started today

BostonGlobe.comSubscriber Log In

Contact us for help