A Lover's Complaint, Cymbeline, and the Shakespeare Canon: Interpreting Shared Vocabulary

Author: Jackson, MacDonald P.¹

Source: The Modern Language Review, Volume 103, Number 3, 1 July 2008 , pp. 621-638(18)

Publisher: Modern Humanities Research Association

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Abstract:

A Lover's Complaint was published in the 1609 Quarto of Shakespeare's Sonnets and was given its own ascription to `William Shakespeare', but in recent years several specialists in attribution have questioned its authenticity. Brian Vickers has argued that the true author is John Davies of Hereford. However, the Complaint and Cymbeline use certain rare words in similar contexts, and the links between the two works can best be explained as due to common authorship. Shakespeare's responsibility for the Complaint is further demonstrated by striking vocabulary links between the poem and other Shakespeare plays. `Literature Online' researches reveal the strength of this association.

Keywords: 1609 Quarto; ascription; authenticity; rare words; vocabulary links

Document Type: Research article

Affiliations: 1: University of Auckland

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