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Written, directed, filmed and narrated by Michael Rubbo, “Much ado about something” presents a literary mystery into the authorship of the most famous playwright of all, William Shakespeare. There has been speculation surrounding his literary counterparts as possible sources for the text - Bacon, Freud, Twain - however Marlowe emerged as the main contender. Rubbo examines the Marlowe establishment - the appreciation society, critics, and most significantly, the actions of Calvin Hoffman, who, in 1984 exhumed a tomb in the belief that it contained a box of papers that would discredit Shakespeare. He also set a literary challenge for anyone to find proof of Marlowe as the true author with a monetary reward as incentive. The ancestry of Marlowe, his private life and questionable death are explored, as is evidence of Shakespeare’s education and family life.
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Collection
In ACMI's collection
Credits
Collection metadata
ACMI Identifier
317805
Language
English
Audience classification
Exempt
Subject categories
Documentary → Documentary films - Australia
Education, Instruction, Teaching & Schools → Literature - Study and teaching
Literature → English literature
Literature → English literature - History and criticism
Literature → Literature - Study and teaching
Literature → Literature, Comparative - Themes, motives
Literature → Shakespeare, William, 1564-1616
Literature → Shakespeare, William, 1564-1616 - Criticism and interpretation
People → Shakespeare, William, 1564-1616
Television → Television programs
Television → Television programs → Television programs - Australia
Sound/audio
Sound
Colour
Colour
Holdings
VHS; Access Print (Section 1)