Testimony of the Sonnets as to the Authorship of the Shakespearean Plays and Poems

by Jesse Johnson

"Testimony of the Sonnets as to the Authorship of the Shakespearean Plays and Poems" by Jesse Johnson is a critical examination written in the late 19th century. This work delves into the authorship of the Shakespearean Sonnets, arguing that they reveal insights about their author that contradict the established belief that William Shakespeare penned them. Johnson posits that the Sonnets were likely written to Shakespeare by another, older poet, whose emotional and personal experiences profoundly differ from those of the young playwright typically associated with them. The opening of the text introduces the idea that the Sonnets reflect intense emotions that could not pertain to Shakespeare's life at the time of their writing, given his relatively young age and burgeoning success. Johnson proposes an alternative interpretation, suggesting that the Sonnets express the feelings of a man much older, possibly well past middle age, addressing a younger friend or patron. He emphasizes a literal reading of the texts, contending that their content hints at experiences and sentiments inconsistent with Shakespeare's known biography, thus setting the stage for his argument against Shakespeare's authorship of the Sonnets within the broader context of the Shakespearean plays.