The "Impossible Doublet" in the Droeshout engraving of William Shakespeare

Actress Debbie Radcliffe explains the “Impossible Doublet” in the iconic Droeshout engraving of William Shakespeare on the title page of the First Folio, revealing it to be a ridiculous caricature with two left arms! Why would the publishers of the First Folio openly mock Mr. Shakspere in this way if he was the real author?

By clothing the figure in a ridiculous and nonsensical garment, the publishers were most likely indicating that the person ostensibly depicted, Shakspere of Stratford, was not the true author of the plays that follow. This is consistent with several other oddities about the First Folio that also call its credibility into question. The Droeshout engraving seems deliberately designed to alert observant readers, right on the title page, to be skeptical about taking everything that follows at face value, and to keep an eye out for other anomalies.

For additional information on reasons to doubt that the Stratford man was the author of the works, visit the website of the Shakespeare Authorship Coalition at: doubtaboutwill.org.

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