A team of researchers, including Dr Rachel White from our Department of English Studies, has presented new evidence about one of the most famous insults in English literature – the phrase 'upstart crow' aimed at William Shakespeare.
The phrase first appeared in 1592 in a pamphlet called Greene's Groatsworth of Wit, long believed to be written by Robert Greene.
It has often been seen as a jealous attack on Shakespeare by a fellow playwright. But this new study suggests the real author may have been someone much closer to the Bard: fellow writer and possible collaborator Thomas Nashe.
Reshaping Shakespearean history
Dr Rachel White, working alongside Professor Brett Greatley-Hirsch from the University of Leeds and Professor Andrew Hadfield from the University of Sussex, used both close reading and digital tools to analyse the language and style of the pamphlet.
The team found strong similarities between the 'upstart crow' lines and Nashe's known works.
This supports earlier theories by Shakespeare expert Professor Katherine Duncan-Jones, but for the first time backs them up with detailed evidence.
Dr White said the analysis shows Nashe's unique tone and language, making it unlikely that the lines were written by anyone else.
An insult with a new meaning
If Nashe really did write the insult, it adds an ironic twist: he may have been mocking someone he had worked with.
Scholars believe that Nashe and Shakespeare co-wrote Henry VI, Part One. Whether Nashe was serious or just trying to cause a stir remains unclear but the findings suggest that Shakespeare's rivals were more complex and playful than previously thought.
The research, published in Shakespeare Quarterly, highlights how modern methods including digital analysis can help answer old literary mysteries.
