Dorothea Dickerman: Shakespeare in Sicily: Part II of Traveling Together Through Shakespeare’s Italy

This talk is a sequel to Dorothea's prior lecture about Edward de Vere’s travels in northern Italy and the evolution of the Shakespeare canon. Armed again with Richard Roe’s The Shakespeare Guide to Italy, she uses a second Bard-targeted Italian tour to further convince her lawyer husband that “William Shakespeare” really was a pen name for Edward de Vere, the 17th Earl of Oxford.
The paper follows the route Oxford likely took when he disappeared from Venice in May of 1575, and examines why he did not reappear there until late September. Exploring “Bohemia”, we land in Messina, Taormina, Siracusa, Agrigento, Palermo, and the mysterious island of Vulcano, savoring the beauty and history of Sicily and treating listeners to details that will help them more fully imagine the “Sicilian” plays, three of which - The Winter’s Tale, The Comedy of Errors and The Tempest - were first published in the First Folio of 1623.
Bio: Dorothea Dickerman retired as a partner from a 34-year career in a 1000-lawyer international law firm to research and write on the Shakespeare Authorship Question. Using her legal skills, primary source historical and literary documents and her travels to locations where Oxford lived and visited, she focuses on giving context to his life, to the Shakespeare canon, and to Tudor law, history, politics and personalities. Her foreign language skills include Italian, French and rusty Latin.
A prior speaker at SOF conferences, a Blue Boar Tavern participant and a podcast guest on Oxfordian topics, Dorothea also serves as a trustee of the Shakespeare Oxford Fellowship. She is currently working on a series of Elizabethan historical novels. She was awarded her B.A. from Amherst College summa cum laude in English and Political Science and her J.D. from the University of Chicago Law School.
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[@DorotheaDickerman-dw3hr]

Thank you so much for your kind words about my talk. I did not know that de Vere’s ancestors had been in Calabria (my grandparents’ home) and Puglia. You are right. He would have known that part of his family history well. Norman influence lives on in Sicily, and in Calabria. The better acquainted I become with de Vere, the better I understand why he did what he did. The more I dig into why he did what he did, the better I understand him. Sir Percy Blakeney was not the only one with a double life!

[@ronroffel1462]

This is another great talk from someone who knows how to weigh evidence and come to reasoned conclusions based on the evidence. As Dorothea cheekily once said: first, we must convince the lawyers. Dorothea has convinced at least her lawyer husband that Shakspere could not have written the works wrongly attributed to him. Lawyers with the fact behind them argue the facts. If the facts are not on their side, they argue the law. If the law is against them, they discredit the witnesses and dismiss evidence. What do you think the Stratfordians sit now with respect to that sequence? There is a reason why so many lawyers are on board with the Oxfordian theory; the arguments are soundly based on facts. The same goes for a growing number of doctors, psychologists, scientists, engineers, and others. They weigh the evidence and make tentative hypotheses based on that evidence. Should there be more evidence in favour of Oxford, then the case becomes stronger. What Dorothea demonstrates in this talk is that there is more evidence piling up to indicate Edward de Vere was the principal author behind the name "Shakespeare". She most likely discovered the true location of Prospero's island. Everything fits.

[@peckerwood6078]

It cannot be emphasized sufficiently the importance of the depth of knowledge you amply display on all matters concerning the Italianate Earl. My most cherished of the correlations is that which pertains to Oxfords role as the Knight of the tree of the Sun in his defence of truth. This characters position in the hierarchy of Masonic ritual is to the initiate a familiar role for those on the pilgrims path Additionally the occupation of the Calabrian & Apulian kingdoms by deVere's ancestors in the 11 century while driving off the Moors from Sicily to Syracuse would have been well know to deVere and made these locations attractive to his Norman Sensibilities. The intrigue & intelligences revealed are so welcome to the cannon of the Earl and better place his persona as scarlet pimpernel than wastrel. Cannot wait for the next instalment and taking time to review the first to buttress this weighty addition. Impressive!

[@floatingholmes]

Bravo! Your research is always fascinating and based in cogent argument. I love the strides you take while attempting to convince your skeptical husband. Congratulations on winning him over.

[@JaneHallstrom1]

This just amazing Dorothea. Each sentence is so packed with not only facts but indisputable connections to the plays and the corresponding historical evidence of Oxford’s itinerary and experiences being linked to them. Truly a tour de force. Thank you!!!

[@MN8]

she's the antidote to stratfordianism

[@joanberkwitz2662]

This was both fascinating and beautifully written. Thank you

[@eduardofernandez2240]

Hats off! Astoundihng!

[@SAVANNAHEVENTS]

In deed!