New evidence has concluded that the play Edward III should be added to William Shakespeare’s canon, and that it was a major collaboration with Christopher Marlowe. The history play was published anonymously in 1596.
Dr Rory Loughnane, a scholar and co-author of the research, stated that computerised textual analysis confirmed "beyond any reasonable doubt" that Shakespeare was the principal writer. He added that Marlowe's presence in the play was an unexpected finding.
The researchers, including Brett Greatley-Hirsch, a professor at the University of Leeds, used various forms of computerised linguistic analysis. They compared Edward III with securely attributed works by 10 dramatists from the late 1580s and mid-1590s. One test identified 23 segments as Shakespeare's writing and nine segments as Marlowe's.
Dr Loughnane noted that these findings suggest a more sustained writing relationship between Shakespeare and Marlowe in their mid-to-late 20s, following a 2016 study that found Marlowe co-authored Shakespeare's three Henry VI plays. The research will be published in the Shakespeare Quarterly later this year.