Analysis identifies Shakespeare as lead author of Edward III, with Marlowe collaborating

Researchers say computerised linguistic analysis has established “beyond any reasonable doubt” that William Shakespeare was the principal author of the anonymously published play *Edward III*. They also identify Christopher Marlowe as a collaborator, a finding that could change both playwrights’ canons and deepen understanding of their relationship.

The researchers compared the play with securely attributed works by 10 dramatists active from the late 1580s to the mid-1590s. In one test, 23 of its segments were classified as Shakespeare’s and nine as Marlowe’s; the analysis also supports Shakespeare’s authorship of a speech in which the sky darkens over the French camp. The play was published in 1596 and was not included in Shakespeare’s 1623 First Folio.