Answer:
The controlling idea of the text is that Simon Schama thinks and believes that William Shakespeare and the question of his authorship for some of his famous works of art is a question that needs no authenticity. Though some may believe that he is not capable of producing such 'famous works' considering his upbringing and education, his life experiences and 'imaginative creativity' helped him become who he was and is more than most of us too.
Explanation:
The controlling idea of any text is the opinion or the direction in which the author is taking the argument forward. This means that it contains the personal opinion and feelings of the writer about the topic of the text.
In the essay "The Shakespeare Showdown," author Simon Schama presents his opinion that there are many who question the authenticity of numerous literary texts that were written by William Shakespeare. Some even pointed out that Shakespeare is not 'intelligent' enough to have written them. But Simon believes that Shakespeare is indeed capable of writing those contested works.
While some may opine that "[Shakespeare's] cultural provenance was too lowly, and his education too rudimentary, to have allowed him to penetrate the minds of kings and courtiers", there is no doubt that his "capacity for imaginative extension was socially limitless", thus helping him become who he is today. And in the words of William Hazlitt, "He was nothing in himself, but he was all that others were, or that they could become."
Thus, the controlling idea of this text is that Shakespeare was and is indeed someone capable of authoring those 'contested' books and is more too.
