Was The Real Writer Of Shakespeare Sir Francis Bacon?

[rbedson]

Hi Answerbank -

I'm confused on a literary question...

I have heard from a number of people that it was actually Sir Francis Bacon who was the real writer of some if not all of Shakespere's plays? When I heard it I have to admit that it sounds a bit crazy but I wondered if anyone had any evidence either way?

[EDDIE51]

This debate has been ongoing for centuries.

[chelle7272]

it's a theory that has been debated for a long time
http://www.shakespeareanauthorshiptrust.org.uk/pages/candidates/baconhs.htm

[EDDIE51]

read this
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Baconian_theory_of_Shakespeare_authorship

[andy-hughes]

Human nature adores a 'Yes, but what if ...' notion where any accepted and long-standing fact is in place.

It leads to conspiracy theories which range from possible, to utterly fanciful - but I understand that there is more historical evidence that Shakespeare authored his own plays, than evidence to the contrary.

Tune in next week when we debate whether Elizabeth 1 was in fact, a man!!

[rbedson]

The reason for this question was a fact check on the ideas on a fairly amateurish looking site I came across at http://www.sirbacon.org/links/evidence.htm - I confess I don't know enough about the subject to refute it or give it some credence?

[jno]

mostly snobbery: how could a lowly grammar school boy write good poetry? Surely it had to be a posh Oxbridge aristo?

[jourdain2]

Centuries-old debate. There are, however, accounts that Bill S. had to be locked into a room to finish off plays that were already in rehearsal! Plenty other historical tie-ins.

[dance2trance]

This matter was clearly settled by the College of Heralds a year ago in light of their discovery when digitising their documents that a list prepared by His Majesty James I listed all relevant Shakespeare plays. There was an hour long documentary on BBC 4. This list when cross referenced to the birth and death of contenders such as Bacon put alternative author theories in the dustbin of history forever.