# William Shakespeare Wrote Shakespeare

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/william-shakespeare-wrote-shakespeare/832228>\
**Category:** Great Debates\
**Created:** [April 8, 2019, 4:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/william-shakespeare-wrote-shakespeare/832228 "2019-04-08T16:37:27Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 1\
**Showing post:** 103

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**Author:** ![bonzer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/45deac/32.png) [@bonzer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bonzer)\
**Post date:** [April 9, 2019, 5:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/william-shakespeare-wrote-shakespeare/832228/103 "2019-04-09T17:29:51Z")

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> [@septimus](#):
>
> Thanks for this, **bonzer**! It’s very useful. I _do_ remember you mentioning Hall; I do NOT remember that quote. It’s possible you posted it in a follow-up, after I had become disgusted with all the insults and hostility directed against me and had abandoned the thread.
> 
> The point about Hall was just a step in a larger point which your post does nothing to refute. Can you confirm that no contemporary relative or in-law of Shakespeare ever produced a document or deposition suggesting they knew their relative was a famous poet/playwright?

Small consolation I’m afraid. For we’ve seen this pattern from you across multiple threads on the matter.

So back in 2010 you vaguely cited the astronomy argument. When [I dug out](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showpost.php?p=12382057&postcount=75) what was actually being claimed, you [graciously accepted](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showpost.php?p=12382631&postcount=77):

> [@Did Shaksper write the Sonnets? \[edited title\]](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-shaksper-write-the-sonnets-edited-title/536631/77):
>
> > [@](#):
> >
> > In summary, it’s not the sudden absence of datable astronomical references in the plays after 1604 that’s striking. It’s that there are none before then either.
> 
> Thanks for this, **bonzer**. I wanted to give Oxfordians at least some benefit of the doubt on their long string of coincidences, but as I see many that are not even “half-truths”, I lose interest in pursuing the others. Can I have the Mod retitle the thread: “Shaksper probably _did_ write the Sonnets (though gullible/skeptical septimus still isn’t _100% sure_)”? :smack:

Yet every time that the subject has come up since you’ve trotted out this same argument.  
Furthermore, while you’re obviously at liberty to have changed your mind, having conceded its weakness then, you can’t really expect to get away with “but, but astronomy!” as an argument without specifically explaining to the rest of us why what you could acknowledge as weak in 2010 is so now convincing in 2019.

Give it a few years, you’re likely to have forgotten the details and be blithely wittering on about John Hall and his (non-existent) letter(s) again.

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