# William Shakespeare **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [March 1, 2004, 2:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/william-shakespeare/231833 "2004-03-01T02:24:33Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 10\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![saluki\_fan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b2d939/32.png) [@saluki\_fan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/saluki_fan)\ **Post date:** [March 1, 2004, 2:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/william-shakespeare/231833/1 "2004-03-01T02:24:33Z")
I recently read an article that supported the idea that William Shakespeare was not one man, instead “he” was a group of writers morphed into one man. Is there any truth to this rumor or is it just some jealous writers? ---
**Author:** ![Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bosda_di_chi_of_tricor/32/16845_2.png) [@Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bosda_Di_Chi_of_Tricor)\ **Post date:** [March 1, 2004, 2:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/william-shakespeare/231833/2 "2004-03-01T02:35:05Z")
This is an old rumor, cover in about a jillion threads. Basically, there’s no good reason to believe that Shakespeare was anybody other than Mother Shakespeare’s little boy. ---
**Author:** ![samclem](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a9a28c/32.png) [@samclem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/samclem)\ **Post date:** [March 1, 2004, 2:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/william-shakespeare/231833/3 "2004-03-01T02:38:42Z")
Even though I got a B+ on a 1963 paper that “proved” he was Bacon and/or others, I must admit that he was, in fact, just Shakespeare. Youth is folly. ---
**Author:** ![F.U.Shakespeare](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/aca169/32.png) [@F.U.Shakespeare](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/F.U.Shakespeare)\ **Post date:** [March 1, 2004, 3:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/william-shakespeare/231833/4 "2004-03-01T03:41:42Z")
_Heh heh!_ ---
**Author:** ![bonzer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/45deac/32.png) [@bonzer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bonzer)\ **Post date:** [March 1, 2004, 7:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/william-shakespeare/231833/5 "2004-03-01T19:55:01Z")
A good entry point into the historical evidence is [How We Know That Shakespeare Wrote Shakespeare](http://shakespeareauthorship.com/howdowe.html), which is part of [this site](http://shakespeareauthorship.com/). To sample the dissenters, search using the likes of “Earl of Oxford” or “Bacon + Shakespeare”. The “groupists” are merely trying to avoid the obvious objections to all such individual alternative candidates. ---
**Author:** ![Pythagras](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/45deac/32.png) [@Pythagras](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pythagras)\ **Post date:** [March 1, 2004, 9:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/william-shakespeare/231833/6 "2004-03-01T21:36:14Z")
Also, there is a running series right now on PBS stations called “In Search of Shakespeare.” Very interesting if you are a Shakes fan. ---
**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\ **Post date:** [March 1, 2004, 10:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/william-shakespeare/231833/7 "2004-03-01T22:46:42Z")
Ultimately, there is absolutely no evidence that anyone other than Shakespeare wrote Shakespeare’s plays. There is evidence that Shakespeare wrote them: his name is on them. If you take a contrary position, you need to provide evidence otherwise. No one has (it’s all supposition and handwaving). ---
**Author:** ![Bill\_Door](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/50afbb/32.png) [@Bill\_Door](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bill_Door)\ **Post date:** [March 1, 2004, 11:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/william-shakespeare/231833/8 "2004-03-01T23:00:00Z")
> [@RealityChuck](#): > > Ultimately, there is absolutely no evidence that anyone other than Shakespeare wrote Shakespeare’s plays. > > There is evidence that Shakespeare wrote them: his name is on them. If you take a contrary position, you need to provide evidence otherwise. No one has (it’s all supposition and handwaving). Aha! All seemingly logical, but my theory is that the plays were not written by Shakespeare, but by another guy with the exact same name. ---
**Author:** ![Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bosda_di_chi_of_tricor/32/16845_2.png) [@Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bosda_Di_Chi_of_Tricor)\ **Post date:** [March 1, 2004, 11:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/william-shakespeare/231833/9 "2004-03-01T23:42:44Z")
Now, there _were_ literary frauds, after Shakespeare’s death. William Henry Ireland’s, for example. In 1794, Ireland began forging letters from Shakespeare, and he didn’t stop there. He went on to create _Vortigern & Rowena_, his own play, & published it under Shakespeare’s name. It was perfomred once, & afterwards, Ireland was exposed. And there are several plays that we know Shakespeare _did_ write, but have been lost, probably forever. ☹ ---
**Author:** ![Jojo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ecd19e/32.png) [@Jojo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jojo)\ **Post date:** [March 1, 2004, 11:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/william-shakespeare/231833/10 "2004-03-01T23:58:31Z")
> [@](#): > > And there are several plays that we know Shakespeare did write, but have been lost, probably forever. Hmm…well there’s the sequel to _Love’s Labour’s Lost_ called _Love’s Labour’s Wonne_.