Buzz
The authorship debate surrounding Shakespeare includes roughly 70–80 theories that question the accepted belief that William Shakespeare wrote his famous plays and sonnets. Some suggest it’s nearly impossible for him to have created such renowned literary works.
As novelist Henry James once stated, he was 'haunted by the conviction that the divine William is the biggest and most successful fraud ever practiced on a patient world.' Below are 10 of the most captivating theories about who may have truly penned the works.
10. Francis Bacon
Those who argue that Francis Bacon is the true author of Shakespeare’s works are known as 'Baconians.' Bacon, a philosopher, author, scientist, and historian, is believed by Baconians to have been part of a larger group aiming to challenge and critique the monarchy.
The discovery in 1867 of documents containing Bacon’s essays, ripped pages of Richard II and Richard III, and references to Shakespearean wordplay bolstered this theory. This led to a thorough examination of Bacon’s writings, which revealed striking similarities between his vocabulary and Shakespeare’s.
In 1886, the Francis Bacon Society was established. The society claimed that Bacon founded the Rosicrucians, an enigmatic, secretive occult organization promoting pro-Western values. Allegedly, they were responsible for writing much of the Shakespearean legacy.
Notable proponents of this theory included Mark Twain and Friedrich Nietzsche. In 1916, a Chicago court even declared Bacon as the true author of Shakespeare’s works, though this has never been definitively proven and remains a theory to this day.
9. Christopher Marlowe
Christopher Marlowe met his end in May 1593, during a street brawl where he was fatally stabbed above the eye in what was described as a drunken altercation. This occurred before Shakespeare had made his first publication.
The Marlowe theory suggests that he staged his own death that night in 1593 and began publishing under the alias William Shakespeare. The similarities in their writing styles are striking, with both frequently incorporating themes of comedy and the supernatural.
In fact, even some traditional believers in Shakespeare's works acknowledge that Marlowe may have contributed to parts of Richard III. Writer Calvin Hoffman was so convinced of the Marlowe theory that he dedicated a portion of his will to establish a prize for an annual essay contest on the subject, hoping the truth would be revealed after his passing.
It appears likely that Marlowe did meet his demise in 1593, yet the vast array of theories surrounding his death continues to thrive today.
8. Anne Hathaway
Indeed, Anne Hathaway, who was married to William Shakespeare for 34 years, has been suggested as the true author behind the works attributed to Shakespeare. Hathaway, sharing her name with the modern actress, was Shakespeare’s devoted wife and mother of his children. However, she is scarcely mentioned in his writings. Most notably, he left her his 'second best bed' in his will.
While the evidence supporting this theory is scant, very little is known about Anne Hathaway. She lived in an era when women were not recognized as published authors. The Bronte sisters were forced to write under male pseudonyms (Currer, Ellis, and Acton Bell), so could it be so implausible that Anne Hathaway did the same?
One of the most peculiar fringe theories in the Shakespeare authorship debate is that the playwright’s wife, Anne Hathaway, could have been the true author. She was considered to be the closest to Shakespeare, which is part of the reasoning behind this theory. Interestingly, a social media buzz emerged in 2018 when people speculated that Anne Hathaway and her husband, Adam Shulman, could be the reincarnations of Shakespeare and his wife.
7. Edward De Vere
Edward de Vere, the 17th Earl of Oxford, is a central figure in one of the most convincing theories regarding the true author of Shakespeare's works. This theory was introduced in 1920 by writer J. Thomas Looney, who argued that the low social standing and limited education of Shakespeare were inconsistent with the quality of his writings, thus making de Vere a more likely candidate.
De Vere's background, social network, and the people he interacted with made him a more plausible candidate to have influenced the themes and stories of Shakespeare's renowned plays.
De Vere was deeply immersed in the world of theater, acting as a patron for several acting troupes. He passed away in 1604, which aligns closely with the period when Shakespeare's prolific output began to slow down.
Proponents of this theory argue that de Vere's life experiences can be seen reflected in works like Macbeth, Hamlet, and Richard II. The Oxfordian theory (named for the Earl of Oxford) gained such widespread attention that it even appeared in the 2011 film Anonymous, where Rhys Ifans portrayed the earl. The movie depicts Shakespeare as a drunken impostor, potentially involved in the murder of Christopher Marlowe.
6. Henry Neville
The Nevillean theory is relatively new, having emerged in 2005, and revolves around Sir Henry Neville, a diplomat who was active in London during the peak of Shakespeare’s career.
Brenda James, one of the two originators of the theory, stumbled upon the name 'Henry Nevell' while trying to decode potential ciphers by manipulating Shakespeare’s letters. Soon after, other scholars started uncovering additional evidence to support the idea.
John Casson points to Neville’s extensive library, which contains numerous books with annotations about Shakespeare's plays, further linking him to the works. It is also suggested that Neville, with his experience in public service and legal affairs, was uniquely equipped to incorporate the legal intricacies seen in Shakespeare’s works.
The Neville theory is built upon the discovery of concealed codes within the Dedication to Shakespeare’s Sonnets, making it both captivating and unsettling. Ongoing decoding efforts might reveal even more concealed secrets. However, critics of the theory argue that investigators are reading into the texts too deeply, finding hidden meanings where there may be none.
5. James I
The theory that the reigning monarch during Shakespeare’s era was the true author of the works is somewhat far-fetched, yet the fringe theory continues to persist. While supporters may not directly claim that James wrote the works, they point to his significant influence and the connection between the two men.
Macbeth is believed to have drawn inspiration from the king's book Daemonologie as well as Reginald Scot’s The Discoverie of Witchcraft.
Additionally, the character of Banquo is thought to be based on an actual ancestor of James I. Shakespeare’s acting troupe performed for the royal court and became known as the King’s Men after James became their patron. Given James’s position as the most influential figure in the country, his power and sway would undoubtedly have influenced Shakespeare's writing.
4. Ben Jonson
Those who oppose the belief that William Shakespeare was the true author of his works are known as Anti-Stratfordians. A number of these individuals contend that Ben Jonson was aware of the true identity of the author, with some even suggesting that Jonson himself may have been the one behind the works.
Pinpointing Jonson as the real author is challenging, especially considering his famous eulogy for the man from Stratford-upon-Avon. However, Jonson’s writings appear to carry subtle clues. Some of the characters in his works are interpreted as allegories for the supposed cover-up, and his eulogy in the First Folio is often read as carrying hidden meaning.
In his book Who Wrote Shakespeare?, John Michell argued that Jonson was involved in the creation of the First Folio. Michell further claimed that 'how they acquired authentic copies and the rights to plays previously published, the editors were secretive and mendacious. The originals from which they worked have never been seen since.'
It seems Jonson had privileged access to whatever secret was being concealed. If a comprehensive investigation could be conducted today, starting with Jonson would be the logical place to begin.
3. A Collective Of Authors
Delia Bacon introduced the notion in 1857 that Shakespeare's works were actually crafted by a group of elite “high-born wits and poets.” This hypothesis holds more weight than some other theories, as Bacon herself believed in the existence of a secret committee responsible for the entire body of Shakespeare's work.
This group was supposedly led by Francis Bacon (unrelated to Delia) and consisted of other potential authors such as Edward de Vere and Walter Raleigh, who were allegedly disillusioned with their own literary careers. This led them to engage in this covert writing endeavor.
The theory was further explored in 1931 when Gilbert Slater suggested in The Seven Shakespeares that Francis Bacon, de Vere, Raleigh, William Stanley, Christopher Marlowe, Mary Sidney, and Roger Manners formed a collective known as the ‘Oxford Syndicate.’ Some interpretations of these so-called ‘group theories’ argue that Shakespeare was merely the public representative of this syndicate, selected due to his humble education and compensated to be the face of their collective works.
While this theory may appear more credible, it would be a disheartening and unfortunate discovery for the field of English literature if it were revealed that the man celebrated as the Bard was simply a paid figurehead rather than the true author of his iconic works.
2. William Shakespeare
Of course, there’s also the viewpoint that the works attributed to William Shakespeare were indeed written by... William Shakespeare himself. There is documentary evidence that a man named Shakespeare from Stratford-upon-Avon relocated to London in the 1590s and began writing plays for the Chamberlain’s Men (later renamed the King’s Men when James I became their patron).
The prevailing belief is that the extensive documentation bearing his name—whether on his own works, in the writings of contemporaries, or in official records—proves beyond doubt that Shakespeare was the legitimate author. After his passing in 1616, his colleagues John Heminges and Henry Condell, who had worked closely with him for years, published the First Folio. This edition featured tributes to Shakespeare from both them and Ben Jonson, who honored his legacy and celebrated his contributions.
In his 2010 book Contested Will, James Shapiro, a professor at Columbia University and acclaimed Shakespeare biographer, concluded that, after considering all the competing theories, William Shakespeare was indeed the true author of his works.
1. Sir Walter Raleigh
Sir Walter Raleigh stands out as one of the most renowned figures from the Elizabethan era, celebrated for his voyages to the Americas. Raleigh has also been suggested as a potential author behind Shakespeare’s works.
The idea linking Raleigh to Shakespeare first gained attention in the 1877 pamphlet titled Is Sir Walter Raleigh the Author of Shakespeare’s Plays and Sonnets?, which argued that many aspects of Raleigh’s life closely aligned with themes in Shakespeare's greatest works.
Raleigh is also linked to the concept of a secret literary collective that may have written all of Shakespeare’s works, using the Bard’s name merely as a cover.
In 1618, Sir Walter Raleigh was executed by beheading, a move made to appease the Spanish after he had attacked a Spanish outpost. Raleigh had spent more than a decade imprisoned, making it unlikely that he had any role in the creation of Shakespeare’s works during this period. This theory, though controversial and intriguing, raises few additional points.
