Question

Some people believe Shakespeare's plays were not really written by him. Soem people believe the real authors are anywhere from Francis Bacon to Queen Elizabeth while others support Edward de Vere. Who do you belive is the literary and historical Shakespeare.

I believe the real Shakespeare is William Shakespeare but I would like some help with facts to support my claim. I have to write an essay on who I believe is the real Shakespeare.

Answer 1

I am not a scholar of that period, so my opinion matters little.

Have you come across this resource yet?
http://www.shakespeare-oxford.com/?p=35

You should find it helpful in your search for facts upon which to base your opinion.

Answer 2

Here is another excellent reference with links to many other scholarly essays and debates about whether Shakespeare wrote them all, or was a nom de plume.

http://www.bardweb.net/debates.html

Apparently there are members of the Harvard faculty on both sides of the question.

Answer 3

Another helpful site is shakespeareauthorship

Answer 4

http://shakespeareauthorship.com/
http://www.shakespeare-oxford.com/?p=35

Answer 5

Would it be a good idea to base my essay on the fact that I believe William Shakespeare from Stratford is the real Shakespeare simply because of lack of evidence he isn't Shakespeare? I mean the other candidates don't show evidence to change my opinion after reading all the sites you have given me. Thanks for the help.

Answer 6

If you are not convinced by the evidence of the various theories that someone else wrote the plays, then it would be a good idea to support Shakespeare's authorship and include a rebuttal to the other claims in your essay.

Answer 7

I think they were written by him. But some says his real name was not William Shakespeare. They think that it's his fake name.