Shakespeare? Man of Mystery

Shakespeare, a man of almost complete mystery, little is known about him at all. In fact, much more has been pointed to that he didn’t write. This brings another question to arise – Did he even know how to write his own name? Evidence shows his father wasn’t able to sign his name He signed with an “X.” Shakespeare would have received some of his father’s background; this would results in him being illiterate as well. Shakespeare might have been able to out grow and earn more of a life than his father, but what if he didn’t? That means he might not have written the amazing pieces of literature from the fifteen hundreds, who did? Though the topic is vague to true facts, many opinions have been bounced around. Now there are mainly four candidates pointed to being to real Shakespearean writer: Edward de Vere, Francis Bacon, Christopher Marlowe, and even Queen Elizabeth I (Bacon-Shakespeare Coincidence 1). Thus the final question arrives: Are Shakespeare’s bones buried where they have been resting for four centuries, or was a fake ceremony preformed to the death of a candidates writing career? We may not know now or ever, but the facts that are known point to, he isn’t there. This is according to those who have had the heart to question a man whose writing can’t be duplicated by anyone else’s talents. 1

Admittedly, 2

Many researchers insist that Shakespeare was real and that he was literate. (Also, they state that he was the writer of his plays other than having maybe some collaboration.) “Researchers believe even though John Shakespeare was illiterate, that his son wasn’t, for he was sent to a Grammar school and then to a University at young ages” (William Shakespeare 1). During Grammar school it is suggested that Shakespeare learned the basics: mathematics, English, Religion and maybe History, all studied and taught in Latin. “From the content of his plays, he must have learned early about the woods, and fields, about birds, insects, and small animals, about trades and outdoor sports, and about the country people he later portrayed with such humor” (William Shakespeare 1).  Then when he advanced to Oxford University, he must have picked up upon the subjects: alchemy, astrology, folklore, medicine, and law. However, how could this man from an illiterate family, one who was lower in class, be able to have the money to get into a University or at that a grammar school? His father might have been high in the community, mayor, and high bailiff, but that doesn’t give him the reason to have money. It has been suggested that he acted, wrote plays, but it is unknown how much they could have made then for it. He might have done it for fun. How did this middle class man get such an education of such wide varieties that are shown in his writing if he might not have even gone to school? The question of ‘Is Shakespeare real?’ arises once again to the main attention.3

If Shakespeare of Stratford-upon-Avon didn’t write, who did? One main candidate is Francis Bacon. The first provider to think of information to which went against what all others though was Reverend James Wilmot. “In Wilmot’s time the imposing Stratford house that Shakespeare had once owned had been pulled down by another clergyman, and all that was left was a nondescript butcher’s shop where Shakespeare was said to have been born – as the then local tradition had it – to a butcher who could neither read nor write” (Wilson 13). He couldn’t find one book written by the hands of William Shakespeare. He knew that in 1644 the newly updated versions of his plays were considered so much more improved by the England church which held all old records that they disposed of all of the first editions. This brought up the question, ‘How could we know he was real, if all that was considered evidence is gone.’ Wilmot for years kept documentation of his findings and beliefs, though before he died threw them away, wanting not to upset his friends and family he didn’t tell. (They were all firm believers in Shakespearean works.) He did come across one very interesting piece of evidence though, a series of letters he had found from Anthony Bacon, the brother of Francis Bacon.4

“Francis bacon was a man who could have been believed to have written the plays accredited to Shakespeare” (Wilson 14). Bacon’s father had been the Lord Keeper to Elizabeth 1, and his mother was Elizabeth’s first minister’s sister-in-law. His families name then would have been higher up in the nobility table, as well as the money that his family probably had, being close to the Queen. Bacon had let some writing out, but could he have written plays under the name of “Shakespeare,” since it was degrading to nobility to write in the time of his life. Writing was a job for the poor, those who weren’t high up in status; those looked down upon by richer more powerful people. Writing was something for nobility to go and see as a play or read, not for them to write. “Both Shakespeare and Bacon also seemed to share a similar background with education” (Bacon-Shakespeare Coincidence 2.) They both wrote about topics that were similar to each other. “Bacon’s writing exhibited a marked distaste for crowds. Like Shakespeare, Bacon delighted in nature, his essay on Gardens featuring no less than thirty-two of the thirty five flowers mentioned by Shakespeare” (Wilson 15). However, nothing is for sure about these similar writers.5

In 1920 a Thomas Looney was trying to find more on whom many have been William Shakespeare. He took few steps of evaluation, but each was carefully set out. “Looney first set down a list of characteristics that ‘Shakespeare’ revealed in his works” (Wilson 18). These characteristics included: Lancastrian connections, a love of music and other things Italian, a penchant for sports, particularly falconry, probably Catholic sympathy, and aristocratic up bring (Wilson 18). Then Looney tried to match theses characteristics with those of someone of the same era. He found them in Edward de Vere, seventeenth Earl of Oxford. ‘Shakespeare’ wouldn’t have shown few of the characteristics that were found within his writing. Why would a man of lower status, from a middle class family, show qualities of aristocratic up bring? On the other hand, a Nobleman like Edward de Vere wouldn’t have any problem showing this, he on the other hand would have had to use a ‘ghost’ name, maybe one like William Shakespeare? Then there’s the characteristic of the love for things Italian. ‘Shakespeare’ wouldn’t have had a taste for that; he was an English man, and he, during his life, never had records of traveling to other nations. Finally, the Catholic sympathy, ‘Shakespeare’ could have done this, but in the era of his life, Catholic religion was looked down upon. The priests were executed in front of crowds on regular days; there deaths were looked to as entertainment, just as the guillotine was in France later in history. The ways of death included: hanging, drawing, and quartering (Wilson pl. 9). ‘Shakespeare’ wouldn’t have shown sympathy for the Catholics. That would have resulted with his death, though a man who lived in Italy could have. Thus, could Edward de Vere have written theses amazing pieces of art under a ‘ghost’ name of Shakespeare or not?6

As for all the information shown, nothing can be considered a fact, except the fact that there is a grave which has the title as “Shakespeare.” But is someone down there really? As last words he said:7

“Good friend, for Jesus’ sake forbeare8

To dig the dust enclosed here.9

Blessed be the man that spares these stones,10

And cursed be that moves my bones” (Wilson 394).11

These words told grave diggers to leave his bones alone, for normally they dug up a grave and burned them to make place for another. Did he say this because he didn’t want to be disturbed from his forever sleep, or is it that Bacon or de Vere, or even Queen Elizabeth I wrote them as words to fool those to think this man of mystery was to be untouched, because the man was not there, and the fact was an empty grave lay where a stone with a quill on it sat, or was it all a coincidence? For now we may never know, for this “man of mystery” took it with him to his grave, making our guesses as good as it may ever get.12