What's Your Take On The Shakespeare Conspiracy Theory?
@gtargirl (5376)
United States
September 1, 2012 4:57pm CST
Watched the movie "Anonymous" last week. I told my daughter no matter what the theory in the movie was I will always believe Shakespeare was the author of all those classics. WELL ... after watching the movie, I'm not so sure.
Are these facts: 1. Shakespeare was an illiterate actor, he could only read enough to get by but he would stil adlib a lot. 2. His wife and children were illiterate (why would he not teach his kids how to read and write?). 3. After the alledged writer of Romeo and Juliet et al, died, no more writings followed. 6. There's absolutely no proof of any other writings of Shakespeare when he was young (all writers have stuff they wrote but not published in their younger school years). 5. Is there a statue of Shakespeare in his hometown of him as a grain grower???? not a writer?
Ah, these are questions and there are more. Have you seen the movie, "Anonymous"? I'd love to know your thoughts.
5 people like this
9 responses
@PhillyDreamer (3039)
• United States
1 Sep 12
It has been highly rumored that Shakespeare had many ghost writers. In the end he was the one who received the credit. This will serve as a lesson to all writers, own up to your work or someone else will take the credit and become famous for it.
1 person likes this
@gtargirl (5376)
• United States
1 Sep 12
That's so interesting. Until this movie I had no idea that there were these "other" thoughts of who actually wrote the plays. And it is a good lesson to own up to your own work. Thanks for the info.
@PhillyDreamer (3039)
• United States
2 Sep 12
I tend to believe his work came from one person. You can recognize writing styles from different people, and there is no doubt Shakespeare's work was done all in one style. As far as him being illiterate, most poetry was done in spoken word form. As long as you knew how to talk you can create poetry and have others write down your work.
1 person likes this
@suspenseful (40193)
• Canada
2 Sep 12
He probably wrote most of them. The movie was just a speculation and there have been other attempts to prove he did not write his plays and why not, if one can disprove Shakespeare, one can question anyone who lived long ago and think maybe they did not. I would bet he did a lot of writing when young, but to him they were just scribbles. Look I wrote lots of things when I was young, but they were torn up and thrown away. The same thing might have happened to Shakespeare. What you have to do is to read all his plays and see ilf they are similar in grammar and phraseology.
You can go here http://www.answers.com/topic/william-shakespeare and find out more about him.
1 person likes this
@suspenseful (40193)
• Canada
3 Sep 12
It was not deliberate. It was just that we moved about three or four times when I was in my teens. I still have my journals though, but then it was after I got married and we moved to more permanent places. I do have a good memory though and remember what I wrote when I was young. Seems I was stuck on science fiction and strange worlds. I do think that Shakespeare wrote all the plays because him being an actor, he had to read to learn all his lines and it would be like what happens now when an actor gets to be a producer and a director and then writes the scripts and in some cases writes novels. It is part of the process.
@varunkrishna007 (1909)
• India
10 Sep 12
This is something I am hearing for the first time. Well I never knew there was a real conspiracy regarding Shakespeare. I hope its not true because then many textbooks across the world would go for a revamp. more than textbooks, its hard to brush off the image of shakespeare from our minds
1 person likes this
@gtargirl (5376)
• United States
7 Oct 12
Honestly, before this movie I never heard of it either. I think too many years have gone by now to do anything about it. It's a theory, and a very interesting one at that. watch it the movie ... it will make you think for sur. Let's not change those textbooks just yet. 
@winterose (39887)
• Canada
6 Sep 12
no one can prove who shakespeare was because they have no actual proof of who he was. It was not written anywhere for historians to find. They are uncovering more and more info but the puzzle is not completed yet.
It is more than obvious though that shakespeare was not the person who wrote those plays, because he could hardly read and write. He was poor he did not have a good education.
To answer your question women and children were not educated in those days unless they were rich. They did not believe a woman or a child needed to learn to read and write.
1 person likes this
@gtargirl (5376)
• United States
6 Sep 12
Wow, it's a mystery for sure. And I would have guessed that if Shakespeare had written all those plays he would probably not have been poor for long. But I digress ... maybe they'll have all the pieces to the puzzle one day. Maybe historians will give up on finding more pieces to the puzzle. Who knows. The movie made sense and had great arguments. Thanks Winterose.
@p1kef1sh (45681)
•
2 Sep 12
Shakespeare is one of those people who excites passions in many. What we truly know about him is fairly limited and there is ni hard evidence that be either did or did nit write the works ascribed to him. One of the best books about Shakespeare that I have ever read is by Bill Bryson but even the conclusions in that have by necessity to remain largely conjecture. I would recommend it as a good read however. There is one issue I would take up and that is the statue of him as a grain grower (farmer)? There is only one contemporary statue of Shakespeare in his home town, Stratford-upon-Avon, and that is in the church where he is buried. It is a bust. i.e. head and shoulders and makes no reference to his occupation. His father grew up on a farm but I din't think that there is a statue of him anywhere.
1 person likes this
@gtargirl (5376)
• United States
2 Sep 12
I'll have to enquire about Bill Bryson book. It's probably on Amazon. I'm sure the movie had lots of conjectures but the movie does bring up good points and makes you think. If anything, that means it was a good movie. We'll never know the truth, I guess. By the way, I've seen photographs of Stratford-upon-Avon ... what an absolute enchanting place. Would love to visit there and I had not idea it was Shakespeare's hometown.
@ARIES1973 (11426)
• Legaspi, Philippines
1 Sep 12
I should watch it gtargirl. I don't have much time right now but after my training I'm sure I will. It's glad that you open that topic so I became interested in that movie. Some of the information that I have right now came from myLot. I don't have time to watch news anymore. Not only that I am so busy but the fact that the place I am presently assigned has a continuous power supply interruption. Oh no, it's not an interruption anymore but a complete darkness.
Well, two weeks to go and everything will back to normal. I can watch movies again. I was not able to watch a lot of movies including this one.
@gtargirl (5376)
• United States
2 Sep 12
For sure, when the power comes back on for you, Anonymous would be a really good movie to watch. Hope everything goes back to normal soon.
@maygodblessu44 (7336)
• India
3 Sep 12
Hello my friend gtargirl Ji,
Well, William Shakespeare was a great writer and also a poet of 16-17 century. I have read 'AS YOU LIKE IT' while in IX class student. Coming to doubt, this thing came in 19th century, may be by some who wanted to become famous. There is no correct medicines for someone's doubt. I wish to ask that person, who ha scome out with his/her own theory , could he/She prove that h/she is offspring of so and so. What eveidence will be given. There is no end of conspiracies. My belief is not shaken.In India, there have been poets/ Fakirs like Kabirdas/Surdas/Rahim, who were all illeterate, but we do Ph.D on tehir life and their saying are appliucable and hold good even today's life.
May God bless You and have a great time 
@mythociate (21432)
• Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
22 Jan 13
What I'm reading here are a bunch of tales that are only true because you say them (maybe because you heard them in the movie ... a work of FICTION). Have you done any research on the allegations?
Besides, weren't they still practically INVENTING English in Shakespeare's time. That makes him even more "the Immortal Bard," as he was less 'bound by the rules of grammar & definition.'
@cmoneyspinner (9219)
• Austin, Texas
23 Apr 16
Never saw the movie. But it sounds like the product of a very imaginative person who is pretty good at making stuff up long after the fact, that can't really be proven. Can't be proven? But why? Because … it's made up!! 
If I see the movie "Anonymous" on Netflix, I might take a look at it since you've mentioned it. I never even heard of it.
If I see the movie "Anonymous" on Netflix, I might take a look at it since you've mentioned it. I never even heard of it. 