Yes, there was a man named William Shakespeare who lived around that time. However, he was merely a petty bureaucrat who quit his job after he made a pile of money so he could retire early. He was also a very bad person. He was mean and ugly. In the midst of a horrible famine, he hoarded food for himself and his family. He sued friends when they owed him mere pocket change. He left his family little in his will, and most shockingly, the will contains no mention of plays or any other writings by him or anyone else. His death went utterly unnoticed by society, which would seem to make little sense.
It is for reasons such as these and for no others than the question, “Who wrote Shakespeare’s plays” is so endlessly debated.
Although the question has been tossed about for years and there are many contenders, scholars have not yet decided, who, if anyone other than Shakespeare, wrote his plays. Sir Francis Bacon is one of the most frequently tossed about names, but on style alone he needs to be thrown out. The other top contender died in 1604 in the middle of Shakespeare’s career, which makes no sense and would require a redating of many of the most famous plays.
