William Shakespeare was a prolific writer, writing 37 plays and 154 sonnets during his lifetime. His works contained approximately 20,000 different words, a rough indication of his vast vocabulary. On average, an educated person tends to have between 8 and 10,000 words. Of those 20,000 words, approximately 2,000 were new to the dictionary. Likewise, from his works, Shakespeare demonstrated his intimate knowledge of the legal system, the political system, and an intricate knowledge of northern Italy, a place he never visited, but lived alone. So why do many people believe that he did not write his own works? These are what we consider to be the top ten reasons Shakespeare was a fraud. Judge for yourself.
1) illiteracy of their parents. His father, John Shakespeare, was a glover by trade, making leather gloves for the nobility of Elizabethan times. He signed his own documents using a glover’s compass symbol, ie without a signature. His mother was also illiterate: she signed her name with a Running Horse.
two) Their education. There are NO records showing Shakespeare’s education. Therefore, only assumptions can be made. Since his father was elected as a councilor in the local community, he would have had free education for his children as a benefit of the privilege that his position held. On a reasonable assumption, Shakespeare is believed to have attended King Edward IV Grammar School in Stratford. Anecdotal evidence shows that his father had difficulties in his business and that Shakespeare joined him in the business at the age of 14. In Elizabethan times there were two colleges (Oxford and Cambridge) with attendance records. There is NO record of Shakespeare going to college.
3) Illiteracy of their own children.. Why were her daughters illiterate? Her daughters signing documents with a mark in one case (Judith) and her eldest daughter (Susanna) signing a document with “a painfully formed signature, which was probably the most she could do with the pen.” (Paleographer E. Maunde) Thompson)
4) NO documentation ANYWHERE there is PROOF that Shakespeare wrote his own plays. Original manuscripts have never been found.
5) NO correspondence It has never been seen since Shakespeare to Anyone. In other words, there is NO evidence of their own literacy at all.
6) His will:There were NO manuscripts, NO books or ANY form of literary bequest left in your will to any of the beneficiaries of your will.
7) burial records from Shakespeare: Shakespeare died in 1616. Shakespeare’s funeral records show him as a “gentleman” and not a “playwright”.
8) None of his works were published until 7 years after his death. when the First Folio was published in 1623. Other writers of the time published his works during his lifetime.
9) The The ONLY documentation that exists of Shakespeare’s handwriting are six scribbled signaturesthree of which are of his own volition.
10) Of his own free will he signs his name three times and it is written differently every time. This is a document that he would be in control of.
The above list is far from exhaustive as to why Shakespeare was a fraud, but it does raise a lot of questions for any reasonable person. There are several theories about other writers who actually wrote Shakespeare’s plays, including Francis Bacon, Edward De Vere, the Earl of Oxford, and Christopher Marlowe. Unfortunately, there is NO PROOF that any of these three wrote Shakespeare…