Who Wrote Shakespeare?
A succinct summary of the evidence
This article is short, but pretty complete. It states what I believe is a definitive case for the true “author” of the canon. (The reason for quotation marks will soon become apparent.)
I have sifted through much of the available research. It is worth noting that there is no historical evidence whatever that the town burgher from Stratford wrote anything, at any time in his life, or that anyone ever thought of him as a writer. Instead, there is evidence for everything but any of the above.
When he died, English poets (who wrote paeans at the drop of a hat, were silent — all the more notable given that paeans were written immediately for every other poet and playwright of the day.
The only evidence for the Stratfordian comes from the works themselves — the exact same kind of “evidence” that exists for Mark Twain. (With that kind of cursory “scholarship”, the genius of Samuel Clemens would forever go unrecognized.)
On the other hand, there is decent historical evidence for several other authors, each of whom can make a serious, documented claim to at least some of the works.
My conclusion is that there was a collaboration. But there is good historical evidence that Edward DeVere was the ringleader. His birth coincides with…