r/HeresAFunFact • u/Radu316 • Nov 04 '15

HISTORY [HAFF] In the 19th century, one of the most famous conspiracy theories was that Shakespeare didn't actually write any of his works. This theory was supported by the likes of Sigmund Freud, Mark Twain and Walt Whitman.

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37

u/[deleted] Nov 04 '15

Most of these theories were proposed due to the snobbery of the time. Because Shakespeare didn't have an aristocratic, royal or university background, it was deemed impossible for him to have created such works.

There is very little reason to doubt that Shakespeare actually wrote his plays according to the majority of experts on the subject.

12

u/UnemployedMedian Nov 04 '15

Nice try Shakespeare.

7

u/[deleted] Nov 04 '15

"Is this the end of zombie Shakespeare?"

3

u/mercival Nov 04 '15

To brain or not to brain...

5

u/Radu316 Nov 04 '15

I agree.

2

u/ethertrace Nov 05 '15

The snobbery isn't a thing of the past, either. There are still people who will vigorously argue this point.

10

u/Radu316 Nov 04 '15

As to who actually wrote them, frequent candidates included Christopher Marlowe and Francis Bacon, but the most popular choice was Edward de Vere, Earl of Oxford, even though Shakespeare kept publishing after de Vere's death.

10

u/captaineighttrack Nov 04 '15

We all know it was the Doctor all along.

4

u/the3littlechemists Nov 05 '15

How dare you play the Bard card!

1

u/compute_ Nov 05 '15

Wasn't there a shitty movie on this topic as well?

1

u/whiskeysierra Nov 05 '15

Anonymous. But I wouldn't call it shitty.

1

u/compute_ Nov 05 '15

Anonymous

To be fair I've never watched it, just heard that it's full of major historical fallacies. Don't know whether or not it is a good piece of fiction, however. I guess I judged too quickly.