Did Shakespeare write it?
Anti-Stratfordians believe that Shakespeare of Stratford was a front to shield the identity of the real author, who did not want or could not accept public credit. Soime doubt that someone without an aristocratic pedigree could have written the extraordinary works published under his name. Little about his life is officially recorded, and significant chronological gaps have fueled speculation. Candidates proposed for "hidden author" include Christopher Marlowe; Sir Francis Bacon; Edward DeVere, Earl of Oxford and William Stanley, Earl of Derby. Most scholars consider this a fringe belief, but it continues to attract public interest. More...
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Life of the Man from Stratford
William Shakespeare was baptized in Stratford-upon-Avon on April 26, 1564. His father, John Shakespeare, was a prosperous leatherworker, alderman and town bailiff. William is believed to have attended Stratford's grammar school, which emphasized Latin and Greek classics. He married Ann Hathaway in 1582, had three children and bought property in Stratford, but eventually worked in London, the center of English theater. As an actor, a playwright, and a partner in a leading acting company, The Lord Chamberlain's Men (later The King's Men), Shakespeare became well-known and prosperous, until his death on April 23, 1616. More...
Much speculation has arisen over the mysterious "Lost Years" -- a seven year gap between the birth of his last two children in 1585 in Stratford and his emergence on the London Theater scene in 1592. The lack of any records for his activities and whereabouts during this period has spawned many a theory and speculative tale. More...