There’s a lot of interest in unveiling the real Shakespeare these days. That man from Avon was the business manager for one of the most famous acting companies of the day and had a well-documented life as a minor businessman, but no evidence he was actually a writer. The longest signed document was his will, in which he carefully catalogued all his possessions, which strangely, did not include a single book nor important manuscript. As a writer, I can assure you we keep copies of our creations.
When the man from Avon died, the world was silent. It wasn’t until seven years later that Ben Jonson wrote the intro to the first folio. But what if Jonson was really in on the gag and protecting the real story?
The man from Avon had two daughters, one of whom bizarrely appears to have been functionally illiterate. More important, however, for a commoner with no documented travel nor education, it is inconceivable the man from Avon could have absorbed all the details or had access to the wealth of information on a wide variety of subjects, or had such insight into the ways of the royals.
Delia Bacon was born in a log cabin in Ohio and went on to become America’s leading Shakespearean scholar. In the 1850s, she published The Philosophy of Shakespeare’s Plays Unfolded, in which she theorized a council led by Francis Bacon (no relation) had produced the Bard’s work. Many learned scholars, including Mark Twain believed she was onto something.
In 1920, however, Shakespeare Identified in Edward de Vere was published by J. Thomas Looney. This was the first attempt to place de Vere’s biography alongside the plays and the parallels were astonishing.
Women were not allowed involvement with the theater during Shakespeare’s time, which is why the actors are all men. However, royals like de Vere were also not supposed to be involved with the lowly craft of playwriting. And homosexuality was an even greater crime, so using beards was quite common. De Vere was a notorious bisexual and favorite whit of the Queen.
He was also the patron of the greatest acting troupe of the day, known as Oxford’s Men (de Vere was the Earl of Oxford), while the other group, The King’s Men, included Shakespeare as actor and business manager.
The patron of the King’s Men was Henry Carey, who had a mistress 20 years younger than himself, Emilia Bassano, the most famous female poet of the age. Another possible female accomplice could be Mary Sidney, whose groundbreaking play Antonius revived interest in classical soliloquy. Sidney founded the most influential literary salon in the history of English literature and the most creative minds communed at her salon at Wilton House.
After having solved many mysteries, like the origins of the Holy Grail (born on the Hemp Road linking Europe with the East), Jay Gould’s involvement in the Lincoln assassination, JM/Wave’s involvement in the JFK assassination, my spotlight has turned onto the Shakespeare controversy.
Obviously the man from Avon does not have the CV for producing the work, and I believe only a team could cover the vast territory involved and keep publishing the work after the creator’s demise. My current thesis is de Vere is the real Shakespeare, and his secret work was overseen by his godmother, Queen Elizabeth and others. Those who could have been involved in polishing the work include Francis Bacon.
The man from Avon died in 1616 and the first folio creating his legacy was not published until seven years later, when the mythology was first laid down by Ben Jonson, who strangely had said nothing seven years earlier when his supposed great friend passed away. Strange also how the man from Avon knew no other famous writers, and never appeared at any of the literary salons of the era. No one else famous seems to have known him. And strange how new work continued to be published after his death, especially his love poems, most of which seem to have been written to male lovers.
The first portrait of Shakespeare appeared in that folio and his facial features strongly resemble a mask, and, in fact, a distinct mask outline is included.
The authorship issue,” says Lorenzo Geraldo, “is based on greed and continued misunderstanding ever since David Garrick came to Stratford in 1769 and started the illusion of William Shaksper as author of the plays.
Stratford is a tax haven for the Crown from the Tourist industry. Oxfordians continue to sell their water down by the river to naive newcomers. Edward de Vere is easily eliminated as he died way too early in 1604 before many of the plays were written. There are references in the plays that took place after 1604. Bacon on the other hand lived till 1626 and was there for the production of the 1623 Shakespeare First Folio. Bacon left actual evidence behind with the only Shakespeare related diary or notebook, The Promus, that contains over 3 thousand unique Shakespeare phrases jotted down in his own handwriting that precedes the Plays publication and stage performances.
This gag book would be a greater mystery if Bacon wasn’t Shakespeare. Yes, there was collaboration. Ben Jonson is the key as he worked and lived with Francis Bacon after his impeachment. Jonson called Bacon, “The Chief” and wrote admiringly of Bacon’s mind and talents as did many other friends of Bacon’s who referred to himself as “a concealed poet.””
Bacon and de Vere were both bisexual. The fact work continued to be published after de Vere’s death is proof of nothing since the sonnets were also published after he had expired, and most were love letters written from one man to another. Both Bacon and de Vere preferred boys. De Vere married a 15-year-old at age 21 and had five children. Bacon, allegedly spurned by his first love, did not marry until age 45…to a 13-year-old. Although he sired no children, Bacon wrote two sonnets to his child bride expressing his true love.