Summary of Selects: Did Shakespeare really write all that stuff?

Overview of Selects: Did Shakespeare really write all that stuff?

This episode of Stuff You Should Know examines the long-running debate over whether William Shakespeare of Stratford-upon-Avon really wrote the plays and poems attributed to him. The hosts stress that Shakespeare definitely existed, but the question is whether he was the sole author of the works bearing his name. The discussion is deliberately agnostic: both the pro-Shakespeare and anti-Shakespeare camps have arguments, but neither side has definitive proof.

What the Episode Covers

The core question

• William Shakespeare was a real historical person from Stratford-upon-Avon, living from roughly 1564 to 1616.
• The debate is not about his existence, but about authorship:
  • Did he write all the works attributed to him?
  • Was he a front for another writer or group of writers?
  • Or did he write some, but not all, of them?

Why the controversy persists

• There is limited biographical documentation from the period.
• Shakespeare was not nobility, and records from the 1500s–1600s are often sparse.
• The lack of direct proof creates room for speculation, especially given how extraordinary the works are.

Main Arguments and Evidence Discussed

Evidence that Shakespeare likely wrote the works

• He lived in Stratford-upon-Avon and later worked in London as an actor, producer, and theater man.
• He likely had a grammar school education until around age 13, which would have exposed him to:
  • Latin
  • History
  • Classical literature
• Contemporary references suggest he was known in the theater world during his lifetime.
• The hosts argue that his upbringing and education were enough to make him capable of writing the plays, especially combined with talent and imagination.

Evidence that fuels doubts

• There is very little surviving documentation explicitly connecting him to writing.
• His surviving will does not mention manuscripts or books.
• His tombstone’s curse and the lack of a clear authorial legacy strike some as odd.
• The hosts note that the surviving record is strong on his theater involvement but weak on his writing process.
• Many details about his life were only reconstructed much later, leaving gaps that suspicion can exploit.

Famous Clues and Contested Details

Spelling variations

• Shakespeare’s name appears in many different spellings across documents.
• Anti-Shakespeare theorists sometimes treat this as meaningful.
• The hosts argue it’s mostly just an artifact of the era, when spelling was inconsistent.

The bust and tombstone

• His Stratford bust and tombstone have both been heavily interpreted:
  • The bust’s object in his hands has been argued to be either a sack of grain or a pillow/desk rest.
  • The tombstone includes a curse warning against moving his bones.
• Supporters and skeptics alike read these details as evidence for their side.

The First Folio

• Ben Jonson’s praise of Shakespeare in the First Folio is often cited as strong evidence.
• Critics argue Jonson may have been complicit in a broader cover-up or simply being diplomatic.
• The episode shows how almost every piece of evidence can be spun both ways.

Major Alternative Candidates

Francis Bacon

• One of the earliest major alternative authors proposed.
• Some believed Bacon, a philosopher and statesman, had the intellect and motive to hide authorship.
• The “stigma of print” theory suggested nobles avoided public authorship to protect their status.

Edward de Vere, 17th Earl of Oxford

• The most prominent modern alternative in the episode.
• Oxfordian theorists point to:
  • His poetry
  • Possible parallels between his life and the plays
  • Social connections that could explain hidden authorship
• The hosts note that the evidence remains circumstantial.

Christopher Marlowe

• Another popular candidate because he was a gifted playwright and contemporary of Shakespeare.
• A conspiracy version says Marlowe faked his death and used Shakespeare as a front.
• The hosts find this especially speculative.

Female authorship theories

• Some argue one or more women may have written the works, since women had limited access to publication and public authorship.
• Names mentioned include Mary Sidney Herbert and Amelia Bassano.
• The hosts note that some modern claims about these figures are exaggerated or outright false.

Historical Context and the Rise of Doubt

Delia Bacon’s role

• In the 1800s, writer Delia Bacon became one of the first major public skeptics.
• She proposed that Shakespeare’s works were really written by elite intellectuals like Francis Bacon and Walter Raleigh.
• Her work helped launch modern authorship skepticism and arguably contributed to the rise of literary close reading and criticism.

The broader pattern

• The episode suggests authorship conspiracies often grow around:
  • Extremely famous figures
  • Sparse records
  • Works so brilliant they seem hard to attribute to one person
• Shakespeare fits that pattern perfectly.

Bottom Line

• The hosts do not claim to solve the mystery.
• Their conclusion is basically that:
  • Shakespeare almost certainly existed.
  • He was definitely involved in the theater.
  • The documentary record is incomplete.
  • The anti-Shakespeare theories raise interesting questions but remain unproven.
• Ultimately, the episode argues that the plays themselves are what matter most:
  • They are brilliant
  • They still resonate today
  • Whether written by one man or not, they deserve to be appreciated

Notable Takeaway

• The most important point is not “Who wrote Shakespeare?” but “Why do these works still matter?”
• The episode closes by emphasizing that the plays are so strong, funny, tragic, and human that they continue to connect with audiences 400 years later.