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Question: What is the Bacon-Shakespeare Controversty in English literary history and its's importance to literature !?
* also known as Bacon TheroyWww@QuestionHome@Com


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The Baconian theory of Shakespearean authorship holds that Sir Francis Bacon wrote the plays conventionally attributed to William Shakespeare!.

Sir Francis Bacon, was a major scientist, philosopher, courtier, diplomat, essayist, historian and successful politician, who served as Solicitor General (1607), Attorney General (1613) and Lord Chancellor (1618)!.

Those who subscribe to the theory that Sir Francis Bacon wrote the Shakespeare work generally refer to themselves as Baconians, whilst terming those who maintain the orthodox view that William Shakspere of Stratford wrote the works Stratfordians!.

Baptised as William Shakspere, the Stratford man used several variants of his name during his lifetime including Shakespeare!. Baconians use "Shakspere" for the glover's son from Stratford and "Shakespeare" or "Shake-speare" for the author to avoid the assumption that the Stratford man wrote the work!.

Mainstream scholars reject the Baconian theory along with other "alternative authorship" theories, citing a range of evidence against the anti-Stratfordian position, not least the fact that it relies on a conspiracy theory!.

They reject the anti-Stratfordians' claim that Shakespeare had insufficient education to write the plays!. It is usually pointed out that as the son of an Alderman, Shakespeare grew up in a family that had a position of some importance in Stratford, and it would be surprising if he had not attended the local grammar school!. Such schools were founded to educate boys from Shakespeare's moderately well-to-do background!.

They also argue that the1623 First Folio states that Shakespeare is the plays' author, and, in his prefatory poem to the First Folio, Ben Jonson also refers to Shakespeare as the "swan of Avon", circumstantially tying the "Shakespeare" of the Folio to William Shakespeare of Stratford-upon-Avon!.

Stratfordian scholars often cite Occam's razor: the principle that the simplest and best-evidenced explanation (that the plays were written by Shakespeare of Stratford) is likely to be the correct one!. A critique of all the alternative authorship theories can be found in Samuel Schoenbaum's Shakespeare's Lives!.Www@QuestionHome@Com

Bacon wrote Shakespeare plays because Bacon was a gifted and famous person and Bill Shakespeare was a (phew!) actor!.
Some otherwise clever people have spent too much time on this stuff!. It particularly attracts cijpher and code hobbyists and professionals, and conspiracy theorists!.Www@QuestionHome@Com

The only theory I am aware of regarding Sir Francis Bacon and William Shakespeare is that they are one in the same person!. According to art work I have seen, they look very much alike!. But there were no cameras then!.Www@QuestionHome@Com