Conspiracy Theories Of Shakespeare

Have you ever wondered about the life of the illustrious playwright, William Shakespeare? Surprisingly, scholars and skeptics do not really know as much about the man as one might think. In fact, there was a period of seven years, between 1589 and 1592, when Shakespeare disappeared from society with absolutely no documentation of where he was or what he was doing. There are only conspiracy theories about his location during this mysterious time. Throughout this paper, the known facts, a popular tale surrounded by a lot of speculation, and conspiracy theories, are examined in order to decide whether the theories in question are fact or fiction.

First, before discussing any interesting conspiracy theories, one must lay out the facts. There are

According to a clergyman of that time, “Shakespeare was known to poach deer and rabbits on the property of local landowner Sir Thomas Lucy 'who oft had him whipped and sometimes imprisoned'… Shakespeare eventually left Stratford to avoid Lucy's punishment." (Pressley, J.M.). Also, Sir Thomas Lucy, himself, reported that Shakespeare "was discovered trying to steal deer from his estate," (Nettles, John). While this is still considered a tall tale with no solid proof to back it up, it is a debatable topic. Scholars are not sure if he voluntarily left Stratford or was exiled due to this questionable situation. It is possible that Shakespeare did not want to get further involved in the law after the land dispute in 1589, and, with no other choice, he fled his hometown to begin his playwright career in London. Another possible theory is that he intentionally got himself into a troublesome situation, so he would have had an excuse to leave his wife and children behind to flee town and pursue his dreams. After all, someone would have to be desperate to give up family for an undesirable gig hundreds of miles

It is noted that WIlliam Knell, a member of the "Queen's Men," "got into a brawl with a fellow actor, and ended up dead," (Nettles, John). It is possible that Shakespeare joined the group after the death of William Knell. Here, the theory is that Shakespeare benefitted from a murder. Another idea is that Shakespeare possibly "got to chatting to members of the company and, wanting to get away from Stratford, joined them and began his acting apprenticeship at that point," ("Shakespeare's Lost Years: The Lost Years of William Shakespeare"). The reason this theory has not been forgotten is because Sir William is known for being a playwright and actor; therefore, the idea of him starting out in an acting group is plausible. If he was determined to leave Stratford to become an actor, it is very likely that he watched the "Queen's Men" perform and asked to join the group. If so, he would have had seven years to practice and blossom into the admirable playwright he’s known as