The myths of Mr. Shakespeare!

Becoming a part of William Shakespeare's world is not just learning about his plays and his sonnets, it is also a world of conspiracy theories and hidden messages.
Was he really an actor and a writer from Stratford?
Was it really his sister that did the writing and hid behind the name of her brother?
Was he really Francis Bacon?
Were his plays penned by a group?
Could this group be the Freemasons?
Was William Shakespeare the secret lover of Queen Elizabeth I?

I am a true Shakespearean.
I believe he was William Shakespeare, and that all the conspiracy theories are just that, conspiracy theories. What's more, it's pretty hard to verify or demystify at this point in time, as the plays were written over Four-hundred years ago.
But that does not stop the questioning, some people seem to need the mysteries, and as they need the mysteries the mysteries grow. And here I am, feeling it's up to me to defend the master of words.

We frequently hear about talented people. They are the embodiment of art, or of music, they are natural born actors, they dance like Nurejev, and there are even natural talents in numbers, fashion, mechanics, etc. The funny thing is, they have existed forever. So why should we not believe that a natural writer could be born among the common man? A writer so talented that his work will survive several wars and revolutions, his work will survive the rice and fall of an empire, survive the constant doubt regarding authenticity of the writer himself.
I read this book about all the codes hidden within his writing, especially if one looks at the First Folio (published a few years after Shakespeare's death). In this book it is more than implied that Francis Bacon wrote the stories together with the Freemasons.
It is said that in order to write about all the subjects Shakespeare tackled, he would have to be a man with extensive knowledge about state affairs and about the royal families. How could a mere actor know all this? This is a valid point, and I can feel a certain slant of doubt in my own conviction when this point is presented. He does seem to know an awful lot about matters of state and of warfare, and also about history and about myths from ancient Greece, to mention a few things...
But if he was a learned man, a man who knew the art of reading and writing, he would be able to acquire knowledge, and quite accurate as such, to write correctly. What's more, back in the day when he lived, writing plays and sonnets was a trade, a profession. And things that seems to go above our heads in terms of knowing stuff, would have been common knowledge back then. Today we have to learn what a sonnet is in order to recognize one, and I urge you all to read my entry on the subject. Back then anyone would recognize it simply by hearing one recited. This was, like I said, common knowledge. So without checking my facts here, I think it would be possible to know a lot about the affairs of state, whilst being a simple actor/writer.

It is also said that the stories were, or are so complex that it would have been impossible for one man to write them alone. Hence the theory that it was written by a group of learned men. And since we are speculating, why not imply the Freemasons? Or I could go even further, I could imply the Knights Templar, Illuminati, Area 51, Elvis... Needless to say, I find this silly, "stop that, stop that, this is silly". What could possibly be the point of writing plays under a different name, only to leave behind several clues as to the real identity of the writer? Why not tell the world who you are if it's so important that they know? Leave behind a mace of codes...
And those searching for codes will find them...

Well...
I could say a lot about my
Life in general..
Love and lack of such...
I could go on and on about dreams,
About wishes I have for
Me and for my child...
Reading about my life
Ought to give someone a
Certain satisfaction,
Knowing secrets about a
Stranger....

See how easy that was? This was pretty clear cut, the first letter on each verse are forming a hidden message. However, in this book I read, the man behind these vivid ideas was completely crazy. At least living in a world of conspiracy theories... He would pick out random letters across the pages, forming the so called hidden messages, and this is something you can to to any novel, any written document... I would probably be able to find deeper meaning to a Barbara Cartland novel... So this is silly! Look to the plays and the sonnets for meaning, not to random letters in the first folio.

Then I much more like the theory that William Shakespeare had an affair to the Queen, thus learning all the secrets of state and previous kings and queens.
But I'm certain he was indeed William Shakespeare.

To conclude; the plays are here.
Their existence are the proof that they were, in fact, written. We read, stage and enjoy them still, and probably will for the next Four-hundred years. And whether it was Shakespeare or Bacon is basically irrelevant as someone did write the plays.
However, I choose to believe that William Shakespeare was William Shakespeare, a prodigy of his time, a man who loved a queen, a genius surviving throughout the ages aided by his magical pen, and a true vizard of words.