Francis Bacon Too Dull For Shakespeare
Below is a MRR and PLR article in category Arts Entertainment -> subcategory Poetry.
Francis Bacon: Too Dull for Shakespeare?
Summary:
A lively author, Shakespeare’s works have sparked debates about true authorship. Virginia M. Fellowes’ book, The Shakespeare Code, argues for Francis Bacon as the genuine writer, supported by historical evidence and hidden messages in the texts. Many, including Mark Twain, question whether William Shakespeare, the actor, penned these masterpieces.Article Body:
The idea that Francis Bacon, not William Shakespeare, authored the legendary plays and sonnets isn't new. Proponents like Virginia M. Fellows, in her book The Shakespeare Code, suggest that historical evidence and secret codes within the texts point to Bacon. Others, such as Mark Twain, have also speculated about Bacon’s role, stating that “to write with powerful effect, one must write out the life he has led,” implying Bacon’s life mirrored the works.Despite this, some argue that Bacon couldn't have penned these lively dramas since he was a serious legal mind?"perceived as too dull. But is this critique valid?
Bacon was indeed immersed in law, serving as barrister, Solicitor General, Attorney General, and Lord Chancellor. However, the notion that he was merely a “cold fish” dismisses other facets of his personality. His biographies and personal writings reveal much about his vibrant side.
Dr. William Rawley, Bacon’s biographer and chaplain, recalls a witty encounter from Bacon’s childhood. When Queen Elizabeth I inquired about his age, young Bacon cleverly responded, "two years younger than Her Majesty’s happy reign," charming the queen with his wit.
Friends of Bacon describe him as a lover of jest and wordplay. Poet Ben Johnson, who knew Bacon well, praised his witty language. Rawley recounts how Bacon once dictated 308 anecdotes from memory, which Lord Macaulay later hailed as the world’s best collection of jests.
Bacon’s own writings display his love for language and his flair for humor. Many are unaware of the vast literary and scientific contributions he made, filled with aphorisms like "knowledge is power." His essays, exploring topics such as Friendship, Truth, and Death, are treasures of English literature, blending profundity with wit.
Consider this line opening the essay "Of Truth":
"What is truth?" said jesting Pilate; and would not stay for an answer.
Such clever observations are abundant. In “Of Simulation and Dissimulation,” Bacon writes:
"Dissimulation is but a faint kind of policy, or wisdom; for it asketh a strong wit and a strong heart to know when to tell truth, and to do it; therefore it is the weaker sort of politicians that are the great dissemblers."
Or in “Of Delays,” Bacon muses:
"Fortune is like the market, where, many times, if you can stay a little, the price will fall... There is surely no greater wisdom than well to time the beginning and onsets of things."
In “Of Followers and Friends,” he wrote:
"Costly followers are not to be liked, lest, while a man maketh this train longer, he make his wings shorter."
These examples demonstrate Bacon’s lively intellect and creativity. Dismiss him as dull, and you overlook a man of remarkable talent and charm. Those who challenge Bacon’s potential role in Shakespeare’s works might reconsider their stance.
References:
- Bacon, Francis. Essays (Penguin Classics)- Dodd, Alfred. Francis Bacon's Personal Life Story (Rider & Company, 1986)
- Fellows, Virginia M. The Shakespeare Code (Snow Mountain Press, 2006)
- Rawley, William. The Life of the Right Honorable Francis Bacon, Baron of Verulam, Viscount St. Alban (1657)
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