Bacon is Shake-Speare: Together with a Reprint of Bacon's Promus of Formularies and Elegancies

"Bacon is Shake-Speare" by Sir Edwin Durning-Lawrence is a non-fiction work written during the early 20th century that explores the controversial theory that the plays attributed to William Shakespeare were actually authored by Francis Bacon. This book delves into the intellectual capacity of Shakespeare’s works, arguing that the breadth of knowledge and sophistication displayed in the plays could not plausibly belong to an uneducated man from Stratford-upon-Avon. Instead, Durning-Lawrence posits that Francis Bacon, a learned scholar and writer, was the true mind behind the iconic plays. The opening of the work introduces the reader to the central inquiry regarding the true authorship of Shakespeare's plays. Durning-Lawrence critiques the traditional belief in Shakespeare as an unlettered man, suggesting that the richness of legal, historical, and classical knowledge embedded in the texts necessitates a more elevated author. He uses various references and pieces of evidence, including contemporary critiques, to challenge the commonly accepted image of Shakespeare. As he presents historical anecdotes and observations, the author sets the stage for a deeper exploration of the notion that Shakespeare’s literary genius might be better attributed to Bacon’s intellect, leading the reader to reconsider long-held assumptions about one of literature's most esteemed figures.