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| Sunday, 1 August 2004 |
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Shakespeare or Bacon? The Baconian theory Salt & Spice by Rohan Jayetilleke The Baconian theory, that Francis Bacon (1521-1626) wrote the plays attributed to Shakespeare apparently gripped the minds of literati in the mid 18th century. It is based partly on internal evidence in Shakespeare's plays the knowledge displayed and vocabulary including Latin dictums and partly on external circumstances of Shakespeare's own biography. Some holders of this theory have found cryptograms (concealed language to the common reader) in the plays in Latin to support this theory. In 'Love's Labour Lost' for find it in 'honorificabiliud; nitatibus; Ne intelligio, domine; Laus deo, bone intelligio; Videsne quis vent; Video, et gandeo (Act V. Scene 1). Francis Bacon, Verulam and Viscount St. Albans, youngest son of Sir Nicholas Bacon, Lord Keeper in Queen Elizabeth's reign was born at York House in the Strand, London and educated at Trinity College, Cambridge, admitted to Gray's Inn, went through various steps of the legal profession, entered Parliament in 1584 as member for Melcombe region and other counties. He wrote papers on public affairs, including 'Letter of Advice to Queen Elizabeth' urging strong measures against Catholics, became Solicitor General in 1607, Attorney General in 1613 and Lord Keeper in 1621. He was charged before the House of Lords with bribery and corruption, confessed guilt of corruption due to deleriction of duties. He was deprived of the Great Seal, fined and condemned to confinement in the London Tower for a few days. Later he was released and the king assigned the fine to the trustees for the use of Bacon. The Pope described Bacon as wisest, brightest, meatiest of markings." His works come under three classes viz, philosophical, literary and professional. He wrote, 'The Advancement of Living in 1605, 'No viem Organum' in Latin in 1620, 'De Augentics' in Latin 1623 and several others he wrote much in Latin, clothes his works in Latin so that there would be no corruption of them and would gain permanency in the firmament of literature. In the alternative, nothing is known of the education and the upbringing of Shakespeare and how he acquired a knowledge of Latin, which was a closed premise in England at the time, only for those from the upper drawers of society. As such Bacon, enjoyed this exclusive right to study and write in Latin. William Shakespeare (1564-1616) was the eldest son and third child of John and Mary Shakespeare, and born at stratford-on-Avon, in Warickshire, England and baptized on April 26, 1564. His father was a husbandman, glover, butcher, wool dealer and earned his daily bread engaged in working class callings. It is most doubtful and dubious whether Shakespeare with no educational background had access to any type of history or Latin. This is very ostensibly borne by his play 'Love's Labour Lost'. The King of Navarre and three of his lords had sworn to keep away from the sight of women for three years. A princess of France arrives. The king falls in love with the princess at first sight. His lords too following suit fall in love with the ladies accompanying the princess. The news of the death of the father of the princess in France interrupts the romanticism that developed between the king and the princess, and the lords with princess's ladies. The visitors impose a year's ordeal on their lovers. The play ends with the beautiful owl and cuckoo song. Some of the prominent supporters of the Bacon Theory were Americans, Lord Penanza, Sir T. Martin (Shakespeare or Bacon), I Donnelly (The Great Cryptograms), Sir G. Greenwood (Shakespeare Problem Re-started) and Sir E. Dunning Lawrence (Bacon is Shakespeare 1910, The Shakespeare Myth 1912). These are instructible evidences, that the plays are the products of a highly educated writer and not just a commoner with no education. As Francis Bacon had fallen out of grace in England, he would have used William Shakespeare as a nom-de-plume and created the character called William Shakespeare. Interestingly the first collection of Shakespeare's plays were published in England in 1623, after Shakespeare had died in 1616, and while Francis Bacon was alive for he died only in 1623. Those who study and write about Shakespeare need to be more investigative to sort the chaff from the wheat and also discern chalk from cheese rather than write litanies on Shakespeare, through the light thrown by the Bacon Theory. In England, Sri Lankan English writer, J. Vijayatunga of 'Grass for my Feet', who hailed from my own idyllic village of Baddegama, Urala, too advocated that it was Bacon and not Shakespeare who was the playwright. Vijayatunga though now sleeping the sleep of never awakening in his village of birth, has immortalized himself with his work 'Grass for my feet'. |
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