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In our podcast '60 Minutes with Shakespeare,' Alan Stewart discusses the plausibility of Sir Francis Bacon writing the work attributed to Shakespeare.

Home Explore Shakespeare Podcasts 60 Minutes with Shakespeare Sir Francis Bacon and Shakespeare's Authorship With Alan Stewart In this section Is it plausible that Sir Francis Bacon wrote the work attributed to Shakespeare? TranscriptStewart: Francis Bacon was an early and leading contender in the hunt to find the man who could have written Shakespeare’s plays. He fits the bill in many ways. The dates are right: Bacon was born in 1561, three years before Shakespeare, and he lived until 1626, helpfully long enough to have seen the First Folio into print three years earlier. More importantly, he possessed the intellectual scope and ambition to be worthy of those plays. He once wrote that he had taken all knowledge to be his province, and he achieved success in his lifetime in multiple fields: as a courtier, a politician, parliamentarian, lawyer, essayist, natural philosopher—indeed, he is the father of modern science. But the man could not write a play. We know this because he penned some court entertainments, and they are sadly static affairs in which stock characters—a hermit, a soldier, a secretary—stand and deliver set pieces about the joys of being a hermit, a soldier, a secretary. There’s not a trace here of the grasp of plot, character, nuance, conflict that we expect in Shakespeare’s plays. In short, Francis Bacon had no drama. Alan StewartAlan Stewart is Professor of English and Comparative Literature at Columbia University, and International Director of the Centre for Editing Lives and Letters in London. livesandletters.ac.uk Discover Shakespeare's family homes Find out more More like this 60 Minutes with Shakespeare Learn about the man from Stratford William Shakespeare Shakespeare's Birthplace Where Shakespeare's story started Anne Hathaway's Cottage Relive Shakespeare's love story Shakespeare's New Place Walk in Shakespeare's footsteps Highlights Plan Your Visit Groups Access Get involved Donate Volunteer Jobs Contact Us Useful Collections Research Press & Media T&Cs, Privacy and Cookies Follow us Facebook glyph-logo_May2016 Instagram LinkedIn Newsletter We are a charity Help us keep Shakespeare's story alive Thank you for your support to help care for the world's greatest Shakespeare heritage and keep his story alive. The independent charity that cares for the world’s greatest Shakespeare heritage sites in Stratford-upon-Avon, and promotes the enjoyment and understanding of his works, life and times all over the world. Celebrating Shakespeare is at the heart of everything we do. © 2026 Shakespeare Birthplace Trust Registered Charity Number 209302