Preconceived Notions

There are many theories about who wrote the plays attributed to William Shakespeare.
One theory suggests that Francis Bacon may have penned some of these works, while
another posits that a woman could have been the true author. Recently, several fictional
accounts have been created around these ideas. However, the straightforward historical
evidence indicates that Shakespeare himself wrote the plays and sonnets.

Nevertheless, we shouldn’t allow the facts to detract from our enjoyment of fiction.
There are some interesting puzzles about Shakespeare’s Sonnets. Who was the “dark
lady?” Also, some sonnets seem to be love poems to a man. Was Shakespeare
bisexual? There are no clear answers to these questions. A mystifying mystery
stimulates people to write fascinating fiction.

When fact and fiction become blurred, fiction often creates a better story. As Maxwell
Scott said in the movie The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance, “When the legend becomes
fact, print the legend.”

The renowned philosopher John Ingram Walker wrote, “Don’t let the facts ruin a good
story.”

History is like a story, and the version we discover often depends on what we seek. In
other words, we all have biases, and these preconceived notions shape our
understanding of events.