This debate has provided a seemingly endless amount of intellectual fodder for writers, historians and theorists to consider. Entire careers have been built on the consideration of alternative authors, providing a lively topic for debates, research and publishing. Organizations have been formed to consider these possibilities, such as the Shakespeare Authorship Coalition. This supports the right to question history and dig for answers beyond what initially goes down in the books as fact.
This debate has created animosity among scholars who hold conflicting views over who wrote the collection of works attributed to William Shakespeare. Both sides of the debate conduct research and provide evidence for their theories, yet the results continue to be inconclusive. It would seem that there is no way to definitively prove, beyond reasonable doubt, that any of the candidates are the author.
There are two primary components to Shakespare: the history and the literature. The quality of the literature is what has made the history so relevant. If it were not for the genius and artistry of the works attributed to William Shakespeare, the debate over the author's identity would not be of interest. Some might feel that this debate distracts from what is truly relevant, which is the text itself.
Historical documents show that the man known as William Shakespeare entered grammar school at the age of 7 in 1571 and ended his formal education in 1578 at the age of 14. This suggests that he only received seven years of formal education. He did not have the opportunity to continue to the university level. Many have pointed toward Shakespeare as proof that college degrees are not necessary to do great things. This debate, partially driven by scholars' inability to believe this notion, threatens to deprive the uneducated of a figure to immortalize.