In mainstream academic thought, questions of the Bard’s identity and authorship remain shrouded beneath a cloak of taboo and condescension. This presentation will not detail the varying schools of thought, nor seek to court dispute. Cursory observation does NOT suggest an obvious order that connects the two circles. Some observers have cast doubt on their presence entirely. Some dismiss the claimed attributes as so much “reading into.” These and other epistemological issues, such as questions about intellectual authority, will be discussed.

The talk will seek not to coerce anyone’s persuasion, but will focus on the object at hand to probe what truths it might tell of its own nature. Tentative suspension of disbelief is recommended for best results. Neither knowledge of, interest in, nor experience with the works of Shakespeare are prerequisite for attendance or enjoyment of the subject. Discern for yourself if these attempts at reverse engineering merit greater attention and indicate significance enough to doubt dominant consensus.

If attendees care to familiarize themselves with preceding original work in this area in advance, Alan Green’s can be reviewed here and Alexander Waugh lays out his work here. Deeper, mysterious analysis by Green on the Sonnets’ structure and the book’s remarkable cryptographic artifice can be found here.