Welcome
Home of the Declaration of Reasonable Doubt About the Identity of William Shakespeare
Verified signatory count: 1799Next signing deadline: October, 2010
Mark Rylance on what the Shakespeare authorship question means to him
Video from a conference in Germany about the upcoming film Anonymous.
“Is Shakespeare Dead?”
View Mark Twain's “Is Shakespeare Dead?” with Canadian actor and Declaration signatory Keir Cutler, Ph.D.
What is the SAC about?
The Shakespeare Authorship Coalition runs this website so anyone who cares about Shakespeare, as we do, can easily see why his identity has long been in doubt, and sign a definitive declaration addressing the issue — the Declaration of Reasonable Doubt About the Identity of William Shakespeare, located on this site. We have nothing against the man from Stratford-on-Avon, but we doubt that he was the author of the works.
Our goal is to legitimize the issue in academia so students, teachers and professors can feel free to pursue it. This is necessary because the issue is widely viewed as settled in academia and is treated as a taboo subject. We believe that an open-minded examination of the evidence shows that the issue should be taken seriously. Your signature on the Declaration will help us make the case that there is reasonable doubt about the author.
The Declaration of Reasonable Doubt: How you can help
The Declaration was written not just to advocate, but also to educate. It provides a great introduction to the Shakespeare authorship question. Many scholars with knowledge of the issue, including those on our advisory board, contributed to writing it. We hope thousands will sign it and millions will read it. To achieve the latter, we need help with the former. The next updated signatory list will be posted in October, 2010, so please sign the Declaration before then. After signing it, you may wish to download a free copy to share with others who may also find it interesting. You may also wish to purchase one or more products from our online Store to help increase the visibility of the SAC, and the Declaration. We plan to operate this website through the 400th anniversary of the death of the traditional author, the Stratford man, on April 23, 2016.