Roland Emmerich,Shakespeare And The Baconian Theory.

Emmerich's latest movie Anonymous finally brings the conspiracy theories about the authorship of Shakespeare's plays to a mass audience.The particular theory explored in this film is that the plays were written by the Earl of Oxford .This theory dates from 1920 and is sometimes known as the Looney theory after its author Richard Looney.I have titled this piece and the Baconian theory because the first theory attributing the authorship of Shakespeare's plays to another person  did so to Francis Bacon Lord Chancellor and herald of the scientific revolution of the 17th century.Bacon was a much greater and more significant figure in the history of western thought so the attribution of Shakespeare's plays to him has always seemed to me to be more plausible than the Oxonian theory.The Baconian theory first appeared in the mid 19th century and soon found many adherents in England and America including the Prime Minister Gladstone.So what in fact connects the subject matter with that of Emmerich's earlier films?The current film has attracted some controversy and condemnation from academics who fear their poorly read students will after seeing the film start telling them in class that the Earl of Oxford was really Shakespeare.