Bill1978 said

Yeah I just watched Anonymous over the weekend. Good movie, but bloody crazy conspiracy theory.

Whaaaaaaat?

WARNING SPOILERS:

Are you sitting down, so you can absorbe it all in as it gets tricky. This is what I was able to work out and I had finished scratching my head.

Elizabeth fell pregnant after a rumble in the hay with Thomas Seymour. The result was Edward de Vere. Cecil Sr placed him in the care of the de Vere’s who had no idea that their foster child was the bastard child of a bastard princess. When the de Vere’s died, Edward went to live with the Cecils all in the grand scheme of marrying Edward to the Cecil’s daughter so when the time was right, Cecil would somehow manipulate Elizabeth into naming de Vere as her heir and thereby giving the crown to the Cecil family by proxy. Unfortunately things go pear shape when Elizabeth falls for Edward and has an incestous affair that results in Elizabeth falling pregnant. Edward initially has no idea that he has fathered a child to Elizabeth (or that he has slept with his own mother) cause Elizabeth goes on progress to hide her pregnancy. Edward finds out about the child after his wife (Cecil’s daughter) tells him when the wife catches him in bed with some harlot. The child grows up to be the Duke Of Southampton (hence why the fair youth of the sonnet is Southampton). de Vere grooms Southampton for the court and positions him to be a close ally with Duke Of Essex (Robert Deveraux of whatever). Turns out the Duke of Essex is also another bastard child of Elizabeth (but I have no idea how apart from he is apparently a dead ringer for Elizabeth, pretty sure they don’t say who fathered the man – maybe it was Robert Dudley). Not really sure who was going to be the heir to the throne between Essex and Southampton but I think it was going to be Essex for one reason or another and since SOuthampton was a good friend with Essex then he could influence Essex and give de Vere some power. All goes good until Cecil Jr spoils the plan and posions Elizabeth’s mind regarding Essex, plus Ben Johnson dobs on de Vere’s plans to help with Essex’s rebellion.

The whole Shakepeare thing is linked to Cecil Sr not being happy with de Vere’s obession with writing and how it will bring shame ot the Cecil household. So de Vere organises to get his work performed using Ben Johnson as the author. Johnson however balks at the subject matter and it is then than an opportunisitc, alcoholic, murderous, illiterate womaniser called Shakespeare claims authorship of the works that are designed to discredit the Cecil family, because the Cecil families have been out to ruin de Vere ever since de Vere slept with his own mother ruining the chance of de Vere becoming King and giving the Cecil the throne they have longed for all their lives. Everything in ‘Shakespere”s plays are about informing the public about how evil the Cecil’s are. Including making Richard III a hunchback to resemble Cecil Jr.

The love poem Venus and Adonis was actually written by de Vere to remind Elizabeth of their love affair and convince Elizabeth to meet and talk to de Vere. They do eventually meet after the Essex Rebellion, where de Vere pleas with Elizabeth to spare their child’s life. Up to this point Elizabeth had no idea SOuthampton was her son. de Vere wisely chooses to leave out the fact that he is also her son. Elizabeth agrees to spare their son’s life on one condition: that de Vere will never be known as the author of his plays and poems.

And I think I have that plot all correct, I may have got confused with some of them

As I said the movie is quite an enjoyable film, but my god it has to have one of the most complicated theories all designed to prove Shakespeare didn’t right his plays. Sometimes the simpliest solution is the right solution. LOL

Wow Bill you certainly know how to create a molatove cocktail don’t you? and there is just a slim chance you may well be right too, as I said in my O.P there was a rumour in Edward’s reign that Elizabeth bore a child, as a midwife was called to see to a young girl in advanced labour, who kept her face covered but the midwife said she had red hair. So who knows? As it goes I’d intended to throw a what if into the mix here as well so lets see if between us we can make Mya’s head and a few others go pop.
What if Elizabeth had married Robert Dudley in secret sometime at the beginning of her reign or late in Mary’s reign, but had made it clear to him that she would never make him King, but because she was his wife, he could of course have bedroom privilages? What if she did have children with him which were farmed out? They did have a very close and loving relationship as we know, it would certainly explain why she went a little ballistic at him when he had married Lettice, however due to the fact that their marriage was only between him, her and the bedpost, Elizabeth thought well only to be expected after all I won’t make him King so if the only way to keep him near me is to except his bigamous marriage then so be it. Like I said this is purely a what if.
Bill Strangely Enough this is something that has been mentioned before about Shakespeare it was also rumoured that Elizabeth was his mother too. It might be of interest to note, that more plays by Shakespeare, were performed in James’s reign than in Elizabeth’s. Going back to the actual writing of Shakespeare’s plays Christopher Marlowe was rumoured to have written a few of Shakespeare’s excepted poems.
If you get a chance read Doctor Faustus, by Marlowe it’s good.. Anyway I’ll end this one on a light note Shakespeare had a freind called Richard, and they both fancied the same actress, anyway Shakespeare managed to get the girl to go for a drink with him, not knowing that girl had arranged to meet Richard later that evening. Well one thing led to another and Shakespeare ended up at the girls house, a short while later Richard turned up at the house and banged on the door, Shakespeare opened the shutters of the window upstairs popped his head out and said to Richard, William the Conqueror came before Richard 1st so go away, and slammed the shutters shut, It’s not recorded what Richard said but I should imagine he wasn’t too happy.

Sharon said

Mya Elise said

Wonder if she was actually murdered? I’m not blaming Elizabeth or anything but isn’t it strange that she died like that and around that time when Dudely really wanted a thing with Elizabeth. Maybe Dudely wanted it….
(*Just a thought, not to be taken seriously*)

This is a debate that will go on forever. I don’t think she was murdered, but many people do. Once the Elizabeth Files is up and running again, you should go over and visit. We have had some great discussions over there about this subject and many more. Dudley and Elizabeth were very close at this time, much to the chagrin of Cecil and others. There are so many theories as to what happened. One of them is that Cecil had her killed.

This ia very interesting theory Sharon, and yes I think that once the Elizabeth Files are back up it will prove to be a very interesting topic for debate.