
The evidence for Shakespeare, may not be abundant enough to satisfy doubting zealotry, but is more than enough to satisfy the needs of attribution. We have six witnessed signatures, three on his will where legatees include three members of his acting troupe. We have three pages of manuscript in his hand, at least according to four professional palaeographers who have examined them first hand. Would more samples be better? Of course, but when science can de-attribute a Gauguin based of one letter of one signature, what we have is enough. All 491 items of tangible evidence listed in the Folger, all the stylometry, the monument, the eulogies, the title pages and the contemporary reference leave no room for any disguised candidate working in the background, hidden by fantastically improbable conspiracy theories.
Will Shakespeare of Stratford upon Avon was Will Shakespeare of London and Stratford upon Avon and the credit for the greatest achievement of the English written word belongs to him.