AI Credibility Test

Subjecting the Prima Facie Case to a Google Gemini logic assessment introduced the word “proof”, something that rarely occurs on the Shakespeareans side of the argument where a veil of academic discretion is always used to allow for future discoveries. But parting Shakespeare from the credit for his work, like the uniplanar earth, must be as close to impossible as makes no difference.

The Prima Facie Case for Shakespearean Authorship
Cluster # Description of Evidence
1. Identity 1. 7. 8. Title Pages: Shakespeare’s name is listed as the author on numerous plays and poems published during his lifetime (1593 onwards). Shakespeare Gent.: The author applied for and was granted a Coat of Arms by The College of Heralds after it was refused to his father and was therefore entitled to the title of "Gent." ("M." or "Mr."), which was applied to him in print and extant records. The ONLY Shakespeare Gent.: Only William Shakespeare of Stratford had the distinction of "Gent." during that time period.
2. Theatrical Ties 2. 3. 4. Sharer in Companies: Contemporary records show William Shakespeare was a sharer in the Lord Chamberlain’s Men and the King’s Men. Well-documented Relationship: His personal and business relationship with fellow sharers (Burbage, Heminges, Condell, etc.) is well documented. Named in Will of Fellow Player: He was named as a "fellow" in the 1605 will of actor Augustine Phillips.
3. Folio Link 5. 6. 9. Fellow Player Named as Trustee: John Heminges (a Folio compiler) acted as a trustee for "William Shakespeare of Stratford" in a London property purchase. Left Money to Fellow Players in Will: Shakespeare left money to Heminges, Burbage, and Condell (Folio compilers) to buy mourning rings in his will. A Worthy Fellow: Heminges and Condell explicitly state in the First Folio dedication that the works were written by "so worthy a friend and fellow...as was our Shakespeare."

Summary of the Convergence
The three clusters of evidence are designed to work together to establish the conclusion:

  1. Identity (I) proves that the name on the books belongs to only one man: William Shakespeare of Stratford-upon-Avon.

  2. Theatrical Ties (II) proves that this man was a deep insider, a sharer and fellow of the company that performed and owned the plays.

  3. Folio Link (III) proves that the man’s closest theatrical associates, Heminges and Condell, explicitly identified him as their author when they compiled and published his complete works (the First Folio) after his death.