Was Shakespeare really the author of his works? The case for John Florio deserves serious attention

For centuries, we've attributed some of the greatest literary works in history to William Shakespeare of Stratford-upon-Avon. But what do we actually know about this man? He left behind no letters, no manuscripts, no evidence of a formal education, and there’s little to suggest he traveled or had access to the sophisticated multilingual, legal, philosophical, and courtly knowledge displayed throughout the plays.

How could a provincial glover’s son, with no known aristocratic or intellectual connections, have written with such intimate familiarity about the royal courts of Europe, Italian cities, classical mythology, and Renaissance philosophy? The historical record of Shakespeare’s life seems almost entirely disconnected from the depth and range of his supposed works.

This is where John Florio enters the picture. A highly educated Anglo-Italian linguist, lexicographer, and court intellectual, Florio was deeply immersed in the literary culture of his time. He translated Montaigne, compiled one of the most comprehensive English-Italian dictionaries of the era, and moved in elite circles, including the court of James I. Many phrases and idioms found in Shakespeare’s plays are traceable to Florio’s published works.

There’s mounting linguistic and contextual evidence suggesting that Florio either heavily influenced—or directly authored—the plays. The Italian settings, the linguistic playfulness, the familiarity with Mediterranean culture: these elements align far more with Florio’s profile than with the man from Stratford.

Of course, the Shakespeare authorship question has long been taboo in academic circles, often dismissed as conspiracy theory. But dismissing the question out of hand does a disservice to historical and literary inquiry. If the plays were written by someone like Florio, it wouldn't diminish their value—it would deepen our appreciation of them, and correct a centuries-old misattribution.

Isn't it time we gave the Florio theory the open-minded attention it deserves?