> > Nay, I am gratified you went into it. A literary whodunnit with the Bard himself... Cool.
> > I wouldn't mind knowing more "why" the question is important regarding his identity,
> > insofar as Shakespearean scholars believe.
>
> i think (i'm not on the computer with my paper on it anymor - the modem on that one died an awful
> and tragic death. very sad) it's basically because Shakespeare has had such a huge impact on
> our language. if all the words that he invented were invented by a common man, that's like, woah,
> genius... but if they were invented by a educated man, that's not quite so amazing.... it
> just has to do with how much we revere Shakespeare as a genius... at least as far as i
> remember.

A quote, from one of the books I'm reading:

"It was not just a question of solving a mystery - at least, not for the best of them. The identity of the author should clarify the work, increase our understanding of the Elizabethan age, aid our insights into the way lasting literature comes to be written, and enhance our understanding of ourselves."

Paul