Shakespeare Does WHAT in Something Rotten?! Five More Wacky Real-Life Rumors About the Bard

The Bard does some pretty crazy stuff in Something Rotten—and while the new Broadway musical comedy by Wayne and Karey Kirkpatrick and John O’Farrell is far from a biography, tons of juicy rumors really did swirl around William Shakespeare in his day. A few of these myths have since been debunked, while others might always remain a mystery. Check out our favorite wild rumors about the prolific playwright!

1. Shakespeare smoked pot and crack?!
The Bard mentioned “noted weed” in "Sonnet 76," and art may have imitated life. South African scientists found traces of cannabis in pipes found in the playwright's garden—the cannabis was found in a low concentration, so the word is still out on whether the playwright was a pothead. There were, however, definite traces of cocaine, according to National Geographic. “The readings we got were the same as if it had tested a modern-day crack pipe,” said Tommy van der Merwe of the Forensic Science Laboratory. Um, WHAT?

2. He was really his godson’s father?!
Soon after the Bard’s death, the playwright’s godson William Davenant announced publicly that he was actually Shakespeare’s son. Although he was unable to provide any real proof, Davenant, who was also a playwright, was named after Shakespeare. Hmm, that sounds suspicious. We’re gonna stick this one in the “rumors” pile, considering Davenant was the only person who swore it was the truth.

3. The Bard was a deer thief?!
As the old story goes, Shakespeare was arrested and put in prison for stealing the deer of Sir Thomas Lucy, a chief enforcer of Walshingham and Elizabeth. The Bard then purportedly wrote an angry poem and placed it on Lucy’s gate. Is this true? No one knows—but according to PBS, three separate 17th-century accounts have insisted it really happened!

4. He was actually the Queen?!
Will the real Bard please stand up? Some historians theorize that “William Shakespeare” was a pseudonym, and tons of people have been rumored to be the playwright, including Sir Francis Bacon, 17th Earl of Oxford, Christopher Marlowe and William Stanley. The wildest hypothesis? Queen Elizabeth I. Hmm, the Queen does draw a striking resemblance to Shakespeare...

5. Shakespeare was gay?!
Even though he was married with children (it's widely believed he got hitched to the already-pregnant Anne Hathaway when he was 18 and she was 26), some sources suspect that the playwright preferred the company of men. Just ask Sir Ian McKellen! “Married, with children, he left his wife in Stratford to live in London. I’d say he slept with men,” McKellen told Page Six. “No doubt Shakespeare was gay.” Thanks Sir, for setting us straight—uh, gay!