The Baconian theory of Shakespeare authorship is a strange but kinda compelling argument that the literary genius behind the iconic plays and poems was not William Shakespeare but, rather, Sir Francis Bacon, a man of profound influence during the Elizabethan era.

Hang on.

What?

Before you knee-jerk, consider that Shakespeare was a man of humble origins with limited education. How could he have possibly possessed the vast knowledge and insights found in his works?

Well, the simple answer is that he didn't.

Robert Frederick, who has been researching the Bacon-Shakespeare link for years, joined me for a conversation about it all.