History Film / Anonymous2011

** A man appears in the beginning to admit that the story is just an intellectual exercise, not hard history.

** Also, that Queen Elizabeth was not a virgin but had several bastard children. [[spoiler:[[RefugeInAudacity And that Edward De Vere was her bastard son]] [[IncestIsRelative who she then had sex with.]]]]

'''''Anonymous''''' is a 2011 historical drama from director Creator/RolandEmmerich. Like many of Emmerich's films, it revolves around conspiracy theories and features a major world landmark being destroyed, even if it isn't a disaster movie like his previous work. It's based on the theory that Creator/WilliamShakespeare did not author his plays, but was given them by the Earl of Oxford, Edward de Vere.

* AlternateHistory: The premise of the film is that Shakespeare never wrote his own plays, instead attributing them to Edward De Vere, the Earl of Oxford. The makers of the film, however, [[ConspiracyTheorist don't think that it's an "alternate" history.]]

''Anonymous'' is a 2011 drama from director Creator/RolandEmmerich.

The story is based on the theory that Creator/WilliamShakespeare did not author his plays, but was given them by the Earl of Oxford, Edward de Vere.

** Also, Creator/ChristopherMarlowe figures out that Edward is writing the plays, because he realises that the character of Polonius in ''Hamlet'' is meant to signify William Cecil. Shakespeare murders him to prevent the truth from getting out. ''Hamlet'' was first performed in 1601 (1598 in the film.) '' '''MARLOWE DIED IN 1593.''' '' You see the problem here?

** Also, Creator/ChristopherMarlowe figures out that Edward is writing the plays, because he realises that the character of Polonius in ''Hamlet'' is meant to signify William Cecil. Shakespeare murders him to prevent the truth from getting out. ''Hamlet'' was first performed in 1601 (1598 in the film.) '' '''Marlowe died in 1593.''' '' You see the problem here?

** Surprisingly, the Earl of Essex DID hire Shakespeare to stage a play about King Richard in order to incite a riot so he could seize the throne. However, rather than Richard III, as shown in the movie, the play was Richard II. Which makes sense, as Richard II is about a noble earl who does his solemn duty and deposes a corrupt and decadent monarch, whereas Richard III is about how wonderful Queen Elizabeth's family is, and isn't it ''great'' that they're in charge now?

** Also, Christopher Marlowe figures out that Edward is writing the plays, because he realises that the character of Polonius in ''Hamlet'' is meant to signify William Cecil. Shakespeare murders him to prevent the truth from getting out. ''Hamlet'' was first performed in 1601 (1598 in the film.) '' '''Marlowe died in 1593.''' '' You see the problem here?
** The portrayal of [[RichardOfGloucester Richard III]] as an EvilCripple wasn't Shakespeare's invention: it appears as "[[BasedOnAGreatBigLie fact]]" in Polydore Vergil's ''Anglica Historia'', published in 1534 - over a decade before the births of both Edward and Shakespeare.

* HistoricalDomainCharacter: Most of the characters in the film, obviously.

* ReallyGetsAround: Queen Elizabeth, AKA TheVirginQueen (hilariously enough).

* TheVirginQueen: InNameOnly, if [[AnythingThatMoves the film is to be believed.]]

** Cecil was actually ''against'' Elizabeth naming James of Scotland as her successor and for very good reason: it was Cecil, more than anyone else, who'd convinced Elizabeth to execute James's mother, Mary, Queen of Scots.
** Surprisingly, the Earl of Essex DID hire Shakespeare to stage a play about King Richard in order to incite a riot so he could seize the throne. However, rather than Richard III, as shown in the movie, the play was Richard II. Which makes sense, as Richard II is about a noble earl who does his solemn duty and deposes a corrupt and decadent monarch, whereas Richard III is about how great Queen Elizabeth's family is, and isn't it ''great'' that they're in charge now?

** Also, Christopher Marlowe figures out that Edward is writing the plays, because he realises that the character of Polonius in ''Hamlet'' is meant to signify William Cecil. Shakespeare murders him to prevent the truth from getting out. ''Hamlet'' was first performed in 1601 (1598 in the film.) '''Marlowe died in 1593.''' You see the problem here?

** Surprisingly, the Earl of Essex DID hire Shakespeare to stage a play about King Richard in order to incite a riot so he could seize the throne. However, rather than Richard III, as shown in the movie, the play was Richard II, and not, as the film shows, Richard III. Which makes sense, as Richard II is about a noble earl who does his solemn duty and deposes a corrupt and decadent monarch, whereas Richard III is about how great Queen Elizabeth's family is, and isn't it great that they're in charge now?

** Cecil was actually against Elizabeth naming James of Scotland as her successor and for very good reason: it was Cecil, more than anyone else, who'd convinced Elizabeth to execute James's mother, Mary Queen of Scots.

* GeniusBonus: [[InvertedTrope Inverted]]. The film can be pretty hard to understand without some prior knowledge of Shakespeare and his time period, due to the AnachronicOrder of the plot. However, if you ''do'' have that knowledge, [[EnragedByIdiocy the inaccuracies in the film will drive you mad.]]

* TheVirginQueen: InNameOnly, if the film is to be believed.

* AncientConspiracy

* HistoricalVillainUpgrade: The Cecils and also William Shakespeare himself.

* CriticalResearchFailure: Numerous, but one of the more baffling ones involves Edward De Vere plucking a red-and-white Tudor rose from a bush and admiring its beauty. For those unaware, ''there is no such thing as a RealLife Tudor rose''- it's a symbol of the unification of England under TheHouseOfTudor after [[UsefulNotes/WarsOfTheRoses the Wars of the Roses.]]
* DownerEnding

* HistoricalDomainCharacter

* TheHouseOfTudor
* LargeHam: Shakespeare
* ParentalIncest

* TheVirginQueen

* RealLifeRelative: Vanessa Redgrave plays the older Elizabeth; the younger Elizabeth is played by Redgrave's daughter, Joely Richardson.
* RealitySubtext: Creator/DerekJacobi (the Narrator) is a very prominent Anti-Stratfordian advocate. He also played the Chorus (i.e. the narrator) in Creator/KennethBranagh's ''HenryV''.

** Also, Christopher Marlowe figures out that Edward is writing the plays, because he realises that the character of Polonius in ''Hamlet'' is meant to signify William Cecil. ''Hamlet'' was first performed in 1601 (1598 in the film.) '''Marlowe died in 1593.''' You see the problem here?

** The chronology is ''completely'' wrong. ''Theater/{{Macbeth}}'' is performed before ''Theater/{{Hamlet}}''. ''Macbeth'' is widely considered to be Shakespeare's last play, and directly references King James I (who ascends to the throne at the end of the film).

** The portrayal of Richard III as an EvilCripple wasn't Shakespeare's invention: it appears as "[[BasedOnAGreatBigLie fact]]" in Polydore Vergil's ''Anglica Historia'', published in 1534 - over a decade before the births of both Edward and Shakespeare.

** The portrayal of Richard III as an EvilCripple wasn't Shakespeare's invention: it appears as a "[[BasedOnAGreatBigLie fact]]" in Polydore Vergil's ''Anglica Historia'', published in 1534. ''Anglica Historia'' not only predates the play, but also the ''births'' of both Shakespeare and Edward.
** Cecil was actually against Elizabeth naming James of Scotland as her successor while Edward was one of James' supporters. This really isn't that surprising because Cecil would have been very aware that he'd convinced Elizabeth to execute Mary Queen of Scots - and Mary was James' mother.

** The portrayal of Richard III as an EvilCripple wasn't Shakespeare's invention: it appears as fact in Polydore Vergil's ''Anglica Historia'', published in 1534. ''Anglica Historia'' not only predates the play, but also the ''births'' of both Shakespeare and Edward.

** The portrayal of Richard III as an EvilCripple wasn't Shakespeare's invention: it appears as fact in Polydore Vergil's ''Anglica Historia", published in 1534. "Anglica Historia" not only predates the play, but also the ''births'' of both Shakespeare and Edward.

** The portrayal of Richard III as deformed or hunchback is found in Polydore Vergil's ''Anglica Historia.'' It was published in 1534, so it not only predates the play, but also the ''births'' of both Shakespeare and Edward.

** The portrayal of Richard III as a hunchback is found in Polydore Vergil's ''Anglica Historia.'' It was published in 1534, so it not only predates the play, but also the ''births'' of both Shakespeare and Edward.
** Cecil was actually James succeeding Elizabeth while Edward was one of James' supporters. (Cecil was against it because James' mother, Mary Queen of Scots, had been executed on his and Elizabeth's orders.)

** The portrayal of Richard III as a hunchback is found in Polydore Vergil's ''Anglica Historia.'' It was published in 1534, so it not only predates the play, but also the ''births'' of both Shakespeare and Essex.