The controversy around Shakespeare's true authorship first emerged in the 1800s. American writer Delia Bacon published a book in which she proposed that Shakespeare's works were not written by one person but by several.
Supporters of this theory claim that "Shakespeare" was a pseudonym shared by many authors. They may have used it because they could not publicly claim authorship for reasons of social status, politics, or gender. For authors of noble status, having their work appear in print instead of being restricted to private, courtly audiences would have led to disgrace. For authors involved in matters of state, writing plays that referenced current politics would be damaging to their career, if not treasonous. And of course, female authors at this time would have been considered shocking; women weren't allowed to act in plays, let alone write them.
To Delia Bacon's credit, there is a grain of truth to this theory. Collaborative fiction was not unheard of in Shakespeare's time. Shakespeare was also inspired by various sources, as well as by his fellow dramatists. Julius Caesar was based on a translation of Plutarch.

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