Evidence exists that Oxford was known during his lifetime to have written Edward De Vere, Earl of Oxford is known to have composed, directed and acted in plays around the same time as Shakespeare. Like Shakespeare he was part of an acting troupe but unlike Shakespeare, Edward managed his acting troupe called "Oxford’s Boys".

History has left us many clues indicating that Edward de Vere, the 17th Earl of Oxford, wrote plays and poetry under the pen name, “William Shakespeare.” Many people believe that these clues add up to a strong case for Oxford as the true author of Hamlet, King Lear, the Sonnets, and other works traditionally attributed to the man from Stratford. The Shakespeare Oxford Fellowship explores the evidence that the literary works credited to the man from Stratford-upon-Avon were actually written by Edward de Vere, the 17th Earl of Oxford, using the pen name, "William Shakespeare." Edward de Vere, 17th earl of Oxford, English lyric poet and theatre patron, who became, in the 20th century, the strongest candidate proposed (next to William Shakespeare himself) for the authorship of Shakespeare’s plays.