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Is it really an accident that the words Eleven plus two are an anagram of "Twelve plus one"? And that Mother-in-law is an anagram of "Woman Hitler"? And that Leonardo da Vinci is an anagram of "Vindaloo and Rice"? Of course it is. But despite this there are some who will find deep and deliberate meaning in fortunate coincidence. And the 18,000 different words that Shakespeare used and the 37 plays, 154 sonnets and 2 long poems that he wrote are a rich seam to mine.

This is a list of anagrams and ciphers related to William Shakespeare and his works that conclusively prove...whatever you want them to prove:

What do anagrams of the name William Shakespeare tells us? Well, that he was wise and literate:

"I'll make a wise phrase"

and that he was definitely just a fake:

"Will is a sham, a keeper"

So, having established he's a fake, who is he then?

"Please! I'm Earl. W.S. a hik"

So, the real author is an Earl and WS is just a country bumpkin then. But what other clues can an anagram of William Shakespeare give us:

"Hi! Wake! Realise! Psalm!"

OK. Let's look at Psalms then for some more clues. Now, let's see. Shakespeare was born in 1564. Obviously a clue, so let's reverse the 64 to 46 and take a look at Psalm 46:

God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. Therefore will not we fear, though the earth be removed, and though the mountains be carried into the midst of the sea; Though the waters thereof roar and be troubled, though the mountains shake with the swelling thereof. Selah. There is a river, the streams whereof shall make glad the city of God, the holy place of the tabernacles of the most High. God is in the midst of her; she shall not be moved: God shall help her, and that right early. The heathen raged, the kingdoms were moved: he uttered his voice, the earth melted. The LORD of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our refuge. Selah. Come, behold the works of the LORD, what desolations he hath made in the earth. He maketh wars to cease unto the end of the earth; he breaketh the bow, and cutteth the spear in sunder; he burneth the chariot in the fire. Be still, and know that I am God: I will be exalted among the heathen, I will be exalted in the earth. The LORD of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our refuge.

Great! So the King James Bible published in 1611 wasn't the work of 47 eminent scholars after all but on this evidence was actually written by "Shakespear". Obviously a perfect cipher as "shake" is the 46th. word from the start, "spear" is the 46th. word from the end, and they're both in Psalm 46! In fact, the reference to the 47 eminent scholars who were claimed to have produced the KJV is obviously a further clue: we should look one beyond the 46th. to find the 47th. who is the true author of the work (yeah...right).

And what about ciphers in his actual work? What about play titles? How about The Merry Wives of Windsor:

"Firm rev[elation]: WS is the wordy one"

Oh, right. So we're back to WS really being the author of the works then. How about Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare:

"Wm. deems peak horrible Italian jealousy"

What about his famous quotes? How about Brevity is the soul of wit.

What does an anagram of that tell us?

"This verbosity - it woeful"

Oh, that's useful. But what about the great, great soliloquies. They must give us great anagrammatical clues. But I bet we can't find a meaningful anagram of, say:

To be or not to be: that is the question, whether 'tis nobler in the mind to suffer the slings and arrows of outrageous fortune.

But then again, that's an anagram of:

"In one of the Bard's best-thought-of tragedies, our insistent hero, Hamlet, queries on two fronts about how life turns rotten"

Needless to say, you find what you want to find in ciphers.
Overall, there'll be genuine ones, and others that are just amusing flukes.
Nothing really surprising in that, I'd say.
So, whilst Shakespeare certainly played with anagrams,
Especially in his Sonnets, they only reveal a clever play on words that
No-one should find surprising from a great literary figure.
Something that shows his meanings, not someone
Else's.