Who was Shakespeare?

Shakespeare was the father of the English language.  Many words that exist today can be traced back to one of Shakespeare's plays.  Also the way we speak English today can be seen as a change that first started during Shakespeare's time.  I think of Shakespeare as this noble gentlemen who was highly regarded during his time and famous among all royals.  Of course, this isn't true.  Shakespeare was actually a commoner and was very poor.  Though he was a master of the class system and the English language, it still didn't grant him any merits among nobility.  I am confused as to why people would want to discredit Shakespeare as a writer/playwright and give this credit to Edward De Vere, even though this is is egregious.