Overview

How did a man from an unremarkable family cr eate a legacy of plays that are performed regularly everywhe re? There will always be mysteries about William Shakespeare , but what is known of his life, his times, and his theatre makes an exciting story. '

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9780688162948

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This is a wonderful book. -- School Library Journal (starred review) A remarkably rounded picrure of Shakespeare's life and rhe period in which he lived. A discerning, knowledgeable biography, rising far above rhe ordinary. -- The Horn Book (starred review)

The authors of several handsomely illustrated historical biographies (Good Queen Bess, 1989) take on an unusually demanding subject with intelligence, scrupulous regard for the historical record, and a wise eye to the interests of their audience. Emphasizing how little is known for sure about Shakespeare, they phrase their straightforward text to make admirably clear the boundaries of fact and the bases for plausible conjecture, often commenting on what, interestingly, is not known ( No one knows when he left [Stratford for London] or under what circumstances ). Summarizing the mat significant events, they illuminate them with well chosen, often intriguing details and tell as much about the Elizabethan theater as about the playwright. Stanley's elegant illustrations are especially well suited to the topic; she uses details of Tudor architecture and costume to richly decorative effect, while her artfully structured compositions and somewhat stylized figures harmonize well with the theatrical topic. An excellent Postscript discusses the evolution of Shakespeare's English, his own inventions (e.g., majestic, leapfrog, gloomy ) and the continuing ubiquity of his vivid descriptions. Outstanding. Bibliography. (Kirkus Reviews)

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