cover image Shakespeare: His Life, Work, and Era

Shakespeare: His Life, Work, and Era

Dennis Kay. William Morrow & Company, $23 (446pp) ISBN 978-0-688-12024-5

Acknowledging that ``the evidence that usually underpins a biography--diaries, journals, letters--simply does not exist in Shakespeare's case,'' Oxford English professor Kay illuminates the life of the great dramatist and poet (1564-1616) by presenting a readable, cogent account of the Elizabethan era in which he lived and worked. Kay evaluates Shakespeare's development as a writer within the context of such historical events as plagues, political upheavals and the growth of Renaissance theater. Drawing on earlier studies, he combines the small amount of biographical data available with a chronological analysis of Shakespeare's plays and poems, leaving readers to form their own picture of the playwright's character. Although it lacks footnotes, this biography will be of interest to students and scholars alike. ( Nov. )