The extraordinary life of England's greatest dramatist is told in fascinating detail, from his rural beginnings in Stratford-on-Avon, where he was born in 1564, to his phenomenal success in London, where he became a favourite at the glorious court of Queen Elizabeth. The narrative describes how plays were beginning to become the popular entertainment form of the day, how theatres were built and who went to them. All Elizabethan life is there, and the book gives the reader not only a complete background on the life of Shakespeare, but also a vivid picture of late sixteenth-century life.