The early life of Shakespeare is here retold, from humble beginnings in Stratford, his marriage to Anne Hathaway, his yearning for poetry and truth, his final break with his past when he joined the strolling players. The more fascinating second part of his life, the background and birth of such works as Henry VI, and Richard III, his political involvements, his love for the ""Dark Lady"" are all told against the exciting era in which he lived. Incidents and anecdotes in a fictionized biography by an accomplished biographer should shed light and appreciation on the works of Shakespeare as the reader turns from this to the original writings.