Publisher's Synopsis
As one scholar has put it, considering Shakespeare's chief position in world literature, it is astonishing how much there is still to learn about him. Over the centuries, writers, actors, teachers, and students have debated the Bard's early life and influences, the identity of the characters inhabiting his plays and the circumstances surrounding his death.;In the same way, Shakespeare's true religious beliefs seem shrouded in mystery. In this accessible study, medievalist and Shakespearean Velma Richmond begins by discussing the roots of Shakespeare's dramatic traditions, the backgrounds of the Shakespeare and Arden families and some of the religious conflicts of the day. She goes on to examine the surprisingly strong evidence, drawn primarily from the Bard's comedies and late romances themselves, for Shakespeare's true religious beliefs.
