Written for those whose introduction to William Shakespeare was marred by an ineffectual high school English teacher, this sprightly guide to the life and work of the writer considered to be the foremost dramatist and poet of the Western world will delight fans as well as novices. With disarming humor and total lack of academic pretension, University of California lecturer Epstein decodes the language, plot and history of Shakespeare's major works, as well as the controversies that have surrounded his authorship and sexual identity. Drawing on interviews with actors, critics and Shakespearean experts, Epstein mixes interpretation and criticism with a wealth of detail about the Bard's life and the world of Elizabethan theater in which he worked. A browsing compendium that will educate and entertain students, teachers, actors and theatergoers. Illustrations not seen by PW. BOMC selection