On the Back Cover
What kind of world made the man who was capable of producing so many of the world's literary masterpieces, and what kind of life did he live? In this fascinating new book, Dympna Callaghan explores the question of Shakespeare's life in order to throw new light on his works.
Organized as a series of juxtapositions between his life and writing, Who Was William Shakespeare? provides a clear guide to selected plays and sonnets, while deepening our knowledge about the writer's literary achievement and his historical moment.
Shakespeare's life cannot explain his works, but it can help us to understand them.
About the Author
Dympna Callaghan is Dean's Professor in the Humanities at Syracuse University and works on early modern English Literature. She has held fellowships at the Newberry, Folger, and Huntington Libraries, has been a British Academy Visiting Professor and is a Life Member of Clare Hall, Cambridge University. She is an active member of the interdisciplinary Syracuse University Medieval-Renaissance group of faculty and graduate students. Her books include editions of Shakespeare's "The Duchess of Malfi, The Taming of the Shrew" and Shakespeare's Sonnets, as well as "Shakespeare Without Women", "Woman and Gender in Renaissance Tragedy", and "Impact of Feminism in English Renaissance Studies."
