The following essay discusses Charles Lamb and his sister, Mary Lamb.

Although Charles Lamb was best known to his contemporaries for his essays published under the pseudonym "Elia," his place in the annals of children's literature rests on Tales from Shakespear (1807), which appeared under his name but which was mainly written by his sister, Mary. It has remained in print and has succeeded in drawing children into Shakespeare's world as well as into the individual universe of each play. However, the literary reputation of Charles and Mary Lamb has been influenced by the central facts of their lives: Mary's debilitating mental illness for much of her adult life and Charles's immeasurable affection for and enduring relationship with his sister, a relationship that led to successful collaboration on two collections of children's stories: Tales from Shakespear and Mrs. Leicester's School (1809).

Mary Lamb was born on 3 December 1764 in London. Her...