The Relationship between Life and Art

The core theme of the book, which is also at the core of its thesis, is that there is a clear and provable relationship between events in Shakespeare's life and his writings. The author suggests that all art, to one degree or another, is composed of this kind of transmutation, but also suggests that Shakespeare, because of his extraordinary genius as a poet and transmuter of human nature, had greater success at it than almost any other artist in history - certainly greater than any other dramatist. The author takes great pains to present evidence in support of both the theme and the thesis, everything from Shakespeare's christening records to financial records to documentations of his appearances as a witness in lawsuits to his last will and testament. The author discusses each piece of evidence within the context of a particular piece of...