Peter Hyland provides a highly readable account of the historical, social and political pressures of Shakespeare's England and the material conditions under which his plays were written, including a comprehensive description of the development and status of the theatrical profession. Half of the book is given over to a survey of the plays and examines numerous controversial issues that arise when we ask precisely what we can 'know' about them. For those who are daunted by the volume or the impenetrable prose of much recent writing on Shakespeare, Hyland's book will be a stimulating introduction.