CONTENTS

CHAPTER I
[AN OUTLINE OF SHAKESPEARE'S LIFE]PAGE
1

CHAPTER II
[ENGLISH DRAMA BEFORE SHAKESPEARE ]20

CHAPTER III
[THE ELIZABETHAN THEATER] 35

CHAPTER IV
[ELIZABETHAN LONDON]51

CHAPTER V
[SHAKESPEARE'S NONDRAMATIC WORKS ] 60

CHAPTER VI
[THE SEQUENCE OF SHAKESPEARE'S PLAYS]73

CHAPTER VII
[SHAKESPEARE'S DEVELOPMENT AS A DRAMATIST]85

CHAPTER VIII
[THE CHIEF SOURCES OF SHAKESPEARE'S PLAYS]105


CHAPTER IX
[HOW SHAKESPEARE GOT INTO PRINT]113

CHAPTER X
[THE PLAYS OF THE FIRST PERIOD--IMITATION AND EXPERIMENT]131

CHAPTER XI
[THE PLAYS OF THE SECOND PERIOD--COMEDY AND HISTORY]153

CHAPTER XII
[THE PLAYS OF THE THIRD PERIOD--TRAGEDY]172

CHAPTER XIII
[THE PLAYS OF THE FOURTH PERIOD--ROMANCE]196

CHAPTER XIV
[SOME FAMOUS MISTAKES AND DELUSIONS ABOUT SHAKESPEARE]210