Professor Bradbrook's subject in this study, which was first published by Cambridge in 1979, is no less than the relating of Shakespeare's work to the poetry, criticism and life of his age. Drawing upon a considerable body of evidence, she shows how Shakespeare was influenced by medieval thought, by classical sources, by the popular verse and the theatre of his day, and by the Elizabethan use of language. Professor Bradbrook then proceeds to examine some of his plays in detail; although not writing from the standpoint of any special theory, she includes several interpretations of plays - of All's Well that Ends Well for instance, and of Henry IV - which have proved influential.