Lets face it. Hearing people talk about Shakespeare can be pretty annoying. Particularly if you feel like you dont understand him. When people talk about which of Shakespeares plays they like best, or what they thought of so-and-sos performance, they often treat Shakespeare like membership in some exclusive club. If you dont "get" him, if you dont go to see his plays, youre not truly educated or literate. You might be tempted to ask whether the millions of people who say they love Shakespeare actually know what theyre talking about, or are they just sheep?

No Fear Shakespeare: A Companion gives you the straight scoop on everything you really need to know about Shakespeare, including:

• Whats so great about Shakespeare?
• How did Shakespeare get so smart?
• Five mysteries of Shakespeares life – and why they matter
• Did someone else write Shakespeares plays?
• Where did Shakespeare get his ideas?
• Shakespeares world
• Shakespeares theater
• Shakespeares language
• The five greatest Shakespeare Characters