
THE MAN SHAKESPEARE - AND - HIS TRAGIC LIFE STORY
By Frank Harris - I DEDICATE THIS BOOK TO MY FRIEND, ERNEST BECKETT (NOW LORD GRIMTHORPE), A MAN OF MOST EXCELLENT DIFFERENCES, WHO UNITES TO A GENIUS FOR PRACTICAL THINGS A PASSIONATE SYMPATHY FOR ALL HIGH ENDEAVOUR IN LITERATURE AND ART
INTRODUCTION
BOOK I. SHAKESPEARE PAINTED BY HIMSELF
CHAPTER I. HAMLET: ROMEO—JAQUES
CHAPTER II. HAMLET—MACBETH
CHAPTER III. DUKE VINCENTIO—POSTHUMUS
CHAPTER IV. SHAKESPEARE'S MEN OF ACTION: THE BASTARD, ARTHUR, AND KING RICHARD II.
CHAPTER V. SHAKESPEARE'S MEN OF ACTION (continued). HOT-SPUR, HENRY V., RICHARD III.
CHAPTER VI. SHAKESPEARE'S MEN OF ACTION (concluded): KING HENRY VI. AND RICHARD III.
The author invites listeners into a personal quest that began in childhood, when the plays were read simply as stories, and later returned to as a grown man uncovering deeper layers. As each re‑reading revealed new nuances, a single, resonant voice began to emerge from the chorus of characters, suggesting that Shakespeare himself was subtly painting his own portrait across his works. This discovery fuels the narrative, guiding us through the playwright’s evolution from eager youth to seasoned master and, finally, to his waning years.
Using the chronological order of the plays, the book sketches how Shakespeare’s changing outlook and experiences are reflected in his drama, offering a rare, almost autobiographical map of his life. It also contrasts this approach with traditional scholarship, pointing out where earlier critics missed the man behind the legend and highlighting the insights of contemporaries like Ben Jonson, whose observations still ring true. Listeners will come away with a richer sense of the man whose words continue to shape literature.
Language
en
Duration
~11 hours (642K characters)
Publisher of text edition
Project Gutenberg
Credits
Produced by Jon Ingram, Juliet Sutherland and Distributed Proofreaders HTML file produced by David Widger
Release date
2005-10-01
Rights
Public domain in the USA.

1856–1931
A larger-than-life literary adventurer, he moved from Ireland to America, studied law, and went on to become one of the most controversial editors and memoirists of his era. His writing mixed sharp observation, celebrity friendships, and a taste for scandal that still makes his life story hard to ignore.
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by Frank Harris

by Frank Harris

by Frank Harris

by Frank Harris

by Frank Harris

by Frank Harris

by Frank Harris

by Frank Harris