Shakespeare and his times: including the biography of the poet, criticisms on his genius and writings, a new chronology of his plays, a disquisition on the object of his sonnets, and a history of the manners, customs, and amusements, superstitions, poetry, and elegant literature of his age

About this book

A broad study of Shakespeare’s life and writing, Nathan Drake’s volume proposes a chronology for the plays and considers the sonnets while setting them against the customs and literature of the period. It is for readers who want to place Shakespeare’s work within the culture that surrounded it. In a discussion of wassailing, Drake draws on Shakespeare, Ben Jonson, and Fletcher to connect literary references with rural feasting and song. Elsewhere, he notes that beliefs about St. Mark’s Day and other calendar dates still held sway in his own time.