"All the world's a stage And all the men and women merely players" (As You Like It, Act 2 Scene 7). This seems particularly true of the mythological and historical folk who have inspired The Bard. William Shakespeare used his knowledge of the classics, history and the Elizabethan men and women who were in the public eye, to bring to life his characters and give them depth and differing character traits. This book takes a look at the stories, whether fact or fable, that gave Shakespeare his ideas and gives indications of what may have motivated the characters in the plays to act as they did. This second revised edition has 52 pages of new content. Also by Kay Bellinger: Nothing New Under the Sun