The works of Shakespeare have become staples of literature. They are everywhere, from our earlyschooling to the lecture rooms of academia, from classic theatre to modern adaptations in popularculture. But how well do we really know his plays?In this witty, iconoclastic book, the bestselling author Fintan O'Toole examines four of Shakespeare's most enduring tragedies: Hamlet, Macbeth, Othello and King Lear. He shows how their tragic heroes have been over-simplified and moulded to fit restrictive, conservative values, and restores the true heart and spirit of the classics for a modern audience.'I've never read a book like this before: it's challenging, irreverent and funny.' Roddy Doyle