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  The Comedy of Errors by  William Shakespeare Brief Biography of William Shakespeare Shakespeare's father was a glove-maker, and Shakespeare received no more than a grammar school education. He married Anne Hathaway in 1582, but left his family behind around 1590 and moved to London, where he became an actor and playwright. He was an immediate success: Shakespeare soon became the most popular playwright of the day as well as a part-owner of the Globe Theater. His theater troupe was adopted by King James as the King's Men in 1603. Shakespeare retired as a rich and prominent man to Stratford-upon-Avon in 1613, and died three years later. Historical Context of   The Comedy of Errors The comedy is set in an unspecified time in ancient Greece and the Mediterranean. This historical setting provides the backdrop for the merchant and trading lifestyle prevalent in the play, as well as the feuding between local regions and cities, such as between Syracuse and Ephesus. However, th...

  Twelfth Night by  William Shakespeare Brief Biography of William Shakespeare Shakespeare's father was a glove-maker, and Shakespeare received no more than a grammar school education. He married Anne Hathaway in 1582, but left his family behind around 1590 and moved to London, where he became an actor and playwright. He was an immediate success: Shakespeare soon became the most popular playwright of the day as well as a part-owner of the Globe Theater. His theater troupe was adopted by King James as the King's Men in 1603. Shakespeare retired as a rich and prominent man to Stratford-upon-Avon in 1613, and died three years later. Other Books Related to   Twelfth Night Twelfth Night  has been referred to as a "transvestite comedy" and can be grouped with other Shakespeare plays in which characters cross-dress—namely, the comedy  As You Like It , but also  Merchant of Venice , which includes a court scene in which the primary female character, Portia, dresses...