"At First the Infant" (11:12)

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Featuring a tour de force performance from Simon Callow, "Being Shakespeare" is a one-man show about the life and work of the world’s greatest playwright. Written by the renowned scholar Jonathan Bate, and taking its cue from Jacques’ famous "Seven Ages of Man" speech in As You Like It, the drama traces Shakespeare’s life from his birth in Stratford-upon-Avon in 1564 to his burial there fifty-two years later. Weaving together this story with extracts from many of Shakespeare’s most famous plays, Simon Callow presents a vivid and very human portrait of the man and of the Elizabethan world in which he lived. In this opening segment, audience members walk into the theater. Simon Callow describes how the "Seven Ages of Man" speech pertains to William Shakespeare's life. Elizabethan fathers do not involve themselves in child rearing. (Credits)

"The Whining Schoolboy" (09:40)

Callow reminds us that Shakespeare would have had a comprehensive grounding in rhetoric. The actor explores the background and history of Tudor education. This segment includes speeches from "As You Like It" and "Julius Caesar."

"The Lover, Sighing like Furnace" (26:09)

Shakespeare obtains a special license to marry early because Anne Hathaway is pregnant. This segment includes dialogue from "Venus and Adonis," "Romeo and Juliet," "The Comedy of Errors," "Venus and Adonis," "Doctor Faustus," "Two Gentleman of Verona," and "As You Like It." Callow traces Shakespeare's life from Stratford-Upon-Avon to staying with the Earl of Southhampton during the plague.

"Then a Soldier" (18:10)

Elizabethans are constantly at war. This segment includes portions from "Henry V," "Henry IV, part I," "A Midsummer Night's Dream," "Hamlet," and "Macbeth." Callow traces Shakespeare's life after returning from Southhampton to finding success with the "Lord Chamberlain's Men."

"The Justice, in Fair Round Belly" (09:05)

Shakespeare inherently dislikes lawyers. This segment includes portions from "Hamlet," "King Lear," "Henry VI," "Richard II." Callow traces the Bard's life from becoming a successful property owner to retiring to Stratford-on-Avon.

"Lean and Slippered Pantaloon" (07:17)

This segment includes portions from "Henry IV, part II," "Troilus and Cressida," "The Tempest," and "Sir Thomas More." Callow traces the Bard's later career.

"Second Childishness and Mere Oblivion" (06:05)

This segment includes portions from "King Lear," "Julius Caesar," "The Tempest," "A Midsummer Night's Dream," and "Richard III." Callow examines the end of Shakespeare's life and his legacy.

Credits: Being Shakespeare (00:43)

Credits: Being Shakespeare