This is a comprehensive reference guide to Shakespeare's literary knowledge. An A-Z of nearly 200 entries covers the full range of writers and texts that influenced Shakespeare's work, from classical to contemporary. It explains current views on long-recognized sources and details others whose impact on the playwright has emerged more recently. Anonymous and collective works such as the Bible, Homilies, Emblems, Chronicle History plays, and the Morality tradition in drama are also covered. Entries for all major sources feature surveys of their place in Shakespeare's time, sample excerpts, detailed discussion of their relationship to the plays and poems, and full bibliography.