How did Shakespeare portray sex and love? How was this shaped by the sexual conventions of his time? Stanley Wells draws on his unparalleled knowledge of Shakespeare’s life, times, and work to create a marvellously illuminating book. Through detailed reference to written sources, he takes us to the brothels, bedchambers, marriages and divorces of Stratford-upon-Avon; and to the metropolitan buzz of London, including its burgeoning industry in homo-erotic publishing. He shows how Shakespeare’s attitude to sex developed over the course of his writing career, and explores the multiplicity of ways in which he deploys it: sexual humour; sexual jealousy; sexual experience; same-gender relationships. Through this one perennially enticing subject, Wells brings a myriad of ideas and insights to life.