Six celebrated hosts to tell the stories behind the stories of Shakespeare's greatest plays, revealing not just the elements in the play, but the history of the play itself. What sparked the creation of each of these works? Where did Shakespeare get his plots, and what cultural, political and religious factors influenced his writing? Why has this body of work endured so thoroughly? What, in the end, makes Shakespeare so great?

Title from container. Originally broadcast as single episodes of a television program.

Taming of the shrew /Morgan Freeman -- Romeo and Juliet / Joseph Fiennes -- Othello / David Harewood -- A midsummer night's dream / Hugh Bonneville -- Antony and Cleopatra / Kim Cattrall -- King Lear / Christopher Plummer.