Shakespeare lived in a world of absolutes, of claims for the absolute authority of scripture, monarch, and God, and the authority of fathers over wives and children, the old over the young, and the gentle over the baseborn. The author shows that Shakespeare was strikingly averse to such absolutes and constantly probed the possibility of freedom from them. Again and again, Shakespeare confounds the designs and pretensions of kings, generals, and churchmen. His aversion to absolutes even leads him to probe the exalted and seemingly limitless passions of his lovers. The author explores this rich theme by addressing four of Shakespeare's preoccupations across all the genres in which he worked.

Absolute limits -- Shakespearean beauty marks -- The limits of hatred -- Shakespeare and the ethics of authority -- Shakespearean autonomy.