Shakespeare knew more than any other playwright about the art of acting and the art of theater; practitioners affirm this. While creating superhuman characters and setting them in situations that stretch the imagination to its limits, he also provided his actors with the keys to playing them. A Shakespearean Actor Prepares reveals these keys.There is no general consensus about how Shakespeare "should" be played: there are no rules. This book is not concerned with arriving, but with setting out. It will point out the sources of energy in his plays, which, if tapped, will galvanize an actor's fantasy and liberate his talent.