No modern culture has remained untouched by the genius of William Shakespeare. He lived during the turbulent transition from feudalism to early capitalism that laid the foundation of today's society. Jenny Farrell explores in very accessible detail four of the playwright's greatest tragic plays. Placing Hamlet, Othello, King Lear and Macbeth in the context of ideas prevalent in his time, her lucid and vivid account reveals the reasons for their universal appeal. "Fear Not Shakespeare's Tragedies" shows clearly the great contemporary relevance of Shakespeare's plays.