Why it is Impossible to Write a Biography of William Shakespeare :

Professor Dureau’s re-reading of Shake-speare’s biographers, the “proof” of his life as a player and dramatist undergoes radical revision ; while what she argues will not sit well with traditionalists-an admittedly vague and troublesome term for such a vast critical field as Shakespeare studies-her arguments will accomplish what all good criticism should. Her work will open dialogue that challenges the reader to return to the collected, historical accounts of the poet William Shakespeare.
D^r. Wayne Narey, Arkansas State University

Yona Dureau skillfully sketches the literary and historical debate over the identity of the author of the plays signed Shakespeare, underlining the weight of governmental and institutional pressure in the matter. Pointing out the contradictions and anomalies in such life-stories of the author as have been complied, she shows how elements from the plays have recurrently been used in attempts to assess the author’s religious identity or to fill gaps in his life story.
Prof. Monique Venuat, Université Blaise Pascal