Robert Greene

Robert Greene (1558?–1592) was an English Elizabethan playwright, poet and prose writer, and one of the "University Wits." His works span romance fiction, pamphlets exposing London coney-catching tricks, and plays, showing varied subjects and a sharp, satirical edge. The Scottish History of James the Fourth is regarded as a forerunner of Shakespeare's romantic comedies, while Greene's Groatsworth of Wit, published after his death, first mentions Shakespeare and offers an early clue for later scholarship. Three of his works are held in this collection. Because public information is limited, details of his life are hard to set out; his subjects and influence are the better way to know him.