Chapter 1 Summary

King of Shadows by Susan Cooper is a tale about a young boy's journey to overcome his devastating past in exchange for a hopeful future. Nat is an orphan who escapes into the world of the theatre to avoid his sadness. Nat is magically transported back to Elizabethan England where he becomes apprenticed to William Shakespeare, who helps Nat learn to face his emotions and properly grieve his parents. King of Shadows is a thoughtful tale of discovery set in one of the most exciting times in the history of the theatre.

In Cambridge, Massachusetts, in 1999, the Company of Boys is playing a series of theatre games on their first day of rehearsal for Julius Caesar and A Midsummer Night's Dream by William Shakespeare. Nat thinks some of the games, including tag, are childish for the group of teenagers. The company's director, Arby...