Discuss whether life experience, a broad education, or training is more important when it comes to the creation of art - not just theatrical art, but art in general. What is the relative importance of each? On which should an artist place the most emphasis? Would the emphasis be different in young artists than it is for mid-life and/or mature artists? Which played the most important role in the development of Shakespeare's writing?

Discuss the idea (suggested in Chapter 7) that a character (such as Falstaff) can get "out of control" - that he can become larger, more well-defined, more insistently alive, than his author perhaps intended. How is this possible? Is it possible it all? What does a character "getting out of control" actually mean?

Consider the various theories for why Shakespeare left Stratford to go to London. Was there one over-riding reason...