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This book is a masterpiece on Shakespeare's rhetoric by Quentin Skinner, a world-renowned historian and giant in the history of thought. By analyzing the language of characters in works such as "Romeo and Juliet", "The Merchant of Venice", "Julius Caesar" and "Hamlet", the author re-examines the classic Shakespeare court drama from the perspective of rhetoric and explains Shakespeare's creative process. Often people think of Shakespeare as having judicial talents, praising him for his direct presentation of life, etc., But in Skinner's opinion, these views are incorrect. The reason why Shakespeare was able to create these court dramas was that he received a very common rhetorical education at that time, which enabled him to master a set of rhetorical rules and apply them to drama creation. With an exquisite structure, rich historical facts and excellent arguments, this book examines the status of rhetoric in the history of Renaissance thought. It is Skinner's unique research and practice in the history of thought that surpasses previous political science works.