It’s 1587 and William Shakespeare leaves the small, rural town of Stratford to pursue his dreams of becoming a playwright in the dangerous, growing metropolis of London. But he has to start at the bottom. Inspired by the live fast, die young world he sees around him, he writes the horror hit Titus Andronicus and a teenage romance where all the young people die: Romeo and Juliet.

The 30-year-old Shakespeare is at the top of his game. He has a job at England's best theatre company and the money is rolling in. Determined to restore his family's reputation, he works harder than ever, producing hit after hit including A Midsummer Night's Dream, Henry IV and Julius Caesar. But as his star rises, a series of tragedies strike, leading to his most personal work: Hamlet.

Shakespeare's life and legacy is threatened when it’s revealed his family are Catholics, seen as traitors to the crown. When his daughter is implicated in the fallout, Shakespeare unleashes his most epic work to date: Macbeth. As Shakespeare grows older, he reflects on his successes and failures, questioning family, forgiveness and mortality as his work is at risk of being lost forever.