Plutarch's book Lives of the noble Grecian and Romans gave Shakespeare character references for his writing.

Plutarch's Lives ranged from men like Titus Andronicus and Coriolanus to Julius Caesar and Timon of Athens. All four men feature in Shakespeare's work. In all, Plutarch provided fifty lives to choose from.

This edition is a translation by Thomas North, whose work was in turn based on a previous French translation.