Forker, Professor Emeritus of English at Indiana University Bloomington, was born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania on March 11, 1927 and died in Bloomington, Indiana on February 15, 2014. As a child, Forker aspired to be a professional musician; he played the piano. In his teenage years, he began to carry a copy of Shakespeare's sonnets in his pocket. Forker's interest in Shakespeare pervaded his life. He went on to study English at the collegiate level at Bowdoin College, where he focused on cultivating his interests in Shakespeare. He attended Bowdoin College for his first Bachelor's degree, Merton College at Oxford University, where he received his B.A. and his M.A, and Harvard University, where he received his Ph.D. in 1957. Forker went on to hold teaching positions at several universities including: Concordia University, University of Michigan, Indiana University, and the University of Wisconsin. As he continued his intellectual journey, Shakespeare played a role in his research and writing. Forker published ten scholarly books during his career, and his most important work titled, Skull beneath the Skin: The Achievement of John Webster (1986), established his reputation as an authority on Renaissance drama.