First staged in 1599, Shakespeare's history of Henry V's remarkable victory over the French at Agincourt and the subsequent peace between the two nations is also a study of war and kingship. From his
Working in partnership with the RSC, this brand new series is ideal for introducing students to Shakespeare's plays. Using trusted and established RSC approaches, Shakespeare's plays come to life in t
Richard III is one of the finest of Shakespeare's historical dramas. Although it has a huge cast, Richard himself, gleefully wicked, charismatically Machiavellian, always dominates the play: a role to
Richard II is one of Shakespeare's finest works: lucid, eloquent, and boldly structured. It can be seen as a tragedy, or a historical play, or a political drama, or as one part of a vast dramatic cycl
Edited, introduced and annotated by Cedric Watts, Research Professor of English Literature, University of Sussex. In Henry IV, Part 1, the King is in a doubly ironic position. His rebellion against Ri
′If music be the food of love, play on;Give me excess of it, that, surfeiting,The appetite may sicken, and so die.′A comedic romance of mistaken identity, Twelfth Night begins with a shipwreck, splitt
′All the world′s a stage,And all the men and women merely players.′Featuring Rosalind, one of Shakespeare′s most likeable and strong female protagonists, As You Like It is a comedic play centred aroun
′Thou and I are too wise to woo peaceably.′One of Shakespeare′s most witty and enjoyable comedies, Much Ado About Nothing is a play that explores courtship, romance and marriage through a number of re
′Blow, winds, and crack your cheeks! rage! blow!′Dramatic and tragic in mood, King Lear explores a king′s demise into madness and insanity when he is betrayed by two of his manipulative and scheming d
′We are such stuffAs dreams are made on; and our little lifeIs rounded with a sleep.′Magical and dreamlike in its tone, Shakespeare′s The Tempest begins with a storm of epic proportions and a shipwrec
Edited, introduced and annotated by Cedric Watts, Research Professor of English, University of Sussex. In the hope of saving her brother's life, should a woman submit to rape? Should the law be respec
Controversial and sexually charged, The Taming of the Shrew is possibly Shakespeare's first play, and certainly among the most performed. Is it an examination of brute male domination or a passionate
Dark and violent, Macbeth is also the most theatrically spectacular of Shakespeare's tragedies. Promised a golden future as ruler of Scotland by three sinister witches, Macbeth murders the king to ens
′The quality of mercy is not strain′d,It droppeth as the gentle rain from heaven′Bassiano, a noble Venetian, hopes to woo the beautiful heiress Portia. However, he requires financial assistance from h
′O, beware, my lord, of jealousy!It is the green-eyed monster which doth mockThe meat it feeds on.′Dramatic and powerful in its scope, Othello explores the perils of suspicion and jealousy and the ens
′The better part of valour is discretion.′King Henry IV′s son, Prince Harry is quick-witted yet idle and irresponsible and lives a roguish existence keeping dubious company. However, when the kingdom
Edited, introduced and annotated by Cedric Watts, Research Professor of English Literature, University of Sussex. The Wordsworth Classics' Shakespeare Series presents a newly-edited sequence of Willia
Edited, introduced and annotated by Cedric Watts, Professor of English Literature, University of Sussex. The Wordsworth Classics' Shakespeare Series presents a newly-edited sequence of William Shakesp
Edited, introduced and annotated by Cedric Watts, Research Professor of English, University of Sussex. The Wordsworth Classics' Shakespeare Series presents a newly-edited sequence of William Shakespea
Edited, introduced and annotated by Cedric Watts, Research Professor of English, University of Sussex. The Winter's Tale, one of Shakespeare's later romantic comedies, offers a striking and challengin
Edited, introduced and annotated by Cedric Watts, Research Professor of English, University of Sussex. The Wordsworth Classics' Shakespeare Series presents a newly-edited sequence of William Shakespea
Edited, introduced and annotated by Cedric Watts, Research Professor of English Literature, University of Sussex. The Wordsworth Classics' Shakespeare's Series presents a newly-edited sequence of Will
Edited, introduced and annotated by Cedric Watts, Research Professor of English, University of Sussex. Antony and Cleopatra is one of Shakespeare's greatest tragedies: a spectacular, widely-ranging dr
Edited, Introduced and Annotated by Cedric Watts, Research Professor of English Literature, University of Sussex. The Wordsworth Classics' Shakespeare Series, with Henry V and The Merchant of Venice a
Edited, Introduced and Annotated by Cedric Watts, Professor of English Literature, University of Sussex. The Wordsworth Classics' Shakespeare Series, with Romeo and Juliet, Henry V and The Merchant of
A fine exclusive edition of one of literature's most beloved stories. Featuring a laser-cut jacket on a textured hardcover book with foil stamping, all titles in this series will be first editions and
In this updated edition of King Richard II, Claire McEachern provides a fresh introductory section in which she discusses the most important productions and scholarly criticism of recent years. Paying particular attention to the focus on religion in contemporary interpretations of the play, McEachern also analyses the increasing number of performances on stage and screen. Andrew Gurr's acclaimed introduction guides the reader through the play's action and politics, providing a thorough and engaging grounding in its structure, language and staging. An updated reading list completes the edition.
In this updated edition of King Richard II, Claire McEachern provides a fresh introductory section in which she discusses the most important productions and scholarly criticism of recent years. Paying particular attention to the focus on religion in contemporary interpretations of the play, McEachern also analyses the increasing number of performances on stage and screen. Andrew Gurr's acclaimed introduction guides the reader through the play's action and politics, providing a thorough and engaging grounding in its structure, language and staging. An updated reading list completes the edition.
William Shakespeare (1564–1616) was born in Stratford-upon-Avon, Warwickshire, to a middle-class glover and a landowner’s daughter. He married Anne Hathaway in 1582 and moved to London to
Festivities are underway in Athens as Duke Theseus prepares to marry Hippolyta, queen of the Amazons. But before the revelry can begin, four young lovers, a roving band of craftsmen, and the quarrelin
The portrait of a monarchy in crisis, this historical drama concerns the famous king's efforts to secure a divorce from his dignified and popular queen in order to marry an enchanting courtesan and pr
Murder and madness, witches and war: a recording of Macbeth, perhaps Shakespeare’s best known tragedy. Macbeth, a general in King Duncan’s army, is given a prophecy by a trio of witches: he himself wi
′My Oberon! what visions have I seen!Methought I was enamoured of an ass.′When four young lovers flee from Athens and become lost in an enchanted wood, they stumble into a fairy world where King Obero
An elaborately annotated edition of Shakespeare's masterpieces of wit and erotic word-play. When a volume of poetry entitled Shakespeares Sonnets. Never before Imprinted appeared in 1609, Shakespeare
A Midsummer Night's Dream is perhaps the best loved of Shakespeare's plays. It brings together aristocrats, workers, and fairies in a wood outside Athens, and from there the magic begins. A young woma
A young man and woman meet by chance and fall instantly in love, but their families are bitter enemies, and in order to be together the two lovers must be prepared to risk everything, in a drama that
"A first-rate entree to the Bard," hailed Publishers Weekly in praise of Bruce Coville?s adaptation of A Midsummer Night?s Dream (Dial). Now the author follows with Macbeth, expertly weaving his own d
