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
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
′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
′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
′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
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
With an Introduction by Tim Cook. Shakespeare's sonnets have an intensity of both feeling and meaning unmatched in English sonnet form. They divide into two parts; the first 126 sonnets are addressed
Richard, Duke of Gloucester - the bitter, deformed brother of the King - is secretly plotting to seize the throne of England. Charming and duplicitous, powerfully eloquent and viciously cruel, he is p
Othello is an intense drama of love, deception, jealousy and destruction. Desdemona's love for her husband Othello, the Moor, transcends racial prejudice; but his trusted ensign, the envious Iago, con
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 Merchant of Venice is most associated not with its titular hero, Antonio, but with the complex, unforgettable figure of the money-lender, Shylock. It is Shylock who finances Antonio's friend Bassa
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
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
Bianca is beautiful and demure, with a plethora of would-be suitors, but marriage is forbidden until her older sister Katherina finds a suitable match. The hitch? Fiery Katherina has sworn to deny the
Power, corruption and betrayal are at the heart of Shakespeare′s most well-known historical and political drama. As Julius Caesar moves closer to securing power for himself and is perceived by some as
′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
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
′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
′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
′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
′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
′Once more unto the breach, dear friends, once more...′Henry V is the final and most celebrated play of Shakespeare′s ′history plays′. Prince Harry reigns over England after the death of his father Ki
′Stars, hide your fires!Let not light see my black and deep desires.′One of Shakespeare′s darkest and most violent tragedies, Macbeth′s struggle between his own ambition and his loyalty to the King is
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, Research Professor of English Literature, University of Sussex. The Wordsworth Classics' Shakespeare Series, with Henry V as its inaugral volume, pres
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
This Wordsworth Edition includes an exclusive Introduction and Notes by Cedric Watts, Research Professor of English, University of Sussex. As You Like It is one of Shakespeare's finest romantic comedi
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
Edited, introduced and annotated by Cedric Watts, Research Professor of English, University of Sussex. Julius Caesar is among the best of Shakespeare's historical and political plays. Dealing with eve
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
Preferring a life of spiritual contemplation, Henry VI leaves politics to his nobles. The resulting power struggle pits the Houses of York and Lancaster against one another for control of the crown. A
The secret marriage of a king's daughter sets off a chain reaction of slander, jealousy, and divine intervention in this fairy tale-like romance. Shakespeare based his play on myths of an early Celtic
The Tragedy of Othello, the Moor of Venice is a tragedy by William Shakespeare, believed to have been written in the year approximately 1603, and based on the short story Un Capitano Moro ("A Moo
Romeo and Juliet belongs to a tradition of tragic romances stretching back to antiquity. Its plot is based on an Italian tale, translated into verse as The Tragical History of Romeus and Juliet by Art
