First published: 2004

How to use this handbook -- The life of William Shakespeare -- Shakespeare in his time -- Elizabethan and Jacobean theatre -- Shakespeare's canon -- Shakespeare's language -- Shakespeare : the works -- The history plays (Henry VI, part I ; Henry VI, part II ; Henry VI, part III ; Richard III ; King John ; Edward III ; Richard II ; Henry IV, part I ; Henry IV, part II ; Henry V ; Henry VIII) -- The comedies (The comedy of errors ; The taming of the shrew ; The two gentlemen of Verona ; Love's labour's lost ; A midsummer night's dream ; The merchant of Venice ; The merry wives of Windsor ; Much ado about nothing ; As you like it ; Twelfth night ; Troilus and Cressida ; All's well that ends well ; Measure for measure) --

"A new edition of the comprehensive guide to Shakespeare, exploring his life and works, and his enduring legacy, in a stunning gift format. Unravel the history, themes, and language of Shakespeare's plays, poems, and sonnets with this beautifully illustrated guide to his life and works. Comedy and romance, history, and tragedy, Shakespeare's canon has it all. Some 400 years after they were written and first performed, his works still remain fresh and relevant today. Shakespeare: his life and works is an accessible and lavishly illustrated celebration of the Bard himself and his 39 plays, great sonnets, and narrative poems. Themes, plots, characters, and language are brought to life with act-by-act plot summaries, resumes of main characters, and in-depth analysis of Shakespeare's use of, and influence on, the English language. Entries also explore Shakespeare's plays, poems, and sonnets in the context of his life and the world of Elizabethan and Jacobean theatre, and reveal his sources and inspirations, further enriching your experience of his work, be it on the page, stage, or screen. Shakespeare: his life and works is the perfect gift for existing Shakespeare fans, and anyone looking to find out more about the work of the world's most celebrated playwright"--Publisher's description

Includes index

The tragedies (Titus Andronicus ; Romeo and Juliet ; Julius Caesar ; Hamlet ; Othello ; King Lear ; Macbeth ; Antony and Cleopatra ; Coriolanus ; Timon of Athens) -- The romances (Pericles ; Cymbeline ; The winter's tale ; The tempest ; The two noble kinsmen) -- Non-dramatic poetry -- The narrative poems (Venus and Adonis ; The rape of Lucrece ; The phoenix and the turtle ; A lover's complaint) -- The lyric poems (The sonnets ; Shall I die? ; The epitaphs) -- Global Shakespeare