Confronted with the formidable and at times daunting mass of materials on Shakespeare, where does the beginning student--or even a seasoned one--turn for guidance? Answering that question remains the central aim of this new edition of a guide that has been a much admired mainstay of Shakespeare studies for two decades.

Thoroughly revised and updated, this widely used teaching and study tool adds concise analyses of more than 100 new books on Shakespeare published since the 1987 edition. It also greatly expands the section on the history plays and provides separate new categories for film...

"Pageantry in the Shakespearean Theater" focuses on political, social, and aesthetic issues to reveal the enormous influence of civic celebration on Renaissance theater. Ranging across Shakespeare's canon and including the work of his fellow playwrights, this collection of twelve essays considers tournaments, royal entries, Lord Mayor's Shows, funeral processions progress entertainments, court masques, and more.

Shakespeare's London 1613 offers for the first time a comprehensive 'biography' of this crucial year in English history. This book examines political and cultural life in London, including the Jacobean court and the city, which together witnessed an exceptional outpouring of cultural experiences and transformative political events. The royal family had to confront the sudden death of Prince Henry, heir apparent to the throne, which provoked unparalleled grief. An unprecedented number of plays performed at court helped move the country away from sadness to the happy occasion of Princess...