Shakespeare is the most influential poet and playwright of the English language. Any good edition of his works includes notes on the meanings of obscure words, names, and phrases, but no edition gives any guidance on pronunciation. Students, actors, and even Shakespearean experts rely on guesswork or must consult a specialized dictionary when confronting unusual words. This volume is an authoritative resource that allows readers to quickly find the correct pronunciation of any difficult word in Shakespeare's works.

In order to determine which pronunciations are actually in use today,...