This expansive four-volume work gives students detailed explanations of Shakespeare's plays and poems and also covers his age, life, theater, texts, and language. Numerous excerpts from primary source historical documents contextualize his works, while reviews of productions chronicle his performance history and reception.

• Provides a one-stop resource that overviews all of Shakespeare's most important plays and poems

• Includes primary material—such as historical accounts of issues contemporaneous with the plays and excerpts from reviews of stage productions—that puts these works in their literary, theatrical, and historical context

• Elucidates key controversies regarding Shakespeare's literary work through alternate viewpoints that will help promote critical thinking skills

• Helps students analyze Shakespearean themes and characters, explain how authors utilize sources, and evaluate critical interpretations of literature