William Shakespeare complete works

From 'The Royal Shakespeare Company', this stunning new edition of The Complete Works of Shakespeare combines cutting edge scholarship with elegant writing and design. This landmark edition is destined to become a must-have resource for the family bookshelf, public and academic libraries, teachers, students and lovers of Shakespeare everywhere. A wealth of features will appeal to students, scholars and theatre-goers alike, including - A definitive edition of Shakespeare's text based on the 1623 First Folio (the first and original Complete Works lovingly assembled by Shakespeare's fellow actors). The editors have used the very latest techniques and research to correct the confusing errors and variations found in competing editions; A superb general introduction and individual essays to introduce each play written by Jonathan Bate; A jargon-free, on-page glossary explains words and references unfamiliar to a modern audience. The editors have spared no blushes and compared to competing editions, our glossary takes a much less coy attitude to the slang, political references, sexual innuendo and bawdy humour which has often been either censored or ignored in older competing editions; Beautifully packaged with elegant, original jacket artwork, red ribbon markers and outstanding page design with a clear and readable, single-column layout on high-grade white paper; A foreword by Michael Boyd, Artistic Director, Royal Shakespeare company; Illustrated by 16 pages of original production photographs from the Royal Shakespeare Company and facsimile pages from the original 1623 First Folio; Easy to use reference resources developed after extensive market research with students, lecturers, teachers and audiences, including a 'Key Facts Box' for each play (plot summary, major roles, dates, sources, and language), and a Shakespeare chronology; Developed with advice and input from a stellar International Advisory Board ; Extensive publicity and promotional campaign planned with full support from The Royal Shakespeare Company and the Macmillan group. Contents list - Preface, General Introduction and User's Guide by Professor Jonathan Bate; 16 page plate section including photographs of RSC performances; Foreword by Michael Boyd, Artistic Director, Royal Shakespeare Company. For each play - Individual introduction by Jonathan Bate; on-page footnote gloss which explains unfamiliar or obsolete words and classical, biblical or contemporary references where WS assumes audience knowledge; Appendices of any significant passages that are not in First Folio (e.g. Some well-known scenes in Hamlet, Lear, Troilus, Romeo); 'Key Facts' box for each play with; plot summary, major roles, date, linguistic medium, sources, textual notes. Comedies - The Tempest; The Two Gentlemen of Verona; The Merry Wives of Windsor; Measure for Measure; The Comedy of Errors; Much Ado about Nothing; Love's Labour's Lost; A Midsummer Night's Dream; The Merchant of Venice; As You Like It; The Taming of the Shrew; All's Well that Ends Well; Twelfth Night, or What You Will; The Winter's Tale. Histories - The Life and Death of King John; The Life and Death of King Richard the Second; The First Part of Henry the Fourth, with the Life and Death of Henry surnamed Hotspur; The Second Part of Henry the Fourth, containing his Death and the Coronation of King Henry the Fifth; The Life of Henry the Fifth; The First Part of Henry the Sixth; The Second Part of Henry the Sixth, with the Death of the Good Duke Humphrey; The Third Part of Henry the Sixth, with the Death of the Duke of York; The Tragedy of Richard the Third, with the Landing of Earl Richmond and the Battle at Bosworth Field; The Famous History of the Life of King Henry the Eighth. Tragedies - The Tragedy of Troilus and Cressida; The Tragedy of Coriolanus; The Lamentable Tragedy of Titus Andronicus; The Tragedy of Romeo and Juliet; The Life of Timon of Athens; The Tragedy of Julius Caesar; The Tragedy of Macbeth; The Tragedy of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark; The Tragedy of King Lear; The Tragedy of Othello, the Moor of Venice; The Tragedy of Anthony and Cleopatra; The Tragedy of Cymbeline. Three Collaborative Plays - Pericles, Prince of Tyre; The Two Noble Kinsmen; Sir Thomas More - a scene is reproduced in WS's original handwriting, with transcript and commentary by Eric Rasmussen. Long Narrative Poems - Venus and Adonis; The Rape of Lucrece; The Phoenix and Turtle.