A guide to the plots and leading characters of all 37 Shakespeare plays.
Describes the sources and historical background to the plays.
Ideal for students and theatre-goers when approaching a play for the first time.
Illustrated with dramatic Victorian engravings.
A Shakespeare Handbook: An Essential Guide to all the Plays
What actually happens in the Shakespeare plays? What are their main themes, and how should we understand their main characters? How much did Shakespeare borrow from outside sources, and how much did he invent? Are there things in the plays which seem to relate directly to his own life? And conversely are there things in the plays which no one really understands, and if this is so, why do they remain so powerful? The volume of commentary and criticism on Shakespeare’s work is now so immense and detailed that it is impossible to master it. These handbook aims to cut through the mass of Shakespeare criticism and ask the fundamental questions listed above. By offering in one book a clear, accessible guide to all 37 plays, this brief, elegant handbook will appeal to students, general readers and theatre-goers alike. It is illustrated with the dramatic and delightful drawings of the Victorian artist Sir John Gilbert
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