This thick volume contains the lifework of William Shakespeare. It divides his plays into four categories: the
comedies, the
histories, the
tragedies, and the romances. His poems come last. Among the comedies, the reader will find A Midsummer''s Night''s Dream and As You Like It, both of them a fun, lighthearted read. One of the best histories is Richard III. History buffs are divided as to whether King Richard was a hero or a villain; Shakespeare paints him as a murderer. The tragedies are famous for such works as Romeo and Juliet and Hamlet. In his tragedies, Shakespeare shows us characters caught in webs of their own making. The romance section includes the late work "The Tempest".
Before each play, the editors have selected a scholarly
introduction to give the reader a handy overview of the plot. The controversies that affected Shakespeare''s culture is explored in the excellent General Introduction, and there is a separate section devoted to textual issues. Several color plates are included at the beginning of the book, illustrating some of the people influential in Shakespeare''s time and work. For the reader interested in literary
criticism, there is a section on 20th century Shakespeare criticism. A glossary of bibliographical terms and four appendices round out this edition of Shakespeare''s complete works.