The Routledge Guide to William Shakespeare

William Shakespeare is one of the most widely studied and culturally significant writers of all time; his language interwoven through popular reference and imaginings of the Western canon.In this concise, structured guide, Robert Shaughnessy:introduces Shakespeare's life and works in context, providing crucial historical background introduces each of Shakespeare's plays in turn, considering issues of historical context, contemporary criticism and performance history provides a detailed discussion of twentieth century Shakespearean criticism, exploring the theories, debates and discoveries that have shaped our understanding of Shakespeare today looks at contemporary performance of Shakespeare on stage and screen cross-references between sections of the guide to suggest links between texts, contexts and criticism provides an annotated further reading section and detailed chronologies.Demystifying and contextualizing Shakespeare for the twenty-first century, this book offers both an introduction to the subject for beginning students and an invaluable resource for more experienced Shakespeareans.