Essential Shakespeare Handbook

Whether you want a quick overview of Romeo and Juliet to set the scene before a night at the theatre or an in depth reference guide for that challenging essay, this is the handbook for you!

This one-stop guide to the life and work of the Bard will enable you to approach his plays and poems with new confidence. Written in clear, non-academic, prose throughout - this is the first and only book to combine an easy-to-absorb guide to each and every play, plus the sonnets and poems.

* A portrait of Shakespeare's life and times: critics, contemporaries, patrons and the era's vibrant theatre.
* Full commentaries on all 39 plays including detailed plot summaries, a survey of dramatic interpretations on stage and screen, and an introduction to Shakespeare's sonnets and narrative poetry.
* Gain an insight into Shakespeare's unique world, including his language, his sources of inspiration and the secret of his enduring, universal appeal.