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A pastoral comedy, William Shakespeare’s “As You Like It,” is the story of a Duke, who is unjustly deposed by his younger brother Frederick, and flees to the Forest of Arden. The Duke’s daughter, Rosalind, remains behind at the court. When it is discovered that Orlando, the youngest son of the deceased Sir Rowland de Boys, has fallen in love with her, Orlando is forced to flee. Rosalind follows after him, with her cousin Celia, to the Forest of Arden where he has gone to join the deposed Duke. In order to avoid detection the two disguise their appearance, Rosalind as a young man, and Cecilia as a poor woman. In the forest they meet a variety of interesting characters, including most notably the melancholy Jaques, one of the deposed Duke’s noblemen, who speaks some of Shakespeare’s most memorable lines, including “All the world’s a stage.” While critics have debated the literary merits of “As You Like It,” it remains as one of Shakespeare’s most loved and often performed plays. This edition includes a preface and annotations by Henry N. Hudson and an introduction by Charles Harold Herford.

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Generally considered as one of Shakespeare’s best comedies, “Much Ado About Nothing” is believed to have been written near the middle of the bard’s career, sometime during 1598 or 1599. It is the story of Leonato, an Italian nobleman, his daughter, Hero, and his niece, Beatrice. Following the conclusion of a war Leonato welcomes into his house Don Pedro, his good friend; fellow soldiers of Don Pedro, Claudio and Benedick; as well as Don Pedro’s illegitimate brother, Don John. Quickly amorous relations develop between Claudio and Hero and later between Benedick and Beatrice. As wedding plans are being made for Claudio and Hero, Don John tricks Claudio into believing that Hero has been unfaithful. The wedding bliss is briefly interrupted until the truth is finally discovered and the play ends in a joyful double wedding. Thematically “Much Ado About Nothing” is primarily concerned with the fidelity of its characters. Through the use of a series of deceptions and disguises Shakespeare is at his best in creating a comically confounding set of circumstances. This edition is annotated by Henry N. Hudson, includes an introduction by Charles Harold Herford, and a biographical afterword.

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Set in Scotland, “Macbeth” is the story of its titular character, a general in the army, who conspires with his wife to murder the King and usurp the throne. One of Shakespeare’s most powerful and deeply tragic plays, the work explores the psychological consequences when an immoral path is taken to advance one’s personal position. Among Shakespeare’s tragedies, “Macbeth” is noted for the exceptional simplicity of its plot and the directness of the action. Here there are no subplots to complicate the drama, hardly more than a glimpse of humor to relieve the dark picture of criminal ambition, only the steady march toward an inevitable catastrophe. This may explain its brevity, given it is one of Shakespeare’s shortest works, it has been suggested that what survives of the text may have been heavily cut from an earlier edition for the purposes of a particular performance. This tragedy illustrates in its close a conventional poetic justice that demands the triumph of the righteous cause and the downfall of the wicked. A classic study of character, “Macbeth,” is regarded to this day as one the finest examples of Shakespeare’s literary genius. This edition is annotated by Henry N. Hudson, includes an introduction by Charles Harold Herford, and a biographical afterword.

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Baptista Minola, a lord in Padua, insists that if his youngest daughter Bianca is to be married that her older sister Katherine be married first. Bianca, the more desirable of the two sisters, has no shortage of suitors. However, Katherine, the titular “shrew,” has a temper so notorious that it is thought that no man would ever wish to marry her. When Petruchio comes to town in search of a wife, Hortensio, one of Bianca’s suitors convinces Petruchio to marry Katherine. Only interested in her money, Petruchio marries Katherine and returns with her to his country house in Verona in order to “tame” her, a task that he soon finds out is more than he bargained for. Meanwhile, Gremio, Lucentio, and Hortensio, now free to court Bianca, all vie for her hand in marriage. Believed to have been written between 1590 and 1592, “The Taming of the Shrew” is a comedy by William Shakespeare which has met with some criticism in the modern era for its apparent misogynistic elements. This edition is annotated by Henry N. Hudson and includes an introduction by Charles Harold Herford.

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One of Shakespeare’s most frequently performed plays and regarded as maybe his best comedy, “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” is the story of the events surrounding the wedding of Theseus, Duke and Athens, and the Amazonian queen Hippolyta. At the outset of the play we find Hermia, who is in love with Lysander but is betrothed by her father’s arrangement to Demetrius. Meanwhile Helena laments her unrequited love of Demetrius. Several parallel and interconnecting plot lines complicate the narrative. One of which is the planning of a play, “Pyramus and Thisbe,” to be performed at the wedding. Secondly an element of fantasy is introduced through the story of Oberon, King of the fairies, and his Queen, Titania, whom he conspires against through the use of a magical love potion. The use of this love potion alters the varying affections of the characters of the play resulting in a series of comedic mishaps. Unlike many of Shakespeare’s works “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” does not drawn upon any historical or previous literary work, making it one of his most original compositions. This edition is annotated by Henry N. Hudson, includes an introduction by Charles Harold Herford, and a biographical afterword.

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Believed to have been written in 1591, William Shakespeare’s “Richard III” is one of the bards first plays, the first installment in a tetralogy of plays which includes “Henry IV, Part I”, “Henry IV, Part II”, and “Henry V”. One of the longest of Shakespeare’s plays and consequently rarely performed unabridged, “Richard III” is the story of the Machiavellian rise to power and subsequent short reign of King Richard III of England. The play begins with Richard, known in the play as Gloucester, describing the ascension of his brother, King Edward IV, to the throne of England. Through a series of scheming actions, Richard III clears all the obstacles in his way to claim the thrown of England. Lasting just two years, Richard III’s rule is short, ended by his inglorious defeat at Bosworth Field, the last decisive battle of the Wars of the Roses, which marked the end of the Middle Ages in England. Criticized for its historical accuracy, Shakespeare’s depiction of Richard III is that of a decisively amoral character and his downfall as the conquering of good over evil. However the portrayal is not entirely one-sided as Richard is humanized through his soliloquies to the audience and as such provides a brilliant example of the anti-hero in literature. This edition includes a preface and annotations by Henry N. Hudson and an introduction by Charles Harold Herford.

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"A merry winter's tale would drive away the time trimly," suggests a character from The Old Wives' Tale, a play by one of Shakespeare's lesser-known contemporaries. And indeed, Elizabethan audiences recognized a «winter's tale» as a fanciful story, rendered all the more appealing by its very improbability. The Bard's version of this traditional entertainment is a charming romantic comedy, but with undertones of tragedy.Running an emotional gamut from betrayal and broken hearts to a lighthearted romp, the tale begins with the tyrannical actions of a jealous king, whose baseless suspicions of his wife and best friend destroy his own family. The play's second half takes place sixteen years later, when the lovely plot turns toward romance and reconciliation. A sheep-shearing festival provides the occasion for a picturesque assembly of country folk, who contribute some of the play's finest moments with their rustic songs and dances.Originally presented circa 1611, this tragicomedy abounds in disguises and mistaken identities, courtly intrigue, miracles, and all the theatrical elements that make Shakespeare's works a timeless source of entertainment and enlightenment.

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Includes the unabridged text of Shakespeare's classic play plus a complete study guide that helps readers gain a thorough understanding of the work's content and context. The comprehensive guide includes scene-by-scene summaries, explanations and discussions of the plot, question-and-answer sections, author biography, analytical paper topics, list of characters, bibliography, and more.

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Includes the unabridged text of Shakespeare's classic play plus a complete study guide that helps readers gain a thorough understanding of the work's content and context. The comprehensive guide includes scene-by-scene summaries, explanations and discussions of the plot, question-and-answer sections, author biography, analytical paper topics, list of characters, bibliography, and more.

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A rough-and-tumble farce centered around a lively battle of the sexes, The Taming of the Shrew brims with action and bawdy humor. The unconventional romance between a lusty fortune-hunter and a bitter shrew unfolds to the accompaniment of witty, fast-paced dialogue and physical humor in this excellent introduction to Shakespearean comedy.The freebooter Petruchio arrives in Padua to hear of Katharina, a beautiful heiress whose waspish rants and caustic personality have repelled all attempts at courtship. Professing to admire a woman of spirit, Petruchio immediately sets about his wooing. The initial encounter between «Kate» and her wily suitor is spiked with impassioned exchanges of blows as well as jests. After a madcap wedding ceremony, the still-protesting Kate is whisked away to be «killed with kindness» and reborn as a loving wife.One of the Bard's earliest and most popular plays, The Taming of the Shrew is rife with subplots involving his customary devices of disguise and mistaken identity. The vivid language, studded with elaborate puns, is an engaging complement to the play's slapstick humor. Reprinted complete and unabridged in this inexpensive edition, The Taming of the Shrew will delight any reader with its wonderful wordplay and rollicking good spirits.

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