One of William Shakespeare's most farcical comedies, "The Comedy of Errors" is notable for its use of mistaken identity to achieve a slapstick comedic effect. Ripe with the bard's characteristic word play, the comedy concerns the lives of two sets of identical twins that were accidentally separated shortly after their birth. The play begins by the elderly Syracusian trader Egeon relating the back-story of his family. When Egeon was young, he married...

Includes the play as well as much additional information concerning the life and times surrounding Shakespeare.

William Shakespeare's "King Lear" stands as a towering masterpiece, a tragic tale of power, betrayal, and the human condition. This timeless play delves into the complexities of familial relationships and the consequences of unchecked ambition. At its core, "King Lear" tells the story of an aging monarch who, in a moment of misguided judgment, divides his kingdom among his three daughters based on their flattery. The consequences of this rash decision...

Love's Labours Lost - William Shakespeare - Love's Labour's Lost is one of William Shakespeare's early comedies, believed to have been written in the mid-1590s for a performance at the Inns of Court before Queen Elizabeth I. It follows the King of Navarre and his three companions as they attempt to forswear the company of women for three years of study and fasting, and their subsequent infatuation with the Princess of Aquitaine and her ladies. In...

William Shakespeare's classic tragedy about Macbeth and his wife, who plot to kill the king and his heirs in order to seize the crown of Scotland. Includes textual notes, chronology, and scene-by-scene analysis.

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...

One of the greatest plays of all time, the compelling tragedy of the tormented young prince of Denmark continues to capture the imaginations of modern audiences worldwide. Confronted with evidence that his uncle murdered his father, and with his mother's infidelity, Hamlet must find a means of reconciling his longing for oblivion with his duty as avenger. The ghost, Hamlet's feigned madness, Ophelia's death and burial, the play within a play, the...

Likely written around 1607 or 1608 and attributed at least in part to Shakespeare, "Pericles, Prince of Tyre" is an adventure-filled play that follows the extended sailing journeys of a young prince. Pericles, a young prince from Phoenicia, is forced to flee Antioch when he correctly guesses a riddle that reveals the incestuous activity of King Antiochus. Unable to stay at home in Tyre because of Antiochus' vengeance, he sails away and ends up shipwrecked...

Includes an overview of Shakespeare's theatrical career, commentary on past productions, and a scene-by-scene analysis accompany Shakespeare's play about unrequited love and mistaken identity.

William Shakespeare's classic dramatic play "Richard II," in which Richard banishes Bolingbroke and Mowbray, but Bolingbroke eventually returns to kill him and become crowned Henry IV ; with scene-by-scene analysis and textual notes, commentaries on previous productions, a chronology of Shakespeare's life and works, and introduction to the play.