This major new complete edition of Shakespeare's works combines accessibility with the latest scholarship. Each play and collection of poems is preceded by a substantial introduction that looks at textual and literary-historical issues. The texts themselves have been scrupulously edited and are accompanied by same-page notes and glossaries. Particular attention has been paid to the design of the book to ensure that this first new edition of the twenty-first century is both attractive and approachable.

The sparkling repartee between the fair visitors from France and their hosts in Navarre, whose vow to study out of sight of woman is quickly broken, makes Love's Labour's Lost one of the most delightful and stageworthy of Shakespeare's comedies. This edition offers a number of new readings of difficult and disputed passages, together with some suggestions about the way in which the play's notorious `tangles' may have come about. The text is based on the quarto of 1598 and takes full account of the extensive scholarly study which that text has received over recent years. It offers a fascinating insight into shakespeare's mode of composition, improvisation, and revision.

Love's Labour's Lost was one of Shakespeare's early comedies. It tells the story of the King of Navarre and his three companions (Lords Berowne, Dumaine, and Longaville) who, in an attempt to spend three years studying and fasting, decide to avoid the company of women. This is all thwarted however with the arrival of the Princess of France and her court ladies. Setting up camp outside the court (due to the King having imposed a ban on women inside), the Princess and her companions stir feelings of love in the men. The play is notable for the inclusion of the longest word in all of Shakespeare's plays: honorificabilitudinitatibus. One of the main themes of Love's Labour's Lost, is that of masculine desire, which throughout the play is deferred and confused. The earliest recorded performance of this play was in 1597, before Queen Elizabeth.

This new Complete Works marks the completion of the Arden Shakespeare Third Series and includes all of Shakespeare's plays, poems and sonnets, edited by leading international scholars. New to this edition are the 'apocryphal' plays, part-written by Shakespeare: Double Falsehood, Sir Thomas More and King Edward III. The anthology is unique in giving all three extant texts of Hamlet from Shakespeare's time: the first and second Quarto texts of 1603 and 1604-5, and the first Folio text of 1623. With a simple alphabetical arrangement the Complete Works are easy to navigate. The lengthy introductions and footnotes of the individual Third Series volumes have been removed to make way for a general introduction, short individual introductions to each text, a glossary and a bibliography instead, to ensure all works are accessible in one single volume. This handsome Complete Works is ideal for readers keen to explore Shakespeare's work and for anyone building their literary library.

Among the most enduring poetry of all time, William Shakespeare’s 154 sonnets address such eternal themes as love, beauty, honesty, and the passage of time. Written primarily in four-line stanzas and iambic pentameter, Shakespeare’s sonnets are now recognized as marking the beginning of modern love poetry. The sonnets have been translated into all major written languages and are frequently used at romantic celebrations. Known as “The Bard of Avon,” William Shakespeare is arguably the greatest English-language writer known. Enormously popular during his life, Shakespeare’s works continue to resonate more than three centuries after his death, as has his influence on theatre and literature. Shakespeare’s innovative use of character, language, and experimentation with romance as tragedy served as a foundation for later playwrights and dramatists, and some of his most famous lines of dialogue have become part of everyday speech. HarperPerennial Classics brings great works of literature to life in digital format, upholding the highest standards in ebook production and celebrating reading in all its forms. Look for more titles in the HarperPerennial Classics collection to build your digital library.