Shakespeare's tragedies are among the most sublime and influential works ever written. But because of the themes and issues they address, they are also among the most difficult.

This updated Companion has been fully revised and includes an extensively overhauled bibliography and four new chapters by leading scholars.

Among the most enjoyed and performed plays in the world, Shakespeare's comedies capture the spirit of his age and offer students a wealth of information about his era.

This Companion represents the myriad ways of thinking about the remarkable achievement of Shakespeare’s sonnets. An authoritative reference guide and extended introduction to Shakespeare’s sonnets. Contains more than 20 newly-commissioned essays by both established and younger scholars. Considers the form, sequence, content, literary context, editing and printing of the sonnets. Shows how the sonnets provide a mirror in which cultures can read their own critical biases. Informed by the latest theoretical, cultural and archival work.

Providing a unique combination of well-written, up-to-date background information and intriguing selections from primary documents, The Bedford Companion to Shakespeare introduces students to the topics most important to the study of Shakespeare in their full historical and cultural context. This new edition contains many new documents, particularly by women and other marginalized voices from the early modern period. There is also a new chapter on Shakespeare in performance, which introduces students to the great variety of productions of Shakespeare's works over the centuries.

Provides interpretations of William Shakespeare's plays and poems, along with background information, discussions of characters and themes, and explications of key passages.