The Norton Shakespeare : Based on the Oxford Shakespeare

Comprising the complete works of William Shakespeare, based on the Oxford edition, this book has been edited and annotated to provide a single-column text.

Each play has an introduction aimed at encouraging a fresh approach to the work.

In the general introduction, the editor draws a picture of everyday life in Elizabethan England: the culture, the people, commerce, politics and religion.

He describes Shakespeare's family life and his professional career as a working man of the theatre.

He also discusses the printing and publishing of the plays, and recent developments in textual scholarship.

Lastly, he considers questions affecting Shakespeare criticism.

An essay by Andrew Gurr (University of Reading), on the staging of Shakespeare's plays explains, for example, how the plays were performed at the "Globe" theatre.

An accompanying CD-ROM, "The Norton Shakespeare Workshop" is also available.