'Fabulously useful and formidably organised and clear, William McKenzie's Guide to Shakespeare has what it takes to turn any curious and committed student into a really outstanding Shakespearean. And as well as helping you to get top marks it will give you the confidence and satisfaction of beginning to think about the most prestigious and famous writer in the world for yourself. Once you can do that, you can surely do anything - in literary studies, at any rate.' Ewan Fernie, Shakespeare Institute, University of Birmingham An introductory guide to studying Shakespeare This book is a 'one-stop-shop' for the busy undergraduate studying Shakespeare. Offering detailed guidance to the plays most often taught on undergraduate courses, the volume targets the topics tutors choose for essay questions and is organised to help students find the information they need quickly. Each text discussion contains sections on sources, characters, performance, themes, language and critical history, helping students identify different ways of approaching a text. The book's unique play-based structure and character-centred approach allows students to navigate the material easily. The flexibility of the design allows students either to read cover-to-cover, target a specific play or explore elements of a narrative unit such as imagery or characterisation. The reader will quickly gain a full grasp of the kind of dramatist William Shakespeare was - and is. Key Features . An introduction which gives an up-to-date 'state-of-play' of the academic, theatrical and cultural efforts inspired by Shakespeare's texts . A discussion of critical approaches to the playwright's texts . Succinct guides to Shakespeare's most-studied plays . Discussion questions William McKenzie is Lecturer in the School of Modern Languages and Cultures, Durham University. He is the co-editor of Shakespeare and I (2012) and has published on early modern melancholy, Shakespearean confession, humanist pedagogy and Renaissance obscenity. Cover image: photo by John Haynes © Royal Shakespeare Company Cover design: [EUP logo] edinburghuniversitypress.com ISBN (cover): 978-1-4744-1353-4 ISBN (PPC): 978-1-4744-1351-0 Barcode