The Riverside Shakespeare (original 1623; edition 1973)

I don't think I've read all of these, but nonetheless, I'm going to mark it as read to help detract a little from my insanely long to-read list. That being said, Shakespeare is awesome. I don't like reading his plays all that much, because they don't appeal to me that much in some cases and because they were meant to be performed, not read, but on a linguistic level, man, I love them. ( )

The Norton Shakespeare is a collection of Shakespeare's complete works, including the sonnets, including essays and introductions on each, with glosses and footnotes for the modern reader where the meaning of words and phrases isn't obvious, or where the modern reader needs some context. It's not something I tend to need, but it has been helpful on a few occasions.

It's a very good collection, and if you're studying Shakespeare, definitely worth getting. The main problem with it is that it's huge and heavy, so it can't really be taken with you to classes. ( )

Review"State-of-the-art scholarship...has come to stand as the edition of record of Shakespeare's poems and plays."--San Diego Union-Tribunen"Includes stage directions, introductions, and a trove of other scholarly goodies. A beauty."--Library Journal (starred review) Product DescriptionHailed by The Washington Post as "a definitive synthesis of the best editions" and by The Times of London as "a monument to Shakespearean scholarship," The Oxford Shakespeare is the ultimate anthology of the Bard's work: the most authoritative edition of the plays and poems ever published. Now, almost two decades after the original volume, Oxford is proud to announce a thoroughly updated second edition, including for the first time the texts of The Reign of Edward III and Sir Thomas More, recognizing these two plays officially as authentic works by Shakespeare. This beautiful collection is the product of years of full-time research by a team of British and American scholars and represents the most thorough examination ever undertaken of the nature and authority of Shakespeare's work. The editors reconsidered every detail of the text in the light of modern scholarship and they thoroughly re-examined the earliest printed versions of the plays, firmly establishing the canon and chronological order of composition. All stage directions have been reconsidered in light of original staging, and many new directions for essential action have been added. This superb volume also features a brief introduction to each work as well as an illuminating General Introduction. Finally, the editors have added a wealth of secondary material, including an essay on language, a list of contemporary allusions to Shakespeare, an index of Shakespearean characters, a glossary, a consolidated bibliography, and an index of first lines of the Sonnets. Compiled by the world's leading authorities, packed with information, and attractively designed, The Oxford Shakespeare is the gold standard of Shakespearean anthologies.

Illustrated with photographs of performances chosen by RSC Directors, tis title features on-page notes which explain words and phrases unfamiliar to a modern audience. It is suitable for undergraduates or A-level students of Literature or Drama; lecturers or teachers of Literature or Drama.

This 'Complete Works' of Shakespeare contains the texts of all Shakespeare's plays, as edited by leading Shakespeare scholars. Each play has a brief introduction which discusses the date and its contemporary context.