A Complete Critical Analysis of Shakespearean Plays : With A Reference to Elizabethan Theatre

Contents: Preface. 1. Cymbeline. 2. Macbeth. 3. Julius Caesar. 4. Othello. 5. Timon of Athens. 6. Coriolanus. 7. Troilus and Cressida. 8. Antony and Cleopatra. 9. Hamlet. 10. The tempest. 11. The midsummer nights dream. 12. Romeo and Juliet. 13. King Lear. 14. Richard II. 15. Henry IV in two parts. 16. Henry V. 17. Henry VI in three parts. 18. Richard III. 19. Henry VIII. 20. King John. 21. Twelfth night; or, what you will. 22. The two gentlemen of Verona. 23. The Merchant of Venice. 24. The Winter's tale. 25. All's well that ends well. 26. Love's labour's lost. 27. Much Ado about nothing. 28. As you like it. 29. The taming of the Shrew. 30. Measure for measure. 31. The merry wives of Windsor. 32. The comedy of errors. 33. Doubtful plays of Shakespeare. 34. Poems and sonnets.

"William Shakespeare, in terms of his life and his body of work, is the most written-about author in the history of Western civilization. His canon includes 38 plays, 154 sonnets, and 2 epic narrative poems. The first critical study on Shakespeare was published posthumously in 1623 by two of Shakespeare's acting companions, John Heminges and Henry Condell. Ever since then, the works of Shakespeare have been studied, analyzed, and enjoyed as some of the finest masterpieces of the English language.

It is all the more wondrous when one can study the works and see Shakespeare developing as a playwright right there upon the pages. Love's Laboures Lost and the early comedies are the work of a gifted and clever author. Perhaps such plays alone would have earned him literary fame in later days. The grandeur of a Hamlet of King Lear, however, its the work of a master who learned from his own writing and long practice.

In his time, Shakespeare was the most popular playwright of London. As centuries have passed, his genius eclipses all others of his age; Jonson, Marlowe, Kyd, Greene, Dekker, Heywood--none approach the craft or the humanity of character that marks the Bard's work. He took the art of dramatic verse and honed it to perfection. He created the most vivid characters of the Elizabethan or any other stage. His usage of language, both lofty and low, shows a remarkable wit and subtlety. Most importantly, his themes are so universal that they transcend generations to stir the imaginations of  audiences even to this day." (jacket)