Shakespeare : the essential guide to the plays : plots, characters, quotes, history / chief consultant, A.D. Cousins.

Includes bibliographical references (pages 242-247) and index.

The world before Shakespeare -- Shakespeare the man -- Canonical works -- Shakespeare or not? -- Language of the soul -- Shakespeare's enduring appeal -- The histories -- Henry VI, part 1 -- Henry VI, part 2 -- Henry VI, part 3 -- Richard III -- Richard II -- King John -- Henry IV, part 1 -- Henry IV, part 2 -- Henry V -- Henry VIII -- The comedies -- The two gentlemen of Verona -- The comedy of errors -- The taming the shrew -- Love's labor's lost -- A midsummer night's dream -- The Merchant of Venice -- The merry wives of Windsor -- As you like it -- Much ado about nothing -- Twelfth night -- All's well that ends well -- Measure for measure -- The tragedies -- Titus Andronicus -- Romeo and Juliet -- Julius Caesar -- Hamlet -- Troilus and Cressida -- Othello -- King Lear -- Macbeth -- Antony and Cleopatra -- Timon of Athens Coriolanus -- The romances -- Pericles -- Cymbeline -- The winter's tale -- The tempest -- The two noble kinsmen -- Timeline.

Contains an introductory section that examines Shakespeare's life and reveals why his works are so universally appealing. Subsequent parts examine each of his 38 plays, explaining their themes, contexts, and literary and cultural significance.