The annotated Shakespeare: three volumes in one : the comedies, the histories, sonnets, and other poems, the tragedies and romances PDF
Preview The annotated Shakespeare: three volumes in one : the comedies, the histories, sonnets, and other poems, the tragedies and romances
~ .. THE ANNOTATED™ a e ~eare - - A - - Three Volumes in One The Comedies The Histories, Sonnets and Other Poems The Tragedies and Romances Edited, with Introductions, Notes, a Biography and Bibliography by A.L.ROWSE Illustrated in Color by Hans Printz GREENWICH HOUSE ~ New York ~ r -====:;;;;::;;;;===:;;;;::;;;;===:;;;;::;;;;========- Copyright ©l\KMLXXYIU by Orbis Publishing Limited All rights reserved. This 1988 edition is published by Greenwich House, distributed by Crown Publishers, Inc., 225 Park Avenue South, Xew York, ::--rew York 10003, by arrangement with Clarkson X. Potter, Inc. Ai\XOTATED is a registered trademark of Clarkson X Potter, Inc. Printed and Bound in the Cnited States of America Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Shakespeare, William, 1564-1616. [Works. 1988] The annotated Shakespeare: three volumes in one illustrated: the comedies, the histories, sonnets, and other poems, the tragedies and romances I edited, with introductions, notes, a biography and bibliography by A.L. Rowse. p. cm. Bibliography: p. Includes index. ISBi\ 0-517-66555-7 I. Rowse, A. L. (Alfred Leslie), 1903- II. Title. PR27S4.R67 1988 88-6256 822.3'3-dc 19 CIP hgfedcba CONTENTS Color plates appear following pages 254,478, 17 58 THE COMEDIES WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE (1564-1616) Introduction 6 SHAKESPEARE'S COMEDIES Introduction 18 COMEDY OF ERRORS (1592) Introduction 26 Play 32 THE TWO GENTLEMEN OF VERONA (1592) Introduction 68 Play 74 THE TAMING OF THE SHREW (1592) Introduction 116 Play 122 LOVE'S LABOUR'S LOST (1593) Introduction 172 Play 178 A MIDSUMMER NIGHT'S DREAM (1594) Introduction 230 Play 236 THE MERCHANT OF VENICE (1596) Introduction 278 Play 284 AS YOU LIKE IT (1598) lntroduction 334 Play 340 MUCH ADO ABOUT NOTHING (1599) Introduction 390 Play 396 THE MERRY WIVES OF WINDSOR (1591)-1600) Introduction 444 Play 450 TWELFTH NIGHT (1601) Introduction 502 Play 508 TROILUS AND CRESSIDA (1602) Introduction 558 Play 564 ALL'S WELL THAT ENDS WELL (1603) Introduction 630 Play 636 MEASURE· FOR MEASURE (1604) IntrodQction 690 Play 696 THE HISTORIES, SONNETS AND OTHER POEMS SHAKESPEARE'S HISTORIES Introduction 751 THE FIRST PART OF KING HENRY VI (1590) Introduction 756 Play 762 THE SECOND PART OF KING HENRY VI (1590) Introduction 816 Play 822 THE THIRD PART OF KING HENRY VI (1591) Introduction 884 Play 890 KING RICHARD III (1592) Introduction 952 Play 958 KING RICHARD II (1595) Introduction 1032 Play 1039 KING JOHN (I596) Introduction 1092 Play 1098 THE FIRST PART OF KING HENRY IV (1597) Introduction 1148 Play 1154 THE SECOND PART OF KING HENRY IV (1598) Introduction 1210 Play 1216 KING HENRY V (1599) Introduction 1278 Play 1284 KING HENRY VIII (1613) Introduction 1344 Play 1350 SHAKESPEARE'S POE:\IS Introduction 1412 A Laver's Complaint (1591) Introduction 1414 Poem 1416 Venus and Adanis (1593) Introduction 1424 Poem 1428 The Rape of Lucrece (1594) Introduction 1452 Poem 1456 THE SONNETS (1592-15945) Introduction 1492 Poems 1496 The Phoenix and the Turtle (1601) Introduction 1536 Poem 1538 THE TRAGEDIES AND ROMANCES SHAKESPEARE'S TRAGEDIES & ROMANCES Introduction 1543 TITUS ANDRONICUS (1590-1) Introduction 1548 Play 1554 ROMEO AND JULIET (1594-5) Introduction 1604 Play 1610 "JULIUS CAESAR (1599) Introduction 1670 Play 1676 HAMLET (1600-1) Introduction 1724- Play 1730 OTHELLO (1604) Introduction 1804 Play 1810 KING LEAR (1605-6) Introduction 1874 Play 1880 MACBETH (1606) Introduction 1948 Play 1954 ANTONY AND CLEOPATRA (1607) Introduction 2002 Play 2008 CORIOLANUS (1608) Introduction 2076 Play 2082 TIMON OF ATHENS (1608) Introduction 2152 Play 2158 PERICLES (1608) Introduction 2206 Play 2212 CYMBELINE (1609) Introduction 2260 Play 2266 THE WINTER'S TALE (1610-11) Introduction 2332 Play 2338 THE TEMPEST (1611) Introduction 2396 Play 2402 Further Reading 2444 Index 2450 :\cknowledgments 2461 The Comedies William Shakespeare MORE IS K.."\'OWN about \Villiam Shakespeare than any other of the Elizabethan dramatists, with the single exception of Ben Jonson. Even here we know far less about Ben's early life-more about the later, for he was ten years younger and lived right on into the reign of Charles I, when more information was available about everybody. The reason for our fuller knowledge of Shakespeare's earlier life is that his father was a prominent townsman at Stratford-upon-A"on, 'where he rose to become alderman and bailiff (i.e. mayor) of the busy market-town. It was conveniently placed between the woodland country of Arden and the rich arable of South \Vanvickshire; to the south, the Cots\volds for sheep and shepherds and country sports; to the west, down river to \Vorcester and the cattle routes to \Vales; not far from Watling Street, the direct route to London, or over Clopton's fine bridge (still there 1) to Oxford and thence to London. John Shakespeare and :\Iary Arden came into Stratford on marriage, both from Arden country. He set up business as a glover, in the rn'o houses in Henley Street which he owned. ~hry Arden was socially superior, almost certainly a sprig of the Arden gentlefolk of north \\?anvickshire; for her father's house out at \Vilmcote was rather grander than an ordinary farmer's, with arras hangings on the walls, and she inherited some land. When William, upon success in London, bought the best house in Stratford and took out a coat-of-arms in his father's name-so that he should be a gentleman born-he later proposed quartering his Spear rXon sans droictl) with the arms of the Ardens. He is constantly referred to as 'gentle', which in Elizabethan English meant 'gentlemanly'-and such was always his bearing, in contrast to many of the theatre-folk. His granddaughter, Elizabeth, ended up as a lady of title, Lady Barnard. The borough archives at Stratford are full of the municipal activities of the alderman, Opposite: William as the parish registers are liberally sprinkled with the baptisms and burials of the family. Shakespeare. This William, the eldest son, was baptised in Holy Trinity on 26 April 1564, when he would engrm:ing by have been a few days old. In the end most of his own immediate family were gathered Jl1m,tin Dmeshout is the oni}' together in the chancel, where they all lie with him, before the altar, his monument, the allthentic likeness familiar bust, looking down upon them there. of Shakespeare 7
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