The RSC Shakespeare: The Complete Works: (The RSC Shakespeare)

"The text of any Shakespeare play is a living negotiable entity: scholarship and theatre practice work together to keep the plays alive and vividly present." – Greg Doran, RSC Artistic Director Emeritus Developed in partnership with the Royal Shakespeare Company, this Complete Works of William Shakespeare combines exemplary textual scholarship with beautiful design. Curated by expert editors Sir Jonathan Bate and Professor Eric Rasmussen, the text in this collection is based on the iconic 1623 First Folio: the first and original Complete Works lovingly assembled by Shakespeare's fellow actors, and the version of Shakespeare's text preferred by many actors and directors today. This stunning revised edition goes further to present Shakespeare's plays as they were originally intended – as living theatre to be enjoyed and performed on stage. Along with new colour photographs from a vibrant range of RSC productions, a new Stage Notes feature documenting the staging choices in 100 RSC productions showcases the myriad ways in which Shakespeare's plays can be brought to life. Now featuring the entire range of Shakespeare's plays, poems and sonnets, this edition is expanded to include both The Passionate Pilgrim and A Lover's Complaint. Along with Bate's excellent general introduction and short essays, this collection includes a range of aids to the reader such as on-page notes explaining unfamiliar terms and key facts boxes providing plot summaries and additional helpful context. A Complete Works for the 21st century, this versatile and highly collectable edition will inspire students, theatre practitioners and lovers of Shakespeare everywhere.

Table of Contents:
Preface to Shakespeare: A Second Edition, Jonathan Bate The First Folio after 400 years The 'Second Folio' of the RSC Shakespeare General Introduction, Jonathan Bate Shakespeare our Perennial Contemporary Shakespeare's Debut: The 'Upstart Crow' The Back Story: Shakespeare of Stratford The Playhouses Plague and Poetry The Lord Chamberlain's Man The Ensemble at Work Dangerous Matter: Politics and Religion The King's Man Cult and Heresy The Great Feast of Languages The First Folio Restored User's Guide Preliminary pages of the First Folio Foreword, Greg Doran, Artistic Director Emeritus, Royal Shakespeare Company PLATES WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE: COMPLETE WORKS with Introductions and Key Facts, Jonathan Bate COMEDIES The Tempest The Two Gentlemen of Verona The Merry Wives of Windsor Measure for Measure The Comedy of Errors Much Ado about Nothing Love's Labour's Lost A Midsummer Night's Dream The Merchant of Venice As You Like It The Taming of the Shrew All's Well that Ends Well Twelfth Night, or What You Will The Winter's Tale HISTORIES The Life and Death of King John The Life and Death of King Richard the Second The First Part of Henry the Fourth, with the Life and Death of Henry surnamed Hotspur The Second Part of Henry the Fourth, containing his Death and the Coronation of King Henry the Fifth The Life of Henry the Fifth The First Part of Henry the Sixth The Second Part of Henry the Sixth, with the Death of the Good Duke Humphrey The Third Part of Henry the Sixth, with the Death of the Duke of York The Tragedy of Richard the Third, with the Landing of Earl Richmond and the Battle at Bosworth Field The Famous History of the Life of King Henry the Eighth TRAGEDIES The Tragedy of Troilus and Cressida The Tragedy of Coriolanus The Lamentable Tragedy of Titus Andronicus The Tragedy of Romeo and Juliet The Life of Timon of Athens The Tragedy of Julius Caesar The Tragedy of Macbeth The Tragedy of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark The Tragedy of King Lear The Tragedy of Othello, the Moor of Venice The Tragedy of Antony and Cleopatra The Tragedy of Cymbeline PLAYS NOT IN THE FIRST FOLIO Pericles, Prince of Tyre, William Shakespeare and George Wilkins The Two Noble Kinsmen, William Shakespeare and John Fletcher POEMS AND SONNETS Venus and Adonis The Rape of Lucrece The Passionate Pilgrim 'To the Queen' 'Let the Bird of Loudest Lay' (also known as 'The Phoenix and Turtle') Shakespeare's Sonnets 'A Lover's Complaint' A Scene for Sir Thomas More (introduction, transcription and modernized text by Eric Rasmussen) CHARTS Shakespeare's Works: A Conjectural Chronology The Houses of Lancaster and York: A Genealogy Kings and Queens of England: From the History Plays to Shakespeare's Lifetime The History behind the Histories: A Chronology The History behind the Tragedies: A Chronology

About the Author :
Jonathan Bate is Foundation Professor of Environmental Humanities at Arizona State University, USA. Eric Rasmussen is a Professor and Chair of the English department at the University of Nevada, Reno, USA.

Review :
There may never be an absolutely definitive collection of Shakespeare's plays, but this may be as close as we ever come. Clear, user-friendly and meticulous, this is the edition we all need. All of humanity in all of its complexity is contained within these plays, so much so that it's hard to imagine that Shakespeare will ever be surpassed as the world's greatest and most beloved playwright. It's therefore fitting to have this edition that displays his continuing relevance and resonances to his ongoing audience. This is a glorious edition of one of the world's most important books. It's the essential reference book for anyone who's ever been in love, felt jealousy, fear, hatred or desire. All human life is here – and every home should have one. Timely, original, and beautifully conceived, the RSC edition makes Shakespeare's extraordinary accomplishment more vivid than ever. Expert, authoritative and accessible. This tome of Shakespeare's complete works is a must-have for all bookshelves … Whether you're an enthusiast keen to learn more or a seasoned Shakespearean scholar, this is one of the most authoritative books on Shakespeare that you'll find. It is truly comprehensive and a must-have for all libraries, particularly school and university ones.