"It is difficult to think of a topic that is not touched upon in this new handbook....Its embrace of all things Shakespearean makes this volume a necessity for academic and public libraries."--Booklist [STARRED REVIEW] "Heavy and oversized, but it's also packed with more than 3,000 entries on the plays and poetry of William Shakespeare., .A gift of scholarship and entertainment."--Chicago Tribune "Written to complement rather than critique the works of Shakespeare, this erudite but immensely readable volume is an essential addition to the Oxford Shakespeare....Authoritative yet succinct, this belongs in any library serving Shakespeare students and scholars."--Library Journal "The volume's greatest strength is the detailed attention given to the evolution of Shakespeare as literary giant and cultural icon over four centuries."--Choice "For loads of hard information on Shakespeare's canon, this well-illustrated, encyclopedic reference book offers play synopses, critical analysis, and much more for the Bard buff."--Seattle Times "A diverse collection of information not only on the man and his plays, but on performers and directors, and works as exhibited in varied media."--Charleston Post & Courier "A virtual Baedeker to Shakespeare country!"--Providence Journal "The encyclopedia is inexpensive for such a useful and handsome volume."--American Reference Book Annual 2002

Contents; Preface; Acknowledgements; Contributors; Thematic Listing of Entries; List of plays; Note to the reader; Oxford Companion to Shakespeare; The British Isles and France in the English Histories and Macbeth; The royal family in Shakespeare's English Histories; Shakespeare's life, works, and reception: a partial chronology; Further reading