Part of the "Everyman" series on Shakespeare, this edition provides facing-page text and notes, a chronology of Shakespeare's life and times and a selection of critical and theatrical responses to the plays over the centuries. The editor's introductions provide up-to-the-minute interpretation of the structure, atmosphere and content of each play and comment on sources and influences. The texts preserve the way Shakespeare's lines were meant to be spoken as well as their meaning. Derived from the earliest authoritative printings, they retain original spellings and punctuation which preserve puns and word play often lost in abridged versions.