It took the BBC and PBS seven years to complete their historic television production of every single one of William Shakespeare's 37 plays. Supervising their literary background was John Wilders, who then wrote prefaces for the edition of the plays, published with the series. These are brought together in this volume, introductions to the plays specifically written for the modern theatregoer and playreader. It should also be of use for anyone wanting a feel for a particular play, an idea of its principal themes, or just an understanding of what lies in store when encountering the well-known - and the considerably less well-known - plays of William Shakespeare. The prefaces are designed to stand on their own, to be read and referred to in their own right. Their aim is to provide consistent accounts of all the plays, avoiding esoteric quibbling on the one hand, and mere plot synopsis on the other.