 This insightful book contains the complete sonnets and detailed commentary and textual analysis. It has particularly good answers to questions surrounding the so-called "Dark Lady", who was supposedly the object of Shakespeare's affection and the inspiration for his later grouping of sonnets. The questions of when the sonnets were actually composed and in what exact order are also addressed in a lively and entertaining fashion. To order this book through the secure Barnes and Noble site, (usually only takes 24 hours for delivery) click here:  Shakespeare's Sonnets |
Shakespeare's Sonnets: Critical Essays, is an essential book for every English undergraduate and graduate student. Every major branch of literary theory is used in this book to explain the sonnets, from new historicism to cultural materialism and formalism. It is an expensive book ($95), but should be looked at as an investment that will pay for itself if you intend to pursue a degree or career in the humanities. To order this book through the secure Barnes and Noble site, (usually only takes 24 hours for delivery)  Click Here |
 Outlines of Shakespeare's Plays, contains a detailed plot synopsis of each play. Since I am not finished my plot synopsis for every play, this book would be a great resource for anyone in need of a concise and well-written plot summary. To order this book through the secure Barnes and Noble site, (usually only takes 24 hours for delivery) click here:  OUTLINES OF SHAKESPEARE'S PLAYS |
 Shakespeare's Sweet Thunder: Essays on the Early Comedies has some great information on The Taming of the Shrew in particular. The chapter entitled "Kate, Bianca, Ruth, and Sarah: Playing the Woman's Part in The Taming of the Shrew" is an excellent resource for anyone interested in Shakespeare's female characters. To order this book through the secure Barnes and Noble site, (usually only takes 24 hours for delivery) click here:
 SHAKESPEARE'S SWEET THUNDER: ESSAYS ON THE EARLY COMEDIES |
 A Pocket Guide to Shakespeare's Plays is useful for actors, directors, students, or anyone going to see a Shakespeare performance. It is affordable and handy for quick facts about the Bard. To order this book through the secure Barnes and Noble site, (usually only takes 24 hours for delivery) click here:  POCKET GUIDE TO SHAKESPEARE'S PLAYS |
 Stories from Shakespeare has been a tremendously popular book since it was first released in the 1950s. Author Marchette Chute re-tells the plot of each Shakespeare play in wonderfully entertaining and easy-to- understand prose. This would be an ideal book for children ages 9 to 13, and would really help give them a lifelong appeaciation for the work of Shakespeare. To order this book through the secure Barnes and Noble site, (usually only takes 24 hours for delivery) click here:  STORIES FROM SHAKESPEARE |
 Shakespearean Tragedy: Lectures On Hamlet, Othello, King Lear And MacBeth
. This series of lectures by A.C. Bradley is one of the most important scholarly works in the entire canon of Shakespearean criticism.
I have worn out my own copy of this brilliant discussion of Shakespeare's great tragedies. To order this book through the secure Barnes and Noble site, (usually only takes 24 hours for delivery) click here:  SHAKESPEAREAN TRAGEDY: LECTURES ON HAMLET, OTHELLO, KING LEAR AND MACBETH |
 Rosalind (Bloom's Major Literary Characters Series). There are not many books written about this Shakespearean heroine, but luckily we have one that gives her the attention she deserves. Rosalind's role as both student and teacher of the ways of love is stressed in this volume, as are the the lessoned her from her gender experiments. To order this book through the secure Barnes and Noble site, (usually only takes 24 hours for delivery) click here:
 ROSALIND (BLOOM'S MAJOR LITERARY CHARACTERS SERIES) |
 Shakespeare's Shakespeare: How the Plays Were Made provides an interesting re-evaluation of some of the conceptions about Shakespeare's authorial intentions in the plays. His focus is on Romeo and Juliet; Hamlet; King Lear; A Midsummer Night's Dream; As You Like It; Richard II; and Henry IV, Part I. To order this book through the secure Barnes and Noble site, (usually only takes 24 hours for delivery) click here: SHAKESPEARE'S SHAKESPEARE; HOW THE PLAYS WERE MADE |
| Shakespeare's Language is the latest book by Frank Kermode, one of Britain's most famous scholars of
Renaissance literature. Kermode states in his introduction that his book is for a "non-professional" audience, but, nonetheless, you should have background knowledge of Shakespeare's plays before you begin this book. He argues that Shakespeare's language experienced a "dynamic transformation" after 1600, and to prove his point, Kermode focuses on sixteen of Shakespeare's dramas, including the Bard's lesser known works, Trolius and Cressida, Henry VIII, and The Two Noble Kinsmen.To order this book through the secure Barnes and Noble site, (usually only takes 24 hours for delivery) click here. |
 Women's Worlds in Shakespeare's Plays focuses on five of Shakespeare's plays, All's Well that Ends Well, Hamlet, Macbeth, Twelfth Night, and A Midsummer Night's Dream. It is a wonderful exploration into conceptions of Shakespeare's female characters, and their battles with morality and twisted notions of sexuality. To order this book through the secure Barnes and Noble site, (usually only takes 24 hours for delivery) click here:  WOMEN'S WORLDS IN SHAKESPEARE'S PLAYS |
 Biblical References in Shakespeare's Plays contains all the passages from the Bible found in Shakespeare's plays, and examines the Bible in Shakespeare's day. It is a wonderful reference for scholars and anyone who is in need of interesting material for a great thesis. To order this book through the secure Barnes and Noble site, (usually only takes 24 hours for delivery) click here:  BIBLICAL REFERENCES IN SHAKESPEARE'S PLAYS |
 Moral Philosophies in Shakespeare's Plays is a guide to the prevailing themes and moral dilemmas presented in Shakespeare's plays. It would make a great gift for someone interested in the finer aspects of Shakespeare's work. To order this book through the secure Barnes and Noble site, (usually only takes 24 hours for delivery) click here: MORAL PHILOSOPHIES IN SHAKESPEARE'S PLAYS |
 William's Window: An Introduction to Shakespeare's Plays for Young People is a great introduction to the plays for children. At $2.80 the price is right too. To order this book through the secure Barnes and Noble site, (usually only takes 24 hours for delivery) click here: WILLIAM'S WINDOW: AN INTRODUCTION TO SHAKESPEARE'S PLAYS FOR YOUNG PEOPLE |
 The Moral Universe of Shakespeare's Problem Plays explains why some of Shakespeare's works are called problem plays, and provides the history of the plays, with interpretations as well. To order this book through the secure Barnes and Noble site, (usually only takes 24 hours for delivery) click here:  MORAL UNIVERSE OF SHAKESPEARE'S PROBLEM PLAYS |
 Understanding MacBeth: A Student Casebook to Issues, Sources, and Historical Documents. This book is a must for everyone interested in Macbeth. With both a detailed analysis of the drama and an exploration of the times in which Shakespeare wrote the play, this book is a wonderful resource for students of every level -- even graduate students. It has some good information on attitudes toward witches at the time of King James and how Macbeth relates to contemporary events. To order this book through the secure Barnes and Noble site, (usually only takes 24 hours for delivery), or to see the full table of contents, click here:  UNDERSTANDING MACBETH; A STUDENT CASEBOOK TO ISSUES, SOURCES, AND HISTORICAL DOCUMENTS |
 Hamlet: Prince of Denmark (Barron's Shakespeare Made Easy) is a nice book for those who have trouble reading the complex blank verse of the play. It also includes background information on the play, commentary on selected lines, and notes regarding Quarto and Folio versions of the text. And the price is right for students -- only $5.56! To order this book through the secure Barnes and Noble site, (usually only takes 24 hours for delivery) click here: HAMLET: PRINCE OF DENMARK (BARRON'S SHAKESPEARE MADE EASY) |
 Romeo & Juliet (Barron's Shakespeare Made Easy) is great for those students who need a simple version of the play. And it is only $5.56! To order this book through the secure Barnes and Noble site, (usually only takes 24 hours for delivery) click here:  ROMEO & JULIET (BARRON'S SHAKESPEARE MADE EASY) |
 Julius Caesar (Barron's Shakespeare Made Easy). This handy and inexpensive book places the original text of Shakespeare's play side by side with a modern version and provides information on the theatre of Shakespere's time. If you have trouble understanding Shakespeare's text, this is a must! To order this book through the secure Barnes and Noble site, (usually only takes 24 hours for delivery) click here: JULIUS CAESAR (BARRON'S SHAKESPEARE MADE EASY) |
 The Tempest: Modern English Version Side-by-Side with Full Original Text (Barron's Shakespeare Made Easy) finally gives students a modern version of the play so they can understand every line of Shakespeare's wonderful poetry and prose. It is currently on sale for an amazing $5.56. To order this book through the secure Barnes and Noble site, (usually only takes 24 hours for delivery) click here:  TEMPEST: MODERN ENGLISH VERSION SIDE-BY-SIDE WITH FULL ORIGINAL TEXT (BARRON'S SHAKESPEARE MADE EASY |
 The Merchant of Venice: Modern Version Side-by-Side with Full Original Text (Barron's Shakespeare Made Easy) is a great book for those who have trouble reading the complex blank verse of the play. It also includes background information on the play. To order this book through the secure Barnes and Noble site, (usually only takes 24 hours for delivery) click here:  MERCHANT OF VENICE: MODERN VERSION SIDE-BY-SIDE WITH FULL ORIGINAL TEXT (BARRON'S SHAKESPEARE MADE E |
 Henry IV, Part I (Barron's Shakespeare Made Easy) Is another in Barron's series of Shakespeare's plays in modern English. Great for students in high school and for parents who would like to share Shakespeare's writing with younger children. To order this book through the secure Barnes and Noble site, (usually only takes 24 hours for delivery) click here:  HENRY IV, PART I (BARRON'S SHAKESPEARE MADE EASY) |
Critical Essays on Shakespeare's Othello focuses on the key issues of reality, feigned reality, and duality in the play, in addition to exploring the role of gender and adultery. Particularly interesting is the chapter called "Ethiops Washed White: Moors of the Nonvillainous Type". To order this book through the secure Barnes and Noble site, (usually only takes 24 hours for delivery) click here:  CRITICAL ESSAYS ON SHAKESPEARE'S OTHELLO |
 Playgoing in Shakespeare's London is a wonderful resource for anyone who needs to know anything or everything about the people who went to see Shakespeare's plays. It covers everything from performing conditions to auditorium behaviour. An invaluable resource! To order this book through the secure Barnes and Noble site, (usually only takes 24 hours for delivery) click here:  PLAYGOING IN SHAKESPEARE'S LONDON |
 An Outward Show: Music for Shakespeare on the London Stage, 1660-1830 provides a detailed look at the music accompanying Shakespeare's plays during 170 years of performances. It also contains information about Shakespearean music on the Elizabethan and Jacobean stage. Musical examples illustrate the text. To order this book through the secure Barnes and Noble site, (usually only takes 24 hours for delivery) click here:  OUTWARD SHOW: MUSIC FOR SHAKESPEARE ON THE LONDON STAGE, 1660-1830 |
 Family Life in Shakespeare's England: Stratford-upon-Avon, 1570-1630
provides detailed information on the occupations and finances of people of the Renaissance, in addition to facts about everything from goods, cattle and chattels to families, friends, beliefs, and attitudes. A good book indeed. To order this book through the secure Barnes and Noble site, (usually only takes 24 hours for delivery) click here:  FAMILY LIFE IN SHAKESPEARE'S ENGLAND; STRATFORD-UPON-AVON, 1570-1630 |
 Homosexual Desire in Shakespeare's England: A Cultural Poetics contains
a discussion of homoeroticism in Shakespeare, Spenser, and Marlowe (among other writers). Smith's new Preface places his work in the context of the continuing controversies in gay, lesbian, and bisexual studies. To order this book through the secure Barnes and Noble site, (usually only takes 24 hours for delivery) click here:  HOMOSEXUAL DESIRE IN SHAKESPEARE'S ENGLAND; A CULTURAL POETICS |
 Shakespeare: Who Was He? (The Oxford Challenge to the Bard of Avon). The true identity of Shakespeare has been a point of contention from the beginning of Shakespearean criticism, and there seems to be no consensus as of yet. Author Richard F. Whalen has his own unique view of the subject and concludes that the case for Oxford is much more persuasive than the case for simple landowner, William Shakespeare. I personally do not agree with his deduction, but for those interested in the authorship debate, it is a well-written examination of the evidence. To order this book through the secure Barnes and Noble site, (usually only takes 24 hours for delivery) click here:  SHAKESPEARE: WHO WAS HE? (THE OXFORD CHALLENGE TO THE BARD OF AVON) |
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