Shakespeare Study Guides

Here you will find a detailed analysis of selected plays, including information on the major characters and themes, study questions, annotations, and the theatrical history of each drama. Please check back frequently for more additions to this page.

 Hamlet Study Guide
 Macbeth Study Guide
 Romeo and Juliet Study Guide
 Julius Caesar Study Guide
 King Lear Study Guide
 Othello Study Guide
 Henry IV, Part 1 Study Guide

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Featured Essays and Book Excerpts on Shakespeare's Plays

A Midsummer Night's Dream

 Shakespeare's Fairies: The Triumph of Dramatic Art
 Unifying the Plots of Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream
 A True Gentleman: Examining Shakespeare's Theseus
 A Detailed History of A Midsummer Night's Dream to 1900

The Tempest

 Forgiveness and Reconciliation in The Tempest
 Magic, Books, and the Supernatural in The Tempest
 The Contrast Between Ariel and Caliban in Shakespeare's Tempest
 The Relationship Between Miranda and Ferdinand

General Resources

 Shakespeare's Blank Verse
 Pronouncing Shakespearean Names
 Shakespeare's Metaphors and Similes

 Shakespeare's Audience in his Day
 Going to a Play in Shakespeare's London
 Entertainment in Elizabethan England
 Shocking Elizabethan Drama

 Daily Life in Shakespeare's London
 What did Shakespeare drink?
 What did Shakespeare look like?

 Shakespeare's Boss
 Shakespeare Hits the Big Time
 Worst Diseases in Shakespeare's London