"Othello" by William Shakespeare is a captivating tale of love, jealousy, and the destructive power of deceit. Set against the backdrop of Venice, this timeless tragedy follows the noble Moorish general Othello as he falls deeply in love with the beautiful Desdemona. However, their happiness is short-lived as the ensign Iago, consumed by jealousy and ambition, begins to manipulate Othello into believing that Desdemona has been unfaithful. What unfolds...

Critical and historical notes accompany Shakespeare's play about the life of an ambitious military leader.

One of Shakespeare's early comedies and most ornately intellectual plays, "Love's Labour's Lost" is a mental adventure in hilarity and wit. First published in 1598, the play is filled with lexical puns, literary allusions, and shifting poetic forms, a rich example of the Bard's linguistic mastery. The play opens with King Phillip of Naverre announcing that the men of his court will devote the coming years to ascetic studies and to reduce distractions,...

This updated edition offers a strongly theatrical perspective on the origins of Shakespeare's The First Part of King Henry IV and the history of its interpretation. The introduction clarifies the play's surprising, de-centred dramatic structure, questioning the dominant assumption that the drama focuses on the education of Prince Hal. It calls attention to the effects of civil war upon a broad range of relationships. Falstaff's unpredictable vitality...

Here are some of Shakespeare's finest speeches performed by one of the greatest Shakespearean actors of this century. It ranges from the youth of Jaques' introduction to life, 'All the world's a stage!' in "As You Like It" to the aged Prospero's goodbye to Ariel and Shakespeare's own farewell to his muse in "The Tempest": 'Now my charms are all o'erthrown!' Sir John's masterful reading brings delight to the ear and joy to the heart.