AN OXFORD ANTHOLOGY OF SHAKESPEARE PB B FORMAT – WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE-STANLEY W. WELLS

In making the selection for this beautifully presented antology the editor has asked himself What are the passages from Shakespeare s plays and poems that are most attractive in their own right and that suffer least from being read out of context? The result is a collection of some 200 of the finest examples of Shakespeare s work as a literary artist, varying in length from a few lines to a complete scene and arranged according to subject-matter. Shakespeare was the most protean of writers, so the range is great. Here we can experience Shakespeare s extraordinary capacity to body forth in words the minds, hearts, and imaginations of kings and peasants, fools and wise men, warriors and page-boys, statesmen and common thieves; and we can hear quintessential expressions of admiration and vituperation, villainy and virtue, grief, joy, and despair. It is unlikely that a selection from the work of any other writer could represent so wide a range of human experience. _ This anthology, based on the text of the Complete Oxford Shakespeare, includes an introduction by Stanley Wells; concise headnotes place the selection in context; and there is also a glossary and play-by-play index. This book is intended for students (GCSE level upwards) of Shakespeare; lovers of Shakespeare s works.