More than just a book of definitions, the dictionary provides a comprehensive account of Shakespeare's portrayal of military life, tactics, and technology. His use of military expressions, customs, and ideas is discussed, with insights into how the plays comment upon military incidents and personalities of the Elizabethan era, and how warfare was presented on the Elizabethan stage.

Of all the poets Francis Meres names in his famous Palladis Tamia, Wits Treasury (1598), just two rate a mention as being both 'our best for tragedy' and 'the best poets for comedy': William Shakespeare and George Chapman. All Fools, written in 1599, is the only Elizabethan comedy based directly on the plays of Terence. By taking episodes and characters from two brilliant works, The Self-Tormenter and The Brothers, Chapman creates something that is distinctly Elizabethan while remaining faithful to the spirit of the great Roman master. In this edition, an extensive introduction and commentary show how Chapman combines the literary and theatrical traditions of ancient Rome with everyday life in his own time to fashion a sparkling and innovative comedy that will delight audiences today as much as it did those of 1599. -- .

George Chapman is known today as a translator of Homer and as the author of dark tragedies such as Bussy D'Ambois. An Humorous Day's Mirth was one of the most popular plays of the Elizabethan era. Not only was it the Rose Theatre's greatest box-office success of 1597, it also presented an entirely new type of comedy, one that has profoundly influenced comic writing up to the present day. This play is the English theatre's first 'comedy of humours', in which the attitudes, behaviour, and social pretensions of contemporary men and women are satirised. Charles Edelman's is the first fully annotated, modern spelling edition of this long-neglected play. In his extensive introduction and commentary, Edelman discusses the intellectual, philosophical and theatrical background, and shows that the play would delight the readers and audiences of today as much as those in 1597. -- .

Sir Thomas Stukeley, the notorious English courtier, pirate, adventurer and soldier, died at the Battle of Alcazar in Morocco in 1578, while serving in the army of King Sebastian of Portugal. This volume comprises the first modern-spelling, annotated edition of two plays in which he is a major character: George Peele's 'The Battle of Alcazar' (c.1588), and the anonymous 'Famous History of the Life and Death of Captain Thomas Stukeley' (c.1596). In his extensive introduction and commentary, Charles Edelman discusses the plays' authorship, their many textual problems, and what they reveal about Elizabethan performance practices. He also challenges most of the traditional assumptions about them. This edition shows that both works, long held to be unperformable, are instead fascinating and worthwhile representatives of the most exciting age in the history of the theatre. -- .

Of all the poets Francis Meres names in his famous Palladis Tamia, Wits Treasury (1598), just two rate a mention as being both 'our best for tragedy' and 'the best poets for comedy': William Shakespeare and George Chapman. All Fools, written in 1599, is the only Elizabethan comedy based directly on the plays of Terence. By taking episodes and characters from two brilliant works, The Self-Tormenter and The Brothers, Chapman creates something that is distinctly Elizabethan while remaining faithful to the spirit of the great Roman master. In this edition, an extensive introduction and commentary show how Chapman combines the literary and theatrical traditions of ancient Rome with everyday life in his own time to fashion a sparkling and innovative comedy that will delight audiences today as much as it did those of 1599. -- .

The Merchant of Venice has had a rich and varied stage history. It has aroused controversy for over four hundred years. The introduction to this edition challenges many of the preconceptions associated with the play, showing how historical events and cultural attitudes have influenced actors' interpretations and audience responses. The commentary describes how actors, directors and designers have approached the play from the first performances in the 1590s to the present.

The Merchant of Venice has had a rich and varied stage history. It has aroused controversy for over four hundred years. The introduction to this edition challenges many of the preconceptions associated with the play, showing how historical events and cultural attitudes have influenced actors' interpretations and audience responses. The commentary describes how actors, directors and designers have approached the play from the first performances in the 1590s to the present.

Shakespeare's Military Language: A Dictionary is a comprehensive reference guide to Shakespeare's use of military language, customs and ideas. More than just a book of definitions, an A-Z of nearly 300 entries provides a comprehensive account of Shakespeare's portrayal of military life, tactics, and technology and explores how the plays comment upon military incidents and personalities of the Elizabethan era, and how warfare was presented on the Elizabethan stage. Warfare is everywhere in Shakespeare and the military action in many of Shakespeare's plays, and the military imagery in all his plays and poems, show that he possessed an extraordinarily detailed knowledge of warfare, both ancient and modern. Shakespeare's Military Language is an ideal guide to Shakespeare's military references for students of Shakespeare at every level.

'The finest, most representative instance of what Shakespeare can do' Harold Bloom Prince Hal, the son of King Henry IV, spends his time in idle pleasure with dissolute friends, among them the roguish Sir John Falstaff. But when the kingdom is threatened by rebellious forces, the prince must abandon his feckless ways. Ranging from taverns and brothels to the royal court and the battlefield, Shakespeare's masterful drama shows a prodigal son rising to meet his destiny as a ruler of men. Used and Recommended by the National Theatre General Editor Stanley Wells Edited by Peter Davison Introduction by Charles Edelman