Table Of Content~
..
THE ANNOTATED™
a e
~eare
- - A - -
Three Volumes in One
The Comedies
The Histories, Sonnets and Other Poems
The Tragedies and Romances
Edited, with Introductions, Notes,
a Biography and Bibliography by
A.L.ROWSE
Illustrated in Color by Hans Printz
GREENWICH HOUSE
~ New York
~
r -====:;;;;::;;;;===:;;;;::;;;;===:;;;;::;;;;========-
Copyright ©l\KMLXXYIU by Orbis Publishing Limited
All rights reserved.
This 1988 edition is published by Greenwich House, distributed by
Crown Publishers, Inc., 225 Park Avenue South, Xew York, ::--rew York
10003, by arrangement with Clarkson X. Potter, Inc.
Ai\XOTATED is a registered trademark of Clarkson X Potter, Inc.
Printed and Bound in the Cnited States of America
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Shakespeare, William, 1564-1616.
[Works. 1988]
The annotated Shakespeare: three volumes in one illustrated: the
comedies, the histories, sonnets, and other poems, the tragedies and
romances I edited, with introductions, notes, a biography and
bibliography by A.L. Rowse.
p. cm.
Bibliography: p.
Includes index.
ISBi\ 0-517-66555-7
I. Rowse, A. L. (Alfred Leslie), 1903- II. Title.
PR27S4.R67 1988 88-6256
822.3'3-dc 19
CIP
hgfedcba
CONTENTS
Color plates appear following pages 254,478, 17 58
THE COMEDIES
WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE (1564-1616) Introduction 6
SHAKESPEARE'S COMEDIES Introduction 18
COMEDY OF ERRORS (1592) Introduction 26
Play 32
THE TWO GENTLEMEN OF VERONA (1592) Introduction 68
Play 74
THE TAMING OF THE SHREW (1592) Introduction 116
Play 122
LOVE'S LABOUR'S LOST (1593) Introduction 172
Play 178
A MIDSUMMER NIGHT'S DREAM (1594) Introduction 230
Play 236
THE MERCHANT OF VENICE (1596) Introduction 278
Play 284
AS YOU LIKE IT (1598) lntroduction 334
Play 340
MUCH ADO ABOUT NOTHING (1599) Introduction 390
Play 396
THE MERRY WIVES OF WINDSOR (1591)-1600) Introduction 444
Play 450
TWELFTH NIGHT (1601) Introduction 502
Play 508
TROILUS AND CRESSIDA (1602) Introduction 558
Play 564
ALL'S WELL THAT ENDS WELL (1603) Introduction 630
Play 636
MEASURE· FOR MEASURE (1604) IntrodQction 690
Play 696
THE HISTORIES, SONNETS AND OTHER POEMS
SHAKESPEARE'S HISTORIES Introduction 751
THE FIRST PART OF KING HENRY VI (1590) Introduction 756
Play 762
THE SECOND PART OF KING HENRY VI (1590) Introduction 816
Play 822
THE THIRD PART OF KING HENRY VI (1591) Introduction 884
Play 890
KING RICHARD III (1592) Introduction 952
Play 958
KING RICHARD II (1595) Introduction 1032
Play 1039
KING JOHN (I596) Introduction 1092
Play 1098
THE FIRST PART OF KING HENRY IV (1597) Introduction 1148
Play 1154
THE SECOND PART OF KING HENRY IV (1598) Introduction 1210
Play 1216
KING HENRY V (1599) Introduction 1278
Play 1284
KING HENRY VIII (1613) Introduction 1344
Play 1350
SHAKESPEARE'S POE:\IS Introduction 1412
A Laver's Complaint (1591) Introduction 1414
Poem 1416
Venus and Adanis (1593) Introduction 1424
Poem 1428
The Rape of Lucrece (1594) Introduction 1452
Poem 1456
THE SONNETS (1592-15945) Introduction 1492
Poems 1496
The Phoenix and the Turtle (1601) Introduction 1536
Poem 1538
THE TRAGEDIES AND ROMANCES
SHAKESPEARE'S TRAGEDIES & ROMANCES Introduction 1543
TITUS ANDRONICUS (1590-1) Introduction 1548
Play 1554
ROMEO AND JULIET (1594-5) Introduction 1604
Play 1610
"JULIUS CAESAR (1599) Introduction 1670
Play 1676
HAMLET (1600-1) Introduction 1724-
Play 1730
OTHELLO (1604) Introduction 1804
Play 1810
KING LEAR (1605-6) Introduction 1874
Play 1880
MACBETH (1606) Introduction 1948
Play 1954
ANTONY AND CLEOPATRA (1607) Introduction 2002
Play 2008
CORIOLANUS (1608) Introduction 2076
Play 2082
TIMON OF ATHENS (1608) Introduction 2152
Play 2158
PERICLES (1608) Introduction 2206
Play 2212
CYMBELINE (1609) Introduction 2260
Play 2266
THE WINTER'S TALE (1610-11) Introduction 2332
Play 2338
THE TEMPEST (1611) Introduction 2396
Play 2402
Further Reading 2444
Index 2450
:\cknowledgments 2461
The Comedies
William Shakespeare
MORE IS K.."\'OWN about \Villiam Shakespeare than any other of the Elizabethan
dramatists, with the single exception of Ben Jonson. Even here we know far less about
Ben's early life-more about the later, for he was ten years younger and lived right on
into the reign of Charles I, when more information was available about everybody.
The reason for our fuller knowledge of Shakespeare's earlier life is that his father
was a prominent townsman at Stratford-upon-A"on, 'where he rose to become alderman
and bailiff (i.e. mayor) of the busy market-town. It was conveniently placed between
the woodland country of Arden and the rich arable of South \Vanvickshire; to the
south, the Cots\volds for sheep and shepherds and country sports; to the west, down
river to \Vorcester and the cattle routes to \Vales; not far from Watling Street, the
direct route to London, or over Clopton's fine bridge (still there 1) to Oxford and
thence to London.
John Shakespeare and :\Iary Arden came into Stratford on marriage, both from
Arden country. He set up business as a glover, in the rn'o houses in Henley Street
which he owned. ~hry Arden was socially superior, almost certainly a sprig of the
Arden gentlefolk of north \\?anvickshire; for her father's house out at \Vilmcote was
rather grander than an ordinary farmer's, with arras hangings on the walls, and she
inherited some land. When William, upon success in London, bought the best house
in Stratford and took out a coat-of-arms in his father's name-so that he should be a
gentleman born-he later proposed quartering his Spear rXon sans droictl) with the
arms of the Ardens. He is constantly referred to as 'gentle', which in Elizabethan
English meant 'gentlemanly'-and such was always his bearing, in contrast to many
of the theatre-folk. His granddaughter, Elizabeth, ended up as a lady of title, Lady
Barnard.
The borough archives at Stratford are full of the municipal activities of the alderman,
Opposite: William
as the parish registers are liberally sprinkled with the baptisms and burials of the family.
Shakespeare. This
William, the eldest son, was baptised in Holy Trinity on 26 April 1564, when he would engrm:ing by
have been a few days old. In the end most of his own immediate family were gathered Jl1m,tin Dmeshout
is the oni}'
together in the chancel, where they all lie with him, before the altar, his monument, the
allthentic likeness
familiar bust, looking down upon them there. of Shakespeare
7
