The RSC Shakespeare: The Complete Works

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The text of any Shakespeare play is a living negotiable entity: scholarship and theatre practice work together to keep the plays alive and vividly present. Developed in partnership with the Royal Shakespeare Company, this Complete Works combines exemplary textual scholarship with beautiful design. Curated by expert editors Sir Jonathan Bate and Professor Eric Rasmussen, the text is based on the iconic 1623 First Folio, the original Complete Works assembled by Shakespeare's fellow actors and preferred by many in the theatre today. This revised edition presents Shakespeare's plays as they were originally intended—living theatre to be enjoyed and performed. Featuring new colour photographs from a vibrant range of RSC productions, it includes a Stage Notes feature documenting the staging choices in 100 RSC productions, showcasing the myriad ways Shakespeare's works can be brought to life. The edition encompasses the entire range of Shakespeare's plays, poems, and sonnets, expanded to include The Passionate Pilgrim and A Lover's Complaint. Alongside Bate's general introduction and short essays, it offers aids such as on-page notes explaining unfamiliar terms and key facts boxes for plot summaries and context. This versatile and collectable edition will inspire students, theatre practitioners, and Shakespeare lovers everywhere.