The only single-volume paperback authority on virtually everything one needs to know about the Bard. Containing nearly 3,000 entries, it provides comprehensive information on all facets of Shakespeare's life, times & works. The book covers every play, including its theatrical history, a scene-by-scene synopsis & a commentary, every character in every play, Shakespeare's contemporaries, theatrical terms & Shakespearean actors & directors. Enormous in scope & clearly written, this book is an essential addition to the libraries of both students & the general reader, as well as those of schools, teachers & all theater enthusiasts. Includes a foreword by Terry Hand, former Artistic Dir. & Chief Exec., Royal Shakespeare Co.