Lectures on Shakespeare by W.H. Auden
In 1946, Auden gave a course on Shakespeare at Manhattan's New School, and this book is essentially the edited notes of some of his students. At times eccentric, insightful and more than a little nutty, Auden's lectures provide humor and an alternative point of view.
Playgoing in Shakespeare's London by Andrew Gurr
Describes little know details about English theater in Shakespeare's time. Includes discussion of theater, actors, dress, social class, prices and even the weather!
A Pocket Guide to Shakespeare's Plays by Kenneth McLeish and Stephen Unwin A concise guide to all of Shakespeare's plays including synopsis, character descriptions, notable performances and essays offering alternative perspectives of each work.
Shakespeare's Kings: The Great Plays and the History of England in the Middle Ages 1337-1485 by John Julius Norwich
Norwich's book provides extensive background to Shakespeare's historical plays, including detailed analysis of how he used his sources--the chronicles of Edward Hall, Raphael Holinshed and Jean Froissart.
Stories from Shakespeare by Marchette Chute
Chute provides simple, easy to understand summaries of Shakespeare's work that makes the plays accessible and exciting. Recommended for middle-school aged children.
Tales from Shakespeare by Charles and Mary Lamb, Patricia Perkins
First published in 1807, this book contains twenty of Shakespeare's most familiar plays adapted for children to understand and enjoy.
Will in the World by Stephen Greenblatt
Greenblatt interweaves a searching account of Elizabethan England with a vivid narrative of the playwright's life. Readers see Shakespeare learning his craft, starting a family, and forging a career for himself in the wildly competitive London theater world.
Asimov’s Guide to Shakespeare by Isaac Asimov
Isaac Asimov comes to making obscure issues clear all readers, selects key passages from 38 of the great bard's plays plus two of his narrative poems and, with the help of beautifully rendered maps and figures, illuminates us all about their historical and mythological background.
The Invention of the Human by Harold Bloom
Preeminent literary critic Harold Bloom leads us through a comprehensive reading of every one of the dramatist's plays, illuminating each work with warmth, wit and insight. At the same time, Bloom presents one of the boldest theses of Shakespearean scholarships—that Shakespeare not only invented the English language, but also created human nature as we know it today.