William Shakespeare (c. 26 April 1564 - 23 April 1616) was an English playwright, renowned by many as the world's greatest writer in the English Language. Among his plays are "Romeo and Juliet", "Hamlet", "Macbeth" to name but a few.

"The New Kittredge series is both a delight and a steal. Kittredge's textual authority, updated by eminent scholars sensitive to classroom needs and alert to staging choices, is once again available in these slim, elegant, inexpensive, user-friendly volumes. With lucid notes and incisive introductions geared especially to popular film versions, the series also offers an overview of both stage and film performances of each play. A musts for any Shakespeare class." —Laury Magnus

"This is a terrific edition that really brings King John and Henry VIII to life. Consistently inviting student participation, the edition makes the plays wonderfully accessible, through explanations of the language, descriptions of context, topic guides, plot outlines, illustrations, and genealogies. A particular strength is the emphasis on performance. Thanks to the insightful histories provided, King John and Henry VIII are richly illuminated as stage and screen creations, allowing for genuinely imaginative engagement with these most fascinating Shakespearean dramas." —Ramona Wray, Reader in English at Queen's University, Belfast; co-author of Welles Kurosawa, Kozintev, Zeffirelli (2015) in the Bloomsbury Arden Great Shakespeareans series; co-editor of Screening Shakespeare in the Twenty-First Century (2006); and Shakespeare, Film, Fin de Siecle (2000)