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.

"Professor Jeffrey Kahan's expertise in the history of Shakespearean acting complements Kittredge's lucid [introduction and text] to create an edition of Coriolanus that centers modern readers in the play's performance. Kahan's introduction to the edition both recounts historical performances and carefully details recent directorial choices—choices that reappear in the course of his footnotes providing acting choices for key scenes. These notes, together with photographs of compelling performances, fix the reader's imagination firmly in the midst of Shakespeare's chilling theatrical portrayal of Republican Rome. This highly accessible edition will prove invaluable for actors, students, and lovers of Shakespeare." —Cyndia Clegg, Pepperdine University