Preface; William Shakespeare: a partial chronology; Shakespeare's works: a conjectural chronology; 1. The traces of Shakespeare's life STEPHEN GREENBLATT; 2. Shakespeare's reading JEFF DOLVEN and SEAN KEILEN; 3. Shakespeare's writing H. R. WOUDHUYSEN; 4. The theatre of Shakespeare's London TIFFANY STERN; 5. Transmission of Shakespeare's texts ANDREW MURPHY; 6. Shakespeare and language JONATHAN HOPE; 7. Shakespeare the poet COLIN BURROW; 8. Shakespeare's comedies STANLEY WELLS; 9. Shakespeare's tragedies MICHAEL NEILL; 10. Shakespeare's English history plays TON HOENSELAARS; 11. Shakespeare's Classical plays HEATHER JAMES; 12. Shakespeare's tragicomedies JANETTE DILLON; 13. Shakespeare, religion and politics CLAIRE MCEACHERN; 14. Shakespeare and race JONATHAN GIL HARRIS; 15. Shakespeare, sex and gender STEPHEN ORGEL; 16. Shakespeare's stage ANTHONY DAWSON; 17. The critical reception of Shakespeare EMMA SMITH; 18. Shakespeare and popular culture PAUL PRESCOTT; 19. Shakespeare and globalization ANSTON BOSMAN; 20. Shakespeare and media history KATHERINE ROWE; 21. Shakespeare: reading on ANDREW DICKSON.

'As the introduction to this volume points out, this is the fifth volume to bear its title, and together they form a fascinating chronicle of the ways in which Shakespeare - plays, poems, person - has been addressed over these years … Like the plays themselves, the essays are enriched by cross comparison; and it is to the plays that they repeatedly return us, the most that can be asked of a companion of this order.' Cahiers Élisabéthains