This collection of twelve Shakespearean plays seeks to bring Shakespeare alive through a combination of innovative approaches that treat the plays as "scripts intended for performance" rather than as dull, dry, lifeless historical documents. This is the only book on the market that combines literary and theatrical techniques in a way that engages readers' interest and helps present the characters, situations, and language of the plays in a personal, visceral, and exciting fashion. KEY TOPICS: The twelve popular and frequently performed plays included are A Midsummer Night's Dream, The Taming of the Shrew, Much Ado About Nothing, Twelfth Night, The Merchant of Venice, Henry IV Part I, Romeo and Juliet, Macbeth, Hamlet, Othello, King Lear, and The Tempest. MARKET: For anyone interested in Shakespeare and his most popular and oft-performed plays. Teachers and producers/directors of dramatic productions will especially appreciate the attention given to each script's language, imagery, cultural/historical context, and staging possibilities.