Shakespeare the Playwright: A Companion to the Complete Tragedies, Histories, Comedies, and Romances

"A useful guide for the general reader, as well as high school and undergraduate students, to Shakespeare's 37 plays. After a brief introduction outlining Shakespeare's life and career, Cahn carefully guides the reader through each play in turn, from first scene to last, using a mixture of quotation, paraphrase, and critical comment.

His style is accessible and unpretentious, and his insights into the `psychological consistency' of Shakespeare's characters--the main focus of the commentary--are stimulating and sometimes provocative." Library Journal "Contending that the fundamental appeal of Shakespeare's work lies with his characters, Cahn systematically proceeds through a discussion of each play (within the traditional categories of tragedy, history, and romance) as if an audience were encountering that play for the first time. . . .

This critical appreciation approach differentiates Cahn's "companion"/handbook from other Shakespeareana . . . in which the intention is to assemble a body of Shakespearean lore for information. In Cahn's work, suggestions for further reading (usually a short list of the prominent, old studies) follows each analysis.

Two appendixes (The Two Noble Kinsmen and a who's who of the "Royal Figures" are provided. A one-page select bibliography, a character index, and a general index end the book. It is highly recommended for any general public library and for academic collections at all undergraduate levels." Choice