The Age of Shakespeare (The New Pelican Guide to English Literature #2)

This volume of The Pelican Guide to English Literature covers the period of Shakespeare's own lifetime. It contains a long general survey of the English literary renaissance, and also an account of the social context of literature in the period. Then there follow a number of essays which consider in detail the work and importance of individual dramatists and poets and prose-writers, but above all the dramatists, for this was their age: five of the essays are devoted to Shakespeare's plays alone. Finally, this volume contains an appendix giving short author-biographies and, in each case, standard editions of authors' works, critical commentaries, and lists of books for further study and reference. 'An extremely useful guide' -- The Times Literary Supplement Cover design by Romek Marber