This Companion represents the myriad ways of thinking about the remarkable achievement of Shakespeare's sonnets. * An authoritative reference guide and extended introduction to Shakespeare's sonnets. * Contains more than 20 newly-commissioned essays by both established and younger scholars. * Considers the form, sequence, content, literary context, editing and printing of the sonnets. * Shows how the sonnets provide a mirror in which cultures can read their own critical biases. * Informed by the latest theoretical, cultural and archival work.