This important collection of facsimile reproductions from the time of Elizabeth I to the First World War, illustrates the range and diversity of attitudes to Shakespeare's work from different periods and points of view. The eight volumes cover:
* reviews
* literary criticism
* prefaces
* essays and letters
* a complete section devoted to the Romantic response to Shakespeare.
Material is arranged chronologically within each volume, giving linear history of each subject. An indispensable reference tool, the set places scarce source material from different disciplines into one resource, facilitating the comparison of literary criticism with dramatic interpretation. The new introduction by John Adler places the material in the context of the historical period, as well as giving an overall view of the history of Shakespeare within literature and the theatre.