Margreta de Grazia is the Sheli Z. and Burt X. Rosenberg Chair in the Humanities and Professor of English at the University of Pennsylvania. Stanley Wells is Chairman of the Trustees of Shakespeare's Birthplace and Emeritus Professor of Shakespeare Studies at the University of Birmingham.

'As the introduction to this volume points out, this is the fifth volume to bear its title, and together they form a fascinating chronicle of the ways in which Shakespeare - plays, poems, person - has been addressed over these years … Like the plays themselves, the essays are enriched by cross comparison; and it is to the plays that they repeatedly return us, the most that can be asked of a companion of this order.' Cahiers Élisabéthains

• Preface; William Shakespeare: a partial chronology; Shakespeare's works: a conjectural chronology; 1. The traces of Shakespeare's life STEPHEN GREENBLATT; 2. Shakespeare's reading JEFF DOLVEN and SEAN KEILEN; 3. Shakespeare's writing H. R. WOUDHUYSEN; 4. The theatre of Shakespeare's London TIFFANY STERN; 5. Transmission of Shakespeare's texts ANDREW MURPHY; 6. Shakespeare and language JONATHAN HOPE; 7. Shakespeare the poet COLIN BURROW; 8. Shakespeare's comedies STANLEY WELLS; 9. Shakespeare's tragedies MICHAEL NEILL; 10. Shakespeare's English history plays TON HOENSELAARS; 11. Shakespeare's Classical plays HEATHER JAMES; 12. Shakespeare's tragicomedies JANETTE DILLON; 13. Shakespeare, religion and politics CLAIRE MCEACHERN; 14. Shakespeare and race JONATHAN GIL HARRIS; 15. Shakespeare, sex and gender STEPHEN ORGEL; 16. Shakespeare's stage ANTHONY DAWSON; 17. The critical reception of Shakespeare EMMA SMITH; 18. Shakespeare and popular culture PAUL PRESCOTT; 19. Shakespeare and globalization ANSTON BOSMAN; 20. Shakespeare and media history KATHERINE ROWE; 21. Shakespeare: reading on ANDREW DICKSON.