Andrew Hiscock is Professor of English at Bangor University, UK. Stephen Longstaffe is Senior Lecturer in English at the University of Cumbria, UK.

"Clear, wide-ranging, and full of variety. This volume provides an accessible, and stimulating introduction to the study of Shakespeare, and is particularly fascinating for its extensive coverage of useful detail, its carefully staged treatment of particular topics, and for its overview of the productive tensions that characterise this vibrant field of study." - Professor John Drakakis, Department of English Studies, University of Stirling, UK.

• Series Introduction; PART 1: FROM SHAKESPEARE TO SHAKESPEARE STUDIES; 1. Introduction: overview - Andrew Hiscock and Stephen Longstaffe Timeline - Peter Sillitoe, University of Sheffield; 2. Shakespeare's Historical Context - Tom Betteridge, Oxford Brookes University; 3. Shakespeare's Literary and Cultural Contexts: Major Figures, Institutions, Topics, Events, Movements - Ann Kaegi, University of Hull; PART II: HOW TO READ SHAKESPEARE; 4. Case Studies in Reading 1: Key Primary Texts - Clare McManus, Roehampton Institute; 5. Case Studies in Reading 2: From texts to theories - Mark Robson, University of Nottingham; 6. Case Studies in Reading 3: Shakespeare in the theatre and on film - Stuart Hampton-Reeves, University of Central Lancashire; 7. Key critical concepts and topics - Adrian Streete, Queen's University Belfast; PART III: SHAKESPEARE STUDIES NOW; 8. Recent Critical Responses and Approaches, Lisa Hopkins, Sheffield Hallam University; 9. New contexts for Shakespeare, Gabriel Egan, Loughborough University; 10. Shakespearean Issues, Willy Maley, Glasgow University; 11. Mapping the Current Critical Landscape, Kate McKluskie; Glossary of critical and theoretical terminology, Peter Sillitoe, University of Sheffield; Annotated Bibliography, Robert Evans, Auburn University Montgomery; Appendix: Teaching, Curriculum and Learning David Webb, St. Martin's College, Lancaster.