Literature and Culture Handbooks are an innovative series of guides to major periods, topics and authors in British and American literature and culture. Designed to provide a comprehensive, one-stop resource for literature students, each handbook provides the essential information and guidance needed from the beginning of a course through to developing more advanced knowledge and skills. Written in clear language by leading academics, they provide an indispensable introduction to key topics, including: * Introduction to authors, texts, historical and cultural contexts * Guides to key critics, concepts and topics * An overview of major critical approaches, changes in the canon and directions of current and future research * Case studies in reading literary and critical texts * Annotated bibliography (including websites), timeline, glossary of critical terms.The Shakespeare Handbook is an accessible and comprehensive introduction to Shakespeare and early modern literature.