THE COMPLETE

DRAMATIC AND POETICAL WORKS

OF

WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE.

WITH A

SUMMARY OUTLINE OF

THE LIFE OF THE POET,

And a Description of His Most Authentic Portraits;

COLLECTED FROM THE LATEST AND MOST RELIABLE SOURCES,

BY

JOHN S. HART, LL.D.,

LATE PROFESSOR OF RHETORIC AND THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE AND LITERATURE IN
THE COLLEGE OF NEW JERSEY, ETC., ETC.

TO WHICH IS APPENDED A

Descriptive Analysis of the Plot of Each Play;

TOGETHER WITH

AN ALPHABETICAL INDEX TO THE CHARACTERS OF SHAKESPEARE'S PLAYS,
AN INDEX TO FAMILIAR PASSAGES, AND A COMPLETE GLOSSARY

OF THE WORDS USED IN THE TEXT THAT VARY FROM

THEIR MODERN SIGNIFICATION.

THE TEXT EDITED BY

W. G. CLARK AND W. A. WRIGHT.

With Illustrations

BY

MEADOWS, FRITH, AND OTHERS.

VOL. I.

PHILADELPHIA:

CLAXTON, REMSEN & HAFFELFINGER,
624, 626 & 628 MARKET STREET.

THE

PUBLISHERS' ANNOUNCEMENT.

HE Publishers of "THE AVON SHAKESPEARE are well aware of the many editions of Shakespeare that have already issued from the press of both England and America, but they have, nevertheless, been induced to undertake the publication of the present volume by the generally expressed desire for a book in large, clear type, the text of which should embody the latest revisions of the best Shakespearian scholars. As the readings of Messrs. Clark and Wright have been carefully followed, it is believed this result has been most fully achieved.

The graphically descriptive Life, by Dr. John S. Hart, is rich with new and varied information, gleaned by the accomplished hand of the author from the late discoveries made by Shakespearian antiquaries, who have been stimulated in their untiring researches after all relating to the great poet's life by the ever increasing, never flagging, public interest in one of whom his personal friend "Rare Ben Jonson" said, "Neither man nor muse can praise too much."

In the typographical arrangement of this work new features have been introduced, each page being indexed at the page-head with the Scene and Act, while through the printed text, by means of the dark displayed type, the eye catches, without an effort, the main points or characters that appear on that page; an advantage the student cannot fail to heartily appreciate.

A Descriptive Analysis of the Plots of the Plays, prepared with great care by Mr. Julius Frankel, is presented as peculiar to this edition. By it the reader is enabled to gain, if so desired, a clear understanding of the story of the plot before reading the text of the play.

The Alphabetical Index to the Characters in Shakespeare's Plays, The Index to Familiar Passages and the, very complete Glossarial Index, are valuable features, important or essential to the fullest understanding of Shakespeare's works by either the student or the general reader. The illustrations are from the sketches by Kenny Meadows, Frith, or other artists of nearly equal celebrity.

The publishers desire here to express their thanks to Mr. J. Parker Norris for much valuable information and assistance given during the progress of the work.