The Comedies of William Shakespeare (Annotated)

This collection features four of the most famous William Shakespeare comedies.   The Merchant of Venice, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, The Taming of the Shrew, and Much ado About Nothing are all included.

 The Merchant of Venice is a play by William Shakespeare in which a merchant in 16th century Venice must default on a large loan provided by an abused Jewish moneylender. It is believed to have been written between 1596 and 1598.

A Midsummer Night's Dream is a comedy play by William Shakespeare, thought to have been written between 1590 and 1596. It portrays the events surrounding the marriage of the Duke of Athens, Theseus, and Hippolyta. These include the adventures of four young Athenian lovers and a group of six amateur actors (mechanicals), who are controlled and manipulated by the fairies who inhabit the forest in which most of the play is set. The play is one of Shakespeare's most popular works for the stage and is widely performed across the world.
The Taming of the Shrew is a comedy by William Shakespeare, thought to have been written between 1590 and 1592.
The play begins with a framing device, often referred to as the Induction, in which a mischievous nobleman tricks a drunken tinker named Christopher Sly into believing he is actually a nobleman himself. The nobleman then has the play performed for Sly's diversion.
The main plot depicts the courtship of Petruchio and Katherina, the headstrong, obdurate shrew. Initially, Katherina is an unwilling participant in the relationship, but Petruchio tempers her with various psychological torments—the "taming"—until she becomes a compliant and obedient bride. The subplot features a competition between the suitors of Katherina's more desirable sister, Bianca. The play's apparent misogynistic elements have become the subject of considerable controversy, particularly among modern scholars, audiences and readers.
Much Ado About Nothing is a comedic work by William Shakespeare thought to have been written in 1598 and 1599, as Shakespeare was approaching the middle of his career. The play was included in the First Folio, published in 1623. Much Ado About Nothing is generally considered one of Shakespeare's best comedies, because it combines elements of robust hilarity with more serious meditations on honor, shame, and court politics.
This edition has been formatted for your reader, with an active table of contents.  This version is also annotated, with additional information about the plays and William Shakespeare, such as overviews, characters, plot, sources, date, texts, analysis, context, biographical and bibliographical information.