The Norton Shakespeare
The International Student Edition of The Norton Shakespeare was for the most part based on the Oxford text, especially in the William Shakespeare: A Textual Companion, published in 1987. It has Stephen Greenblatt as the General Editor in collaboration with Walter Cohen, Jean E. Howard, and Katharine Eisaman Maus. The third edition, published in 2016 in both print and digital form, has Susan Gossett and Gordon McMullan, as general textual editors.
This is an informative and accessible edition that addresses the needs of tutors and students alike. Greenblatt’s highly readable and engaging general introduction paints to readers a lively picture of Shakespeare’s times, providing some solid historical background that illuminates particular aspects of the plays. It contextualizes them for further exploration of how the conditions of production and reception may affect our current understanding of them. The introduction is followed by an essay on the Shakespearean stage by Andrew Gurr, which also situates the plays in the context of Elizabethan and Jacobean theatrical practices.
Each play is introduced by a short essay penned by one of the editors which broadly follow the new historicist line of criticism developed by Greenblatt himself. The illustrations that punctuate the introductory texts are all from the Early Modern period and greatly contribute to a better understanding of the issues discussed. The essays close with textual notes, some selected bibliography, and a list of film adaptations, when applicable. The text of the plays departs from the two-column format used in the Oxford edition by adopting a single-column clear layout with marginal glosses and footnotes.
