Lauded on publication in 1997 as the essential Shakespeare for a new generation, The Norton Shakespeare has become a bestseller. The text is based on the Oxford Edition, which brings readers closer to Shakespeare's plays as they were first acted than was ever before possible. This Second Edition introduces new scholarship and editorial features that invite readers afresh to Shakespeare's plays and poems. Stephen Greenblatt's dazzling introduction, updated for this edition, creates a window into the culture of early modern England; Shakespeare's life in the theater; and the businesses of printing, publishing, and textual editing. The works themselves are enhanced with lively introductions, also updated, as well as ample glosses, annotations, a textual note, and new annotated bibliographies and filmographies. Andrew Gurr's essay, "The Shakespearean Stage"; a new timeline; new maps; a glossary of theater and printing terms; contextual documents; and redesigned genealogies provide additional help for readers.