From the Back Cover: Despite differences between Shakespeare's time and ours in language, in taste, in mores, his comedies still produce that sure sign of success-uninhibited laughter. But, as the critics in this volume ably contend, the world of Shakespearean comedy is made of more than make-believe, quick action, and brilliant repartee. Shakespeare's genius was to probe, delicately but deeply, subtle and enduring characteristics of humanity. Each play is set in a land of its own, yet through these lands move characters recognizable in our own world. The reality of these characters is only enhanced by ethereal creatures of the imagination like Puck and Ariel, who weave about them poetic merriment unsurpassed in comic literature. Among the essays in this volume are: As You Like It / Helen Gardener -- Winter's Tale/ Derek Traversi -- Helena/ G. Wilson Knight -- Shakespeare's Method: The Merchant of Venice / J. Middleton Murry.