Everyone knows which Shakespearean character said "To be or not to be..."--but what about the details of Timon of Athens or Cymbeline? Whether you're a student looking for an ideal reference or a theater-goer who wants a quick brush-up before attending a play, enlightenment comes in a very compact and portable form. For each of Shakespeare's 38 plays there is a synopsis of the plot; a list of characters, with notes on the major ones; and a resume of its performance history. You also get a critique of the poems and sonnets, background on Shakespearean theater in Britain and the United States, as well as on the early actors; information on the "Apocrypha" (various plays not included in the First Folio, but attributed to the Bard); and a selected glossary of Elizabethan English.