Shakespeare in focus
This page contains a selection of resources available for Shakespeare studies - there are many more.
(The image above contains an adapted quote from a poem by Ben Jonson (1572-1637), 'To the Memory of My Beloved the Author, Mr. William Shakespeare', which accompanied the frontspiece to Shakespeare's 1623 First Folio.)
A few books from the collection
Find more resources by using our Library Catalogue.
Finding journal articles
- Shakespeare QuarterlyPublished by Folger Shakespeare Library in association with The Johns Hopkins University Press.
'Founded in 1950 by the Shakespeare Association of America, Shakespeare Quarterly is a refereed journal committed to publishing articles in the vanguard of Shakespeare studies' - Publisher website. - Shakespeare StudiesPublished by the Fairleigh Dickinson University Press.
'An international volume of essays, studies and reviews dealing with the cultural history of early modern England and the place of Shakespeare's production in it' - Publisher website. - ShakespearePublished by the British Shakespeare Association.
'... publishes articles drawn from the best international research on the most recent developments in Shakespearean criticism, historical and textual scholarship, and performance' - Publisher website. - Shakespeare BulletinPublished by The Johns Hopkins University Press.
'... a peer-reviewed quarterly journal which publishes articles at the cutting edge of Shakespearean and early modern performance studies and theatre history' - Publisher website.
- Arts & Humanities Database (via ProQuest)This database features hundreds of titles covering Art, Architecture, Design, History, Philosophy, Music, Literature, Theatre and Cultural Studies.
- JSTORSearch and view historical and current content of core scholarly journals and books in the humanities, social sciences and sciences. Browsing by subject is available.
- Project MUSEAccess to full text of peer-reviewed journals in the fields of humanities and social sciences. Subject areas include cultural studies, history, literature, music, visual and performing arts.
More Shakespeare resources
- All Shakespeare all the timeProduced by WNYC (a division of New York Public Radio). 'On the 400th anniversary of William Shakespeare’s death, we look at the ways his work continues to change and adapt to the culture we live in' - Publisher website.
- Royal Shakespeare Company: Shakespeare's plays, and his life and times'Background and information for all of Shakespeare's plays, including synopses and videos of plays being performed, plus key past RSC productions' - RSC website.
- Shakespeare's wordsAn online resource developed by David and Ben Crystal. It is based on their 2002 book 'Shakespeare's words' and incorporates the preface by Stanley Wells. It includes a list of character's names, frequently encountered words and glossaries. 'The site integrates the full text of the plays and poems with the entire Glossary database, allowing you to search for any word or phrase in Shakespeare's works' - Publisher website.
- Shakespeare: read the First FolioThe Bodleian Library, the main research library of the University of Oxford, received a copy of Shakespeare's First Folio in 1623 and produced a digitised copy in 2013. 'Here you can leaf through the original printed pages, and find cameos from well-known Shakespeare lovers, and from researchers and experts who work on this book' - Bodleian website.
- Shakespearean tragedy: lectures on Hamlet, Othello, King Lear, MacbethLectures by A.C. Bradley, now published in Project Gutenberg Online Catalog but originally published in 1904. Bradley was elected Professor of Poetry at Oxford University in 1901. His Shakespearean analysis and literary criticism was highly influential.
Shakespeare on film
To find audiovisual material within the Library Catalogue, type in your search terms and then refine your search by 'Resource Type - Videos' using the 'Refine my results' options on the right side of the screen.
Much ado about nothingPublication Date: 2013Streamed video.
Featuring Amy Acker, Alexis Denisof, Clark Gregg, Fran Kranz and Nathan Fillion.
Directed by Joss Whedon
The Wars of the RosesPublication Date: 2016 (performance first broadcast in 1965)Streamed video.
Featuring Ian Holm & Peggy Ashcroft
Directed by Peter Hall & John Barton
