The Oxford Shakespeare General Editor Stanley Wells The Oxford Shakespeare offers authoritative texts from leading scholars in editions designed to interpret and illuminate the works for modern readers - a new, modern-spelling text, collated and edited from all existing printings - on-page and facing-page commentary and notes explain language and allusions - detailed introductions consider the sonnets` biographical and literary background, how the poems relate to the plays, dating and textual matters, and the mysteries of `Mr W. H.` and the `Dark Lady` - includes poems attributed to Shakespeare in the seventeenth century - full index to introductions and commentary - durable sewn binding for lasting use `not simply a better text but a new conception of Shakespeare. This is a major achievement of twentieth-century scholarship.`