Charting the ruthless rise and fall of the villainous king, Richard III remains one of Shakespeare's most enduringly discussed and oft-performed plays. Assembled by leading scholars, this guide provides a comprehensive survey of major issues in the contemporary study of the play.
Throughout the book survey chapters explore such issues as the play's critical reception from Dr Johnson to postmodern readings in the 21st century; the performance history of the play, from Shakespeare's day to more recent stagings by Laurence Olivier and Ian McKellen; key themes in current scholarship, from disability to gender and nationalism; Richard III on film, including Al Pacino's Looking for Richard.
Richard III: A Critical Guide also includes a complete guide to resources available on the play - including critical editions, online resources and an annotated bibliography - and how they might be used to aid both the teaching and study of Shakespeare's play.

Annaliese Connolly is Senior Lecturer in English at Sheffield Hallam University, UK. She is Managing Editor of Early Modern Literary Studies.

Series Introduction Andrew Hiscock and Lisa Hopkins
Richard III Timeline
Introduction Annaliese Connolly
1. The Critical Backstory: 'History has many cunning passages' Peter J. Smith
2. Performance History Kate Wilkinson
3. The State of the Art Nina Levine
4. New Directions
i. The Genres of 'Richard III' Brian Walsh
ii. 'Streams of Blood': Treason, Tyranny and the Tudor State in Shakespeare's 'Richard III' Rebecca Lemon
iii. 'Now... Now... Now': Timing Disability in 'Richard III' David Wood
iv. 'Richard III' on Film Adele Lee
Resources Daniel Cadman
Notes on the Contributors
Bibliography
Index