Comedy, tragedy, and history — this anthology presents a trio of Shakespeare's most frequently studied and performed works. Each represents one of the playwright's primary genres, and together they run the gamut of the Elizabethan theater experience, from lighthearted romance to star-crossed passion to ruthless ambition: A Midsummer Night's Dream, a celebration of the imaginative powers of love, replete with mischievous fairies, mistaken identities, and magical transformations Romeo and Juliet, a gripping drama in which young love is thwarted by a bitter feud and a tragic twist of fate Richard III, a portrait of a cunning and ambitious villain who seduces, betrays, and murders his way to the throne All plays are complete and unabridged and feature informative footnotes.