King Richard III (Arden Shakespeare.Third Series) [Paperback]

'There is much to admire about Siemon's labours here, and taken in its own edition is a fine resource for those wanting to read a well annotated text of the play or to go deeply into the performance and textual histories of the play...'
--Shakespeare Bookshop Newsletter (December 2009)

'James R. Siemon, aided by a crack team of general editors (Richard Proudfoot, George Walton Williams and David Scott Kastan), has produced a nearly perfect edition of the play...(a) supremely engaging edition.' --Eric Rasmussen, Shakespeare Survey (June 2011)

Richard III is one of the great Shakespearean characters and roles. James R Siemon examines the attraction of this villain to audiences and focuses on how beguiling, even funny, he can be, especially in the earlier parts of the play. Siemon also places King Richard III in its historical context; as Elizabeth I had no heirs the issue of succession was a very real one for Shakespeare's audience. The introduction is well-illustrated and provides a comprehensive account of the play and of critical approaches to it. The edition also provides a clear and authoritative playtext, edited to the most rigorous standards of scholarship, with detailed notes and commentary on the same page. With a wealth of helpful and incisive commentary the Arden Shakespeare is the finest edition of Shakespeare you can find, giving a deeper understanding and appreciation of his work.

James R Siemon is Professor of English at Boston University