Highly informed yet easily understandable, Asimov explains the literary, historical, and mythological backgrounds of individual Shakespeare plays. For the first time, a selection of twelve texts from his 40 essays is presented: "A Midsummer Night's Dream," "Romeo and Juliet," "Othello," "Macbeth," "Hamlet," "The Tempest," "Much Ado About Nothing," "King Lear," "As You Like It," "The Merchant of Venice," "Twelfth Night," and "Richard III." "Most readers are no longer familiar with Greek mythology or Roman history. And they are even less knowledgeable about English history. Knowing more about what the plays are about can open up new dimensions. That is what I aim to achieve with this book." Isaac Asimov.