Author Description

A justly famous aid to the study of Shakespeare, this glossary--originally compiled by C.T. Onions, an editor of the Oxford English Dictionary--clarifies those words in Shakespeare whose senses or connotations may be unfamiliar to the modern reader, paying special attention to dialect forms, idioms, and colloquial phrases. Original in its explanations and illuminating in its definitions, the Glossary brings out the richness and subtley found in Elizabethan English. Incorporating the many advances made in the field since the last (revised) edition was published in 1919, this volume reveals new facts about the meanings of words in Shakespeare, alters previous interpretations, and resolves earlier controversies. In addition, the book takes advantage of two highly accurate, computer based concordances that make every occurrence of each word immediately accessible for investigation and comparison. A reference work without peer, the Glossary is an essential source for students, scholars, playgoers and readers of Shakespeare, and those interested in the history of the English language.