This collection gathers five representative comedies from the Elizabethan era to showcase the evolution of wit and dramatic structure during the period. The editor presents a curated selection of plays that highlight the thematic preoccupations of late 16th-century English theater, including mistaken identities, romantic entanglements, and social satire. The narrative framework relies on the original scripts, providing a window into the linguistic conventions and stagecraft of the time. Readers encounter a variety of protagonists navigating complex societal expectations while contending with the rigid moral and comedic structures inherent to the genre.

Discussion often centers on the selection criteria used to represent the breadth of Elizabethan comedy within a single volume. Readers frequently highlight the accessibility of the text for those interested in the foundational works of English drama. Critics note that the collection serves as a useful reference for understanding the transition between medieval morality plays and the more sophisticated comedies of the later period. The balance between scholarly introduction and the primary texts is generally viewed as effective for both students and enthusiasts of the theater.