King Henry VI, Part 3 (Arden Shakespeare, Third Series)

In their lively and engaging edition of this sometimes neglected early play, Cox and Rasmussen make a strong claim for it as a remarkable work, revealing a confidence and sureness that very few earlier plays can rival. They show how the young Shakespeare, working closely from his chronicle sources, nevertheless freely shaped his complex material to make it both theatrically effective and poetically innovative. The resulting work creates, in Queen Margaret, one of Shakespeare s strongest female roles and is the source of the popular view of Richard Neville, Earl of Warwick as "kingmaker." Focusing on the history of the play both in terms of both performance and criticism, the editors open it to a wide and challenging variety of interpretative and editorial paradigms.

The Arden Shakespeare is the established scholarly edition of Shakespeare's plays. Now in its third series, Arden offers the best in contemporary scholarship. Each volume guides you to a deeper understanding and appreciation of Shakespeare's work.

This edition of King Henry VI, Part 3 provides:

• A clear and authoritative text, edited to the highest standards of scholarship.
• Detailed notes and commentary on the same page as the text.
• A full, illustrated introduction to the play's historical, cultural and performance contexts.
• An in-depth survey of critical approaches to the play.
• A full index to the introduction and notes.
• A select bibliography of references and further reading.

With a wealth of helpful and incisive commentary, the Arden Shakespeare is the finest edition of Shakespeare you can find.