At the heart of the story is Richard, Duke of Gloucester, who schemes and murders his way to the throne after the end of the long civil war between the houses of York and Lancaster.

"The Famous History of the Life of King Henry the Eighth" by William Shakespeare, as edited by William Aldis Wright, is a gripping historical drama that offers a vivid portrayal of the tumultuous reign of King Henry VIII and the events ...

Harold Bloom on The Merchant of Venice: "Shylock's prose is Shakespeare's best before Falstaff's...His utterances manifest a spirit so potent, malign, and negative as to be unforgettable."