This book is for people who love Shakespeare, or love language, or both. David Crystal, one of the world's foremost authorities on the English language, and his actor son, Ben, have taken a fresh look at the vocabulary of Shakespeare's poems and plays and compiled a glossary of nearly 14,000 words and meanings. They have included every word which presents the reader with a difficulty arising out of the differences between Elizabethan and Modern English. This collaboration of linguist and actor is unique, enabling the authors to add fascinating nuances to our understanding of Shakespeare's language. The book departs from the usual type of glossary in several ways. Meanings are brought into sharp focus through the use of multiple glosses; and each entry is supported by at least one illustrative quotation. A scene-setting caption puts the quotation in its dramatic context and helps to clarify the meaning. Cross-references to further uses of a word are made to other plays. Additional features are introduced which give the book the character of a language companion. For those at the beginning of their encounter with Shakespeare, there is a handy basic list of frequently encountered words. For the more advanced reader, there are panels on intriguing areas of his language such as archaisms, greetings and swear-words. A series of appendices collates the way characters are named, the names of the people and places they talk about, and the foreign languages that some of them use. There are complete listings of all the French, Latin, Spanish and Italian words, as well as information about the way Welsh, Scottish and Irish dialects are handled.

An especially fascinating feature of the book is the way the plays are presented to the reader both in written and diagrammatic form. Each play has a conventional plot synopsis and list of dramatis personae, but the authors additionally provide a specially devised Shakespearian Circle. The Circles are superbly informative illustrations representing the way the characters of each play interact with each other, and they thereby show the reader at a glance who belongs in which circle of influence. In Richard II, which characters follow Richard and which follow Bolingbroke? The relevant page will immediately tell you. The Circles are ideal for theatre-goers, actors and students, and are uniquely useful as a visual aid. The combination of these features with the authority of a language expert and the dramatic instincts of an actor make Shakespeare's Words ideal for aficionados and amateurs alike, either as a quick reference or as a basis for in-depth research. It is an indispensable aid in the study and understanding of Shakespeare.