Winter's Tale
'The work of Shakespeare is virtually infinite' Jorge Luis Borges
A jealous king, convinced that his wife has been unfaithful and is having another man's baby, imprisons her and puts her on trial. The child is abandoned to die, but when she is found and raised by a shepherd, it seems redemption may be possible. A bravura blend of tragedy, comedy and romance, Shakespeare's emotionally potent late play explores artifice and nature, mortality and renewal, and the destructive and consoling effects of time.
Used and Recommended by the National Theatre
General Editor Stanley Wells
Edited by Ernest Schanzer
Introduction by Russ McDonald
William Shakespeare was born some time in late April 1564 in Stratford-upon-Avon and died in 1616. He is widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and the world's pre-eminent dramatist.
Stanley Wells is Emeritus Professor of the University of Birmingham and Honorary President of the Shakespeare Birthplace Trust.
Russ McDonald is Professor of English at Goldsmiths, University of London.
Ernest Schanzer was a Shakespeare scholar who taught at the Universities of Liverpool and Munich.