Oxford English Dictionary online
The Oxford English Dictionary (OED) is widely regarded as the accepted authority on the English language. It is an unsurpassed guide to the meaning, history, and pronunciation of 600,000 words— past and present—from across the English-speaking world.
As a historical dictionary, the OED is very different from dictionaries of current English, in which the focus is on present-day meanings. You’ll still find present-day meanings in the OED, but you’ll also find the history of individual words, and of the language—traced through 3 million quotations, from classic literature and specialist periodicals to film scripts and cookery books.
The Oxford Dictionary of Original Shakespearean Pronunciation by
This dictionary is the first comprehensive description of Shakespearean original pronunciation (OP), enabling practitioners to answer any queries about the pronunciation of individual words. It includes all the words in the First Folio, transcribed using IPA, and provides sound files as an additional aid to pronunciation.
Shakespeare's non-standard English : a dictionary of his informal language by
Most scholarly attention on Shakespeare's vocabulary has been directed towards his enrichment of the language through borrowing words from other languages and has thus concentrated on the more learned aspects of his vocabulary. But the bulk of Shakespeare's output consists of plays in which he employs a colloquial and informal style using such features as discourse markers or phrasal verbs. Both today and in earlier periods many informal words were gradually accepted into the standard language, and it may be difficult to recognize when certain words have become acceptable. This dictionary lists the types of words which constitute informal language, which are most often associated with less educated speakers. As with other books in this series the words are grouped either by semantic identity, such as words for'head', or by some linguistic feature such as'discourse markers', with some words that don't fit into specific categories, listed separately.
Shakespeare's Sexual Language : A Glossary by
Shakespeare's use of sexual language, imagery and erotic themes is extensive, varied, and although this is necessarily hard to establish, probably innovative at times. This glossary provides a first-hand guide to Shakespeare's sexual language, some of which is notoriously difficult to unravel and whose roots go back into earlier literature.
Women in Shakespeare : A Dictionary by
Women in Shakespeare: A Dictionary is a comprehensive reference guide to Shakespeare and women. An A-Z of over 350 entries explores the role of women within Shakespearean drama, how women were represented on the Shakespearean stage, and the role of women in Shakespeare's personal and professional lives. Women in Shakespeare examines in detail the language employed by Shakespeare in his representation of women in the full range of his poetry and plays and the implications these representations have for the position of women in Elizabethan and Jacobean society. Women in Shakespeare is an ideal guide to Shakespeare's women for all students and scholars of Shakespeare.
Shakespeare's Religious Language : A Dictionary by
Religious issues and religious discourse were vastly important in the sixteenth and seventeenth century and religious language is key to an understanding of Shakespeare's plays and poems. This dictionary discusses just over 1000 words and names in Shakespeare's works that have some religious denotation or connotation.
The Oxford Companion to Shakespeare (1 ed.) by
From the conjectured identity of the Dark Lady of the Sonnets to the misprints in the First Folio, from Shakespeare's favourite figures of speech to the staging of Othello in South Africa, a team of 100 internationally renowned scholars provides a lucid, stimulating, and authoritative guide to Shakespeare's plays and poems, and their interpretation around the world over the last four centuries. Special feature entries on every play are included.
The Cambridge Shakespeare Guide by
Are you studying Shakespeare and looking for a handy summary of plots, characters and interpretations? Or are you a keen theatregoer wanting essential background on the Shakespeare plays you see on stage? Ideal for students and theatre enthusiasts alike, this lively and authoritative guide presents key information, clearly set out, on all Shakespeare's dramatic and poetic works, covering plots and people, sources, context, performance history and major themes. Ordered alphabetically for easy reference, each play entry features a'key facts'box providing informative and revealing statistics, including a breakdown of each play's major roles. The guide is illustrated with striking performance photographs throughout, and also provides brief accounts of Shakespeare's life and language, Shakespeare in print and theatre in Shakespeare's time. This is an indispensable reference source for all students and theatregoers.
Shakespearean language : a guide for actors and students by 
Shakespeare's words : a glossary and language companion by
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, with 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 difficulty arising out of the differences between Elizabethan and modern English.
A Dictionary of Shakespeare by
This concise, illustrated dictionary of Shakespeariana, compiled by one of the best-known authorities on his works, contains alphabetically arranged entries guiding the reader to a wealth of information on all aspects of Shakespeare in his own time and on his impact and influence on later ages. Stanley Wells provides clear entries on every facet of Shakespearean interest, including the Bard's life and times, the sources and early publication of his works and their performance history on stage and screen, actors such as Edmund Kean and Kenneth Branagh and writers especially associated with them, derivative operas and other musical works, theaters, editions, international Shakespeare organizations, and more.
All things Shakespeare : an encyclopedia of Shakespeare's world by
More than 200 articles combine historical detail with informative descriptions on the form and function of obscure and everyday items from Shakespeare's time.
Pronouncing Shakespeare's words : a guide from A to Zounds by
How do you pronounce zounds, Milan, housewife and hundreds of other words in Shakespeare's plays? In this book, Dale Coye has provided a guide to each significant word, line-by line, scene-by-scene, in twenty of Shakespeare's most popular plays. More than a simple pronouncing dictionary, Pronouncing Shakespeare's Words pays attention to scansion, displays alternative pronunciations in different centuries and geographical areas, and provides a simple pronunciation guide requiring no knowledge of lexicographic symbols. Chapters include: Pronunciation Variants within the United States; How the Pronunciations Were Determined; When Is a Variant Pronunciation "Wrong"?; Mannered Pronunciations and the Influence of British English in North America; Lost Rhymes and Puns.
Shakespeare's world and work : an encyclopedia for students by 
The Oxford Companion to Shakespeare by
From the conjectured identity of the Dark Lady of the Sonnets to misprints in the First Folio, from Shakespeares favorite figures of speech to the staging of Othello in South Africa, The Oxford Companion to Shakespeare offers the most comprehensive coverage available on all aspects of Shakespeares life and works.