The Two Noble Kinsmen

Based on Chaucer's Knight's Tale, The Two Noble Kinsmen was written at the end of Shakespeare's career, as a collaboration with the rising young dramatist John Fletcher. Neglected until recently by directors and teachers, the play deserves to be better known for its moving dramatization of the conflict of love and friendship. This new edition, compiled by distinguished scholar Eugene M. Waith, offers helpful new material on the play's authenticity as a work of Shakespeare, his collaboration with Fletcher, the relevance to the play of the contemporary ideals of chivalry and friendship, and its limited but increasing stage history. Based on the Quarto of 1634, Waith's edition also sets out to clarify the stage directions, address problems of mislineation, and provide useful guides to unfamiliar words, stage business, allusions, and textual problems.


Praise for The Oxford Shakespeare: Not simply a better text but a new conception of Shakespeare. This is a major achievement of twentieth-century scholarship.--Times Literary Supplement

Easy reading...first-class 20th century footnotes...and lots of relevant scholarship for practical stage usage. Congratulations.--Joseph Papp

Sets a very high standard in the preciseness and thoroughness of its commentaries.--Times Higher Education Supplement

Provides the last word in editions currently before the public.--John Barkham Reviews

Will certainly have to be reckoned with whenever one is choosing an edition to recommend for study.--English