This detailed series provides comprehensive coverage of critical interpretations of the plays of Shakespeare. Volumes one through ten present critical overviews of each play and feature criticism from the 17th century to the present.

Volumes 11-26 focus on the history of Shakespeares plays on the stage and in important film adaptations.

Volumes 27-56 focus on criticism published after 1960 and provide readers with thematic approaches to Shakespeares works.

Starting with Vol. 57, the series provides general criticism published since 1990 and historical criticism not featured in previous volumes on four to five plays or works per volume.

Beginning with Vol. 60, the series replaced its annual compilation of essays representing the years most noteworthy Shakespearean scholarship with topic entries, comprised of essays that analyze various topics or themes found Shakespeares works. Approximately 90-95% of critical essays are full text. Each volume includes a cumulative character index, a topic index and a topic index arranged by play title.