The purpose of this edition is to help the student to read Shakespeare's play with as much as easy as possible and to understand it. With this purpose in mind the Notes include brief comments on the historical and literary background of the play as it is referred to in the text, but concentrate on the actual language of the play, translating difficult passages into present-day English, drawing the reader's attention to Shakespeare's imagery, explaining difficult or archaic words.
Throughout, the aim has been to enable students to read the play uninterrupted by lengthy explanations, and so to help him or her to follow one of the most famous love stories of all time, and to appreciate the sheer beauty of Shakespeare's language as well as his skill in creating wonderful characters. The introduction provides useful information about Shakespeare's life and times, explores the plot of the play, and examines the dominant themes and concerns that run through it.