From Ben Jonson's The Alchemist to the anonymous A Yorkshire Tragedy, from Thomas Dekker's The Shoemakers' Holiday to John Ford's 'Tis Pity She's a Whore. * This essential guide provides clear and lively information on 34 great Elizabethan and Jacobean plays. * Each chapter includes information on the play's source, the story, the author, the historical context and the world of the play, as well as a section on the playwright's craft and the play's performance history. * This book is for anyone wishing to understand this fascinating and fertile period in British drama, and will be invaluable for students of Shakespeare seeking a fuller understanding of the exciting theatrical times in which he wrote.