Though written near the end of his career, The Tempest stands first in Shakespeare's First Folio of 1623. Recently redefined by modern criticism as a romance, the play has been read as an escapist fantasy, a political allegory, and a celebratory fiction. Most often, however, The Tempest is interpreted as a summary of Shakespeare's view of his own art of playwriting. In this edition, Stephen Orgel reassesses the evidence for each of these critical...

In the third season of the HBO hit drama series Game of Thrones, the Lannisters barely hold on to the throne after a savage naval onslaught from Stannis Baratheon, while stirrings in the north threaten to alter the overall balance of power. Robb Stark, King in the North, faces major calamity in his efforts to build on his victories over the Lannisters while beyond the Wall, Mance Rayder and his huge army of wildlings continue their inexorable march...

A sane woman is locked up in an asylum by a fraudulent English aristocrat who is afraid she may expose his 'secret.' Escaping while wearing a white gown, she runs into a youthful hero who becomes haunted by his brief meeting with this 'woman in white.'

"This season begins with a power vacuum that protagonists across Westeros and Essos look to fill. At Castle Black, Jon Snow struggles to balance the demands of the Night's Watch with those of the newly-arrived Stannis Baratheon, who styles himself as the rightful king of Westeros. Meanwhile, Cersei scrambles to hold on to power in King's Landing amidst the Tyrells and the rise of a religious group led by the enigmatic High Sparrow, while Jamie embarks...

"The long winter is here. Throughout seven thrilling episodes, the penultimate Season 7 focuses on a convergence of armies and attitudes that have been brewing for years. As the season begins, Daenerys Targaryen--accompanied by her Unsullied army and emboldened by Dothraki/Ironborn allies and her lethal trio of dragons--has finally set sail for Westeros with Tyrion Lannister, her newly appointed Hand. Jon Snow has apparently consolidated power in...

In this thrilling fourth season based on George R.R. Martin's bestselling books, the Lannisters' control over the Iron Throne remains intact, but can they survive their own egos as well as the ongoing threats around them? While an unshaken Stannis Baratheon continues to rebuild his army on Dragonstone, a more immediate danger comes from the south, as Oberyn Martell, the Lannister-loathing 'Red Viper of Dorne,' arrives at King's Landing to attend Joffrey's...

Lily is just your typical 150-year-old, lovelorn vampire looking for the man of her nightmares that is until she lays eyes on Herman, a seven-foot-tall, green experiment with a heart of gold. It's love at first shock as these two ghouls fall fangs over feet in this crazy Transylvanian romance. Unfortunately, it's not all smooth sailing in the cemetery as Lily's father The Count has other plans for his beloved daughter's future, and they don't involve...

The unspoken, complex heroine of Hamlet shares her own story through modern language in contemporary Denmark. As a rebellious and motherless child, Ophelia is taken into Elsinore Castle by Queen Gertrude as one of her most trusted ladies-in-waiting. Soon enough, Ophelia captures the affections of the young Prince Hamlet. A passionate romance kindles between the two in secret as the kingdom is on the brink of war amidst its own political intrigue and...

"Set 200 years before the events of Game of Thrones, the series finds the Targaryens ruling over the Seven Kingdoms -- and on the brink of civil war within their own house. Prior to the birth of a son, King Viserys sent shockwaves through the kingdom and declared his daughter, Rhaenyra, his heir. Once a healthy boy entered the picture, plans were afoot to make sure she would never sit on the Iron Throne. Now, with schemes hatched on both sides --...

Set in a world where summers span decades and winters can last a lifetime. From the scheming south and the savage eastern lands, to the frozen north and ancient Wall that protects the realm from the mysterious darkness beyond, the powerful families of the Seven Kingdoms are locked in a battle for the Iron Throne. This is a story of duplicity and treachery, nobility and honor, conquest, and triumph. In the Game of Thrones, you either win or you die....