Rebholz (English, Stanford U.) tailors his critical approach to suit each of the plays in the canon, while simultaneously retaining the rigor of New Criticism and the reality of historical context. The result is a refreshingly honest assessment of each play, giving Shakespeare his due but pointing out the errors in continuity and logic that make us all secretly squirm in our seats. He examines the underlying themes, characterizations, and tropes of each play, gives solid explanations of questions we were all afraid to ask in college, and illustrates from whence Shakespeare's motivations, commentary, and some of his plots came. The result is several steps above the typical companion book, useful to directors and actors as well as patrons. Annotation ©2006 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)