Edited by Suzanne Gossett.
Philaster is set in a fictionalised Sicily and has the complex plot of love, disguise and the threat of death much loved by early modern theatre-goers.
This edition provides an authoritative, modernised text by a leading scholar with detailed on-page commentary notes giving readers a deeper understanding of the play. The comprehensive, illustrated introduction discusses Philaster from a performance perspective as well as its relation to Shakespearean drama, and places it in its historical and critical contexts. The play is often taught on Shakespeare and Early Modern drama courses but only now is such a detailed, modern edition available for use by students and scholars.
With its wealth of helpful and incisive commentary, this is the finest edition of the play available. The Arden Early Modern Drama series offers editions of non-Shakespearean Renaissance drama and Restoration drama from the period 1500 to 1700. This series offers high-quality textual scholarship and full annotation, together with an accessible, student-friendly introduction.