ENGL 320: Political Shakespeare (HC) Fall 2012: Finding the First Article

A good place to begin your search is with encyclopedias and handbooks, which not only provide background information on a text or topic, but can also include a list of sources selected by scholars in the field.  These bibliographies are great places to look for important and influential articles on your designated text.  Start with the resources selected below, especially the Literature Resource Center and the Oxford Companion to Shakespeare.  You can also use the following "subject" searches to find other relevant reference works in Tripod.

Subject Search:

Shakespeare, William, 1564-1616 Criticism and interpretation Handbooks, manuals, etc

Shakespeare, William, 1564-1616 Handbooks, manuals, etc

In addition to using these general sources of information, one can often find guides to the secondary literature on individual works.  You can usually locate these works through a keyword search or "subject" search:

Keyword Search:

E.g., ("henry IV" OR "henry the fourth") AND shakespeare AND (bibliograph* OR handbook)

(See the Search Tips tab for additional information about keyword searching.)

Subject Search:

E.g., Shakespeare, William, 1564-1616. Antony and Cleopatra Bibliography

(Use the Browse Books & More link to find additional subject headings.)

Critical editions of individual works are also excellent sources for selected bibliographies; e.g., see Titus Andronicus (New York: Cambridge University Press, 2006)

See the "Finding Additional Articles" tab for more extensive sources of secondary literature.

The resources listed to the left will be the best places to start your search.  Use the resources below to expand your search or to find more comprehensive introductions to Shakespeare's themes and works.