The characters that Shakespeare created, over 800 of them, are as vivid & convincing today as they were to his Elizabethan contemporaries. Some are recognizable stereotypes, while others employ all the depth of human understanding & the subtle characterization of which this superb dramatist was capable. All of these are featured in this book. An exciting selection of illustrations, drawn from 4 centuries of Shakespeare in performance, enliven the text. Classic actors, such as David Garrick, Sarah Siddons, Ellen Terry & Edwin Booth, are all here, alongside such 20th-century luminaries as Laurence Olivier, Judi Dench & Kenneth Branagh.