Visit http://www.bandannabooks.com/vshamlet.php to see for yourself, an informal survey of editions of Hamlet and compare this edition with others. More scholarly tomes are available; this edition turns out to be the most readable. A reader"s edition, modernized language ("you" for "thee," etc.) and glossary for unfamiliar words. Hamlet, one of the most famous of Shakespeare plays, is included in a series of seven other plays of Shakespeare"s featuring transgender characters or roles, even though Shakespeare didn"t write such a character into Hamlet. Nevertheless, over two dozen female actors have taken on the title role, from Sarah Siddon in 1802 to Sarah Bernhardt at the beginning of the last century. The energy, the passion, the complex inner life of this character continue to fascinate actors and audiences alike. This edition is moderately edited to be a reading copy, though it contains as much material as the Elizabethan actors were given. A glossary is included for words or expressions no longer in our English vocabulary, or events or fashions of 400 years ago. For the more ambitious reader, try the Hamlet Director"s Playbook (www.createspace.com/3742231). This workbook format provides plenty of space for visualizing every scene as it might be played, with special sections for Auditioning, Producer (budget, playbill, publicity), Set Designer, Costumer, Stage Manager, plus customized scripts for the major roles.