The play that scholars see as a forerunner of the less comedies that followed, The Two Gentlemen of Verona remains one of the early Shakespeare finest achievements. A romp between two Veronese friends of this title, this classic romantic parody leaps to life. In Antony and Cleopatra, a grand drama of love and war, Shakespeare presents one of his greatest female characters -- the beautiful and cunning Egyptian queen Cleopatra.The New Folger Library editions feature introductions to Shakespeare's language, illustrations from the Folger collection, scene-by-scene plot summaries, and explanatory notes. Exhibiting a profound concern for stimulating a popular interest in the Elizabethan period, the esteemed and accessible Folger Library Shakespeare editions are favored by teachers, students, and scholars alike.