'The first thing we do, let's kill all the lawyers.'

Henry VI, Part II opens with a wedding and ends with a civil war, cycling through witchcraft, adultery, multiple murders, pirates, and an entire popular rebellion across its five acts. Its characters are larger-than-life, wielding curses as easily as they do swords or daggers, conjuring demons to seek prophetic knowledge, and transforming a struggle for the English throne into a cosmic blood feud between the houses of York and Lancaster.

The New Oxford Shakespeare offers authoritative editions of Shakespeare's works with introductory materials designed to encourage new interpretations of the plays and poems. Using the text from the landmark The New Oxford Shakespeare Complete Works: Modern Critical Edition, these volumes offer readers the latest thinking on the authentic texts (collated from all surviving original versions of Shakespeare's work) alongside innovative introductions from leading scholars. The texts are accompanied by a comprehensive set of critical apparatus to give readers the best resources to help understand and enjoy Shakespeare's work.

ABOUT THE SERIES: For over 100 years Oxford World's Classics has made available the widest range of literature from around the globe. Each affordable volume reflects Oxford's commitment to scholarship, providing the most accurate text plus a wealth of other valuable features, including expert introductions by leading authorities, helpful notes to clarify the text, up-to-date bibliographies for further study, and much more.

Introduction by: Kavita Mudan Finn
General editor: Emma Smith