Shakespeare: Home

This was long thought to be the only portrait of William Shakespeare that had any claim to have been painted from life, until another possible life portrait, the Cobbe portrait, was revealed in 2009. The portrait is known as the 'Chandos portrait' after a previous owner, James Brydges, 1st Duke of Chandos. The portrait is oil on canvas, and on display at the National Portrait Gallery, London, England.

This guide is intended to help you get started on your studies - and papers - on Shakespeare. Here you will find suggested reference works, databases, and websites for research. There are also tips for how to use the library and suggested resources for citing you sources. So, brush up your Shakespeare!

Literary criticism is the analysis, evaluation, and interpretation of literature.  It can involve such topics as theme, meaning, symbolism, character analysis, plot, narrative structure, etc.

 In literary study, the primary source is the work (or works) of literature being studied: a novel, play, short story, poem, etc.    Your secondary sources will usually be works of literary criticism by a scholarly author.