Research Guides: Literary Criticism: Shakespeare

My Profile

Craig Anderson

He/Him/His

Email Me

Contact:

Nancy Thompson Library Learning Commons. Rm: L-101B.
Oatmeal Preferences: Brown Sugar & Mixed Fruit

908-737-4602

Ask a Librarian

Listed below are options available for you to contact a reference librarian and ask for help with your research.

Recommended Databases for William Shakespeare

Working from off campus? If so, you will need to log in with your Kean Google username and password.

Academic Search Premier (EBSCOhost) (NJSL)
Covers the periodical literature in a variety of academic disciplines; strong in the humanities and social sciences; good place to search for a few full-text articles.

BBC Shakespeare Plays (Ambrose Video) This link opens in a new window
Thirty seven plays from the BBC television Shakespeare series from 1978 to 1985.
Bloom's Literature (Infobase Learning) This link opens in a new window
Features biographical information about authors as well as information about literary works, characters, and genres. Click the "Videos" link toward the top of the screen to access a collection of "Performance Videos" featuring dramas, comedies, musicals, and film adaptations.

Books in Print (Bowker) (VALE)
Contains information to identify books, those currently available or "in print" as well as out-of-print and forthcoming titles.

Gale eBooks (Gale Cengage Learning) This link opens in a new window
A comprehensive collection of reference resources such as subject-focused encyclopedias and dictionaries, available in a single database.
JSTOR (ITHAKA) This link opens in a new window
Provides archival access to scholarly journals in wide-ranging academic disciplines; JSTOR does not provide the most recent issues but instead provides access to a journal's older issues.
Literary Reference Center (EBSCOhost / JerseyClicks) (NJSL) This link opens in a new window
Covers book reviews, author biographies, contemporary poems, short stories, and essays on literary criticism.
Literature Resource Center (Gale Cengage Learning) (VALE) This link opens in a new window
Features literary criticism, reviews, and extensive biographical information on classic and contemporary authors. Also provides access to audio files and podcasts from National Public Radio (NPR) programs. Click the Multimedia tab on a search results list to access any audio files and podcasts retrieved with a Basic or Advanced Search for keywords, a person, or name of work.
MLA International Bibliography (EBSCOhost) (VALE) This link opens in a new window
Provides descriptive information about journal articles, books, and dissertations in literature, language, linguistics, and more, back to the 1920s.
Project Muse (Johns Hopkins University Press) This link opens in a new window
Features scholarly articles from a wide range of humanities and social sciences journals.

ProQuest Dissertations & Theses (PQDT) (ProQuest) (VALE)
Provides access to doctoral dissertations and master's theses, most with indexing from 1861, abstracts from 1980, and full-text from 1997 to the present.

Theatre in Video (Alexander Street Press) This link opens in a new window
A collection of some of the world's best-loved plays, performances, documentaries, and even rehearsals, all provided in full streaming video. Includes many world renown actors and directors.

William Shakespeare Web Resources

Folger Shakespeare Library
The Folger Library in Washington, DC is home to the world's finest collection of Shakespeare materials and memorabilia, as well as rare Renaissance era books and manuscripts.
NYPL Shakespeare Criticism
A list of Shakespearean Criticism web resources compiled by the New York Public Library.
Shaksper.net
"SHAKSPER, now in its twenty-fifth year of serving the academic community, is an edited and moderated, international, e-mail distribution list for discussion among Shakespearean scholars, researchers, instructors, students, and anyone sharing their academic interests and concerns. In addition to regular mailings to members, anyone can use the Internet to access the archives and other SHAKSPER materials from the SHAKSPER website shaksper.net. SHAKSPER strives to emphasize the scholarly by providing the opportunity for the formal exchange of ideas through queries and responses regarding literary, critical, textual, theoretical, and performative topics and issues".
Shakespeare Birthplace Trust
A historical trust based in Shakespeare's hometown of Stratford-upon-Avon, the Shakespeare Birthplace Trust is devoted to perpetuating the enjoyment of the works of Shakespeare.
Shakespeare Literary Criticism -- Houston Library
Provides a list of Literary Criticism links for all 36 of Shakespeare's Plays and including the sonnets. Links provided by the Houston Public Library.
Shakespeare Online
A comprehensive collection of resources and essays compiled by English major and Shakespeare Aficionado Amanda Mabillard
The Complete works of William Shakespeare
An online resource provided by the Shakespeare department at MIT, this page provides the full text of Shakespeare's 36 plays and collection of poetry.
Theatre Database -- William Shakespeare
An extensive collection of theatrical resources along with essays and links about William Shakespeare and the stage.
Voice of the Shuttle -- William Shakespeare
An extensive list of English Literary resources compiled by Dr. Alan Liu of the University of California, Santa Barbara. The Voice of the Shuttle is a comprehensive web resource involving many different fields of study.
William Shakespeare Collection at Bartleby.com
Bartleby.com is a site devoted to reproducing many of the great works of world literature that are in the public domain and allowing users free access to these works on the Web. This site highlights Bartleby's Shakespeare resources, including the complete works for free online.

Search Resources

Type your search terms into the "search resources" box on the Nancy Thompson Learning Commons home page to access WorldCat Discovery. WorldCat Discovery is the gateway to the print library books, e-books, government documents, videos, and even some articles. Although Kean's holdings will come up first in the search, you will also learn about library holdings worldwide.

In order to check out print books from the Main Collection, please bring your Kean Photo ID to the Circulation Desk.