When a group of soldiers descend on the town of Messina, two romantic entanglements ensue. Shakespeare's sparkling comedy trades on the skilful interplay between Beatrice and Benedick and the shades of light and dark that the mix of bright new love and dark deeds provides.

This edition is based on the First Folio and includes an extensive introduction that examines the origins of the work, the plot and the characters as well as notes on the text, a glossary and a timeline of Shakespeare's life and work.