Two Noble Kinsmen

When Theseus, Duke of Athens, learns that the ruler of Thebes has killed three noble kings, he swears to take revenge. But after Athens triumphs over the rival city, Theseus is struck by the bravery of two Theban cousins and orders his surgeons to attend to them. Soon, the cousins' lifelong friendship is threatened, as both become overwhelmed with love for the duke's beautiful sister.

William Shakespeare was an English poet and playwright of the 16th and 17 centuries, now widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and the world's pre-eminent dramatist. Peter Swaab is Reader in English Literature at University College London. He has written programme notes for the Royal National Theatre and the Donmar Warehouse, and his publications include editions of Edward Lear's poetry and The Collected Poems of Sara Coleridge. Stanley Wells is Emeritus Professor of the University of Birmingham and Chairman of the Shakespeare Birthplace Trust. He is General Editor of the Oxford Shakespeare, and his books include Shakespeare: the Poet and his Plays, Shakespeare: For All Time, Looking for Sex in Shakespeare, and (with Paul Edmondson) Shakespeare's Sonnets.