Due to the unique cultural capital of his works, Shakespeare has long been the test subject for new methods and digital advances in arts scholarship. Shakespeare sits at the forefront of the digital humanities - in archiving, teaching, performance and editing - impacting on scholars, theatres and professional organisations alike. The pace at which new technologies have developed is unprecedented (and the pressure to keep up is only growing). This book offers seventeen new essays that assess the opportunities and pitfalls presented by the twenty-first century for the ongoing exploration of Shakespeare. Through contributions from a broad range of scholars and practitioners, including case studies from those working in the field, the collection engages with the impact of the digital revolution on Shakespeare studies. By assessing and mediating this sometimes controversial digital technology, the book is relevant to those interested in the digital humanities as well as to Shakespeare scholars and enthusiasts.

Table of Contents:
Introduction: Shakespeare and the digital world: an introduction Christie Carson and Peter Kirwan; Part I. Defining Current Digital Scholarship and Practice: Shakespeare Research in the Digital Age: Introduction Christie Carson; 1. Shakespeare in the digital humanities John Lavagnino; 2. Getting back to the library, getting back to the body Bruce R. Smith; 3. Sensing the past: tablets and early modern scholarship Farah Karim-Cooper; 4. Webs of engagement David McInnis; Part II. Defining Current Digital Scholarship and Practice: Shakespeare Pedagogy and the Digital Age: Introduction Peter Kirwan; 5. Internal and external Shakespeare: constructing the twenty-first-century classroom Erin Sullivan; 6. Shakespeare at a distance Sarah Grandage and Julie Sanders; 7. 'All great Neptune's ocean': iShakespeare and play in a transatlantic context Sheila T. Cavanagh and Kevin A. Quarmby; 8. 'From the table of my memory': blogging Shakespeare in/out of the classroom Peter Kirwan; Half-time: a pause for reflection; 9. All's Well that Ends Orwell Sharon O'Dair; Part III. Redefining the Boundaries and Practices of Shakespeare Studies Online: Publishing and Academic Identity: Introduction Peter Kirwan; 10. Unlocking scholarship in Shakespeare studies: gatekeeping, guardianship, and open-access journal publication Eleanor Collins; 11. Living with digital incunables, or: a 'good-enough' Shakespeare text Katherine Rowe; 12. Shakespeare in virtual communities Peter Holland; 13. Gamekeeper or poacher? Personal blogging/public sharing Sylvia Morris; Part IV. Redefining the Boundaries and Practices of Shakespeare Studies Online: Communication and Performance: Introduction Christie Carson; 14. Changing a culture with the Shakespeare Birthplace Trust: championing freedom and democracy Paul Edmondson and A. J. Leon; 15. Developing a digital strategy: engaging audiences at Shakespeare's Globe Ryan Nelson; 16. The impact of new forms of public performance Stephen Purcell; 17. Creating a critical model for the twenty-first century Christie Carson; Conclusion: digital dreaming Christie Carson and Peter Kirwan.