LIT 3350: Shakespeare

Finding literary criticism published in books is another great option! Here are a few search strategies you can use:

Search by Keyword

From the library homepage, search CU Books or OhioLINK using keywords such as "Shakespeare" and "criticism"

You'll find a number of relevant books that include criticism of Shakespeare's works. For even more specific results, search "Shakespeare" plus your play's title, like "Hamlet".

Searching by Subject

Finding literary criticism by using a subject search is much more precise than a keyword search.

Go to CU Books Advanced Search:

Next, click on the Subject search on the right side menu:

Search "Shakespeare, William" (when doing a subject search, always put the last name first!). Hit Submit button.

What you'll see next is not a list of books, but a list of subject headings about Shakespeare. (Subject headings pre-defined labels used by librarians and researchers to quickly determine a book's subject, topic, or area of focus): 

We have over 480 subjects related to Shakespeare in our library alone (there's even more in OhioLINK!). Here are some of the most useful ones to use: 

• Shakespeare, William, 1564-1616 = biographies of Shakespeare
• Shakespeare, William, 1564-1616 -- Criticism and interpretation = literary criticism of Shakespeare's works
  • Shakespeare, William, 1564-1616 -- Criticism And Interpretation -- Handbooks Manuals Etc
• Shakespeare, William, 1564-1616 -- Criticism Textual

Also look for subjects that begin with Shakespeare, William, 1564-1616 followed by your play's title. For example:

• Shakespeare, William, 1564-1616 -- As You Like It