▁gives ▁a ▁short ▁guide ▁to ▁every ▁Shakespeare ▁play , ▁as ▁well ▁as ▁two ▁ep ic ▁po ems . ▁As im ov ▁organ izes ▁the ▁plays ▁not ▁in ▁the ▁usual ▁way ▁– ▁as ▁tra ged ies , ▁com ed ies , ▁and ▁histor ies ▁– ▁but ▁region ally , ▁as ▁follows : ▁ ▁Greek ▁ ▁Roman ▁ ▁Italian ▁ ▁English ▁ ▁The ▁last ▁two ▁categories ▁are ▁treated ▁broad ly ; ▁' Ital ian ' ▁applies ▁to ▁neighbour ing ▁countries , ▁and ▁both ▁Ham let ▁and ▁Mac b eth ▁are ▁listed ▁with ▁' The ▁English ▁Pl ays '. ▁As im ov ▁gives ▁a ▁detailed ▁just ification ▁for ▁doing ▁this . ▁ ▁Within ▁each ▁category , ▁the ▁plays ▁are ▁arranged ▁according ▁to ▁internal ▁( histor ical ) ▁chron ology , ▁making ▁allow ance ▁for ▁the ▁several ▁not ▁based ▁on ▁actual ▁events . ▁As im ov ▁notes ▁how ▁much ▁is ▁real ▁history , ▁and ▁describes ▁who ▁the ▁historical ▁people ▁were , ▁where ▁applicable . ▁He ▁traces ▁those ▁characters ▁who ▁appear ▁in ▁more ▁than ▁one ▁play , ▁and ▁provides ▁maps ▁to ▁explain ▁key ▁ge ographical ▁elements . ▁ ▁Re ception ▁As im ov ' s ▁approach ▁is ▁not ▁popular ▁with ▁some ▁readers ' ▁pre jud ices : ▁ ▁Public ation ▁data ▁As im ov ' s ▁Guide ▁to ▁Shakespeare , ▁vol s ▁I ▁and ▁II ▁( 1 9 7 0 ), ▁. ▁Gr amer cy ▁Books . ▁ ▁Near ly ▁ 8 0 0 ▁pages ▁long ▁plus ▁an ▁index , ▁the ▁work ▁was ▁originally ▁published ▁in ▁two ▁volumes