This is the most comprehensive collection of Jacobean drama on the market. The lyrical, bloodthirsty tragedies and witty urban comedies in this original collection were first performed during the reign of King James I (1603-25). Though nearly four centuries old, they display surprisingly modern sensibilities regarding sex, violence, morality, and honor. Brilliantly introduced and annotated by Frank Kermode, these seven Jacobean masterpieces are the finest and most representative plays of a time when drama was the most vital and important mirror of English society. The masterpieces are: "A Woman Killed with Kindness" by Thomas Heywood; "Volpone" by Ben Jonson; "The Revenger's Tragedy" by Cyril Tourneur; "The Maid's Tragedy" by John Fletcher and Francis Beaumont; "A Chaste Maid in Cheapside" by Thomas Middleton; "The Duchess of Malfi" by John Webster; and "The Changeling" by Thomas Middleton and William Rowley.