In this volume, leading scholars assess the contribution of four major U.S. literary figures to the afterlife and reception of Shakespeare and his plays. Focusing on Emerson (in his essays), Melville (in Moby Dick and Pierre), James (in his short stories, prefaces and criticism) and Berryman (in his poetry and editing of Shakespeare), each essay assesses the double impact of Shakespeare on the figure covered and of the figure on the understanding, interpretation and appreciation of Shakespeare.