William Shakespeare is one of the world's most famous poets and playwrights. However, when students find out they have to read one of his plays or sonnets a huge question mark (?) appears in their heads. The New York Public Library has databases that will help your students get through the Shakespearen confusion.

To help demontrate how to research I chose Macbeth as a topic. Personally, Macbeth is my favorite. Lady Macbeth rocks!

Try these databases:

•     Ancient & Medieval History Online (This database provides a balanced, global view of the ancient world as it explores six ancient centers of civilization)

-    Type in the search bar Macbeth, William Shakespeare

•     Biography Resource Center (Provides biographical information on more than 335,000 people from throughout history, around the world, and across all disciplines)

-   Type in search bar Macbeth, you can also search William Shakespeare

•    Electronic Enlightenment (The most wide-ranging online collection of edited correspondence of the early modern period, linking people across Europe, the Americas and Asia from the early 17th to the mid-19th century)

-   Click on the search link in the upper right hand corner. Type in the first box (labeled, look for this word) Macbeth, then scroll down and click search

•    Grolier Online (Includes access to the Encyclopedia Americana, New Book of Knowledge and Grolier Multimedia Encyclopedia as well as Roget's II: The New Thesaurus and the American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition)

-  Type in the search bar Macbeth

•    Literature Resource Center (Features information on literary figures from all time periods in such genres as fiction, nonfiction, poetry, drama, history, and journalism)

-    Type in the search bar Macbeth, you can also search William Shakespeare

•    Modern World History Online (Covers the important civilizations and cultures of world history from prehistoric times through the modern era. Topical entries, biographies, maps, primary source documents, and timelines provide a detailed and comparative view of the people, places, and events that have defined world history)

-  Type in the search bar William Shakespeare

•    Shakespeare, Editions and Adaptations (Access Locations: Stephen A. Schwarzman Building, New York Public Library for the Performing Arts, Dorothy and Lewis B. Cullman Center)

•   Twayne’s Author Series (Contains the full text of frequently-used Twayne Literary Masters books on individual World, US, or English authors)

-   Click on the link Authors A-Z. Then click on the letter “S” and scroll down to Shakespeare, William: The Tragedies and click on that link. Macbeth will be the eighth link.

Do remember that these databases can be used for other research topics. The librarian at your local library can suggest books that can be checked out for you to use in the classroom. Attached to this blog is a handout that can be given to your students to help with their research.