John Ford wrote darkly about sexual and political passion, thwarted ambition and incest. This selection of his plays shows his ability to portray the poignancy of love as well as to write entertaining comedy and create convincing roles for women. His Annabella, Hippolita, Pentea, Calantha, and Katherine Gordon rank among the most dramatically powerful female characters on the post-Shakespearean stage.;Setting Ford’s earliest surviving play, The Lover’s Melancholy , alongside his three best-known works, this study includes an introduction with sections on each play addressing gender issues, modern relevance and staging possibilities. The texts of the plays are presented with modernized spelling and punctuation, supplemented by detailed annotation.