A New York publisher has estimated that 50,000 to 60,000 people in the United States want an anthology that includes the complete works of William Shakespeare. Scholars explain this renewed interest by saying that Shakespeare's psychological insights into both male and female characters are amazingly relevant even today. This paragraph best supports which of the following statements?

Introduction / Context:
This is a short reading-comprehension and inference question. You are given a paragraph about demand for an anthology of Shakespeare's complete works and a scholarly explanation for the renewed interest. You must choose the statement that is best supported directly by what is said in the paragraph, without adding extra assumptions or exaggerations.

Given Data / Assumptions:

A New York publisher estimates that 50,000 to 60,000 people in the United States want an anthology containing Shakespeare's complete works.
The passage asks why there is a renewed interest in Shakespeare.
Scholars say that his psychological insights into both male and female characters are amazing even today.
We treat all statements in the passage as true for the purpose of this question.

Concept / Approach:
The right answer must be a logical consequence of the information given, not a guess or an over-interpretation. We look for an option that closely matches the scholars’ explanation: that people are interested because his characters are psychologically rich and still relevant. Any option that adds new facts not mentioned in the paragraph, or that changes “people in the United States” to some narrower group, is suspect.

Step-by-Step Solution:
The paragraph links the demand for an anthology to a “renewed interest in Shakespeare”. It then directly answers the question “what accounts for this renewed interest?” by citing scholars. The scholars’ explanation is that Shakespeare's psychological insights into male and female characters are amazing even today. So, the reason for people’s present-day interest is the depth and realism of his characters. Option B states exactly this idea: people even today are interested in Shakespeare because of his characters. Therefore, Option B is best supported by the paragraph.

Verification / Alternative check:
Check each other option against the text. The passage does not compare Shakespeare's characters with all fictional characters today, so we cannot say they are “more interesting” than modern characters. It does not say that scholars are actually compiling an anthology. It mentions the United States as a whole, not just New York, so singling out New Yorkers is not justified. Finally, calling Shakespeare a “psychiatrist” is an exaggeration beyond the text. Only Option B stays close to the original wording and intent of the paragraph.

Why Other Options Are Wrong:
Option A adds a comparison (more interesting than today's fictional characters) that is never mentioned.
Option C changes “publisher estimated demand” into “scholars are putting together an anthology”, which the passage does not say.
Option D wrongly narrows the interest to “New Yorkers”, whereas the demand is said to be in the United States generally.
Option E incorrectly elevates Shakespeare to the status of a psychiatrist, which is not implied; only his insights are praised.

Common Pitfalls:
A common mistake is to choose an option that sounds impressive or plausible in general but is not directly supported by the passage. Students also sometimes focus on one word, such as “New York”, and incorrectly think the main point is geographical. Always return to the core explanation given by the text and match it closely.

Final Answer:
The paragraph best supports the statement that people today are interested in Shakespeare's work because of his realistic and insightful characters.