Product Description
"I feel that I have spent half my career with one or another Pelican Shakespeare in my back pocket. Convenience, however, is the least important aspect of the new Pelican Shakespeare series. Here is an elegant and clear text for either the study or the rehearsal room, notes where you need them and the distinguished scholarship of the general editors, Stephen Orgel and A. R. Braunmuller who understand that these are plays for performance as well as great texts for contemplation." (Patrick Stewart)

The distinguished Pelican Shakespeare series, which has sold more than four million copies, is now completely revised and repackaged.

Each volume features:

* Authoritative, reliable texts

* High quality introductions and notes

* New, more readable trade trim size

* An essay on the theatrical world of Shakespeare and essays on Shakespeare's life and the selection of texts ... Read more

Customer Reviews (8)

Frustrating kindle experience (notes poorly done, no navigation)
Unfortunately, with most of the professional Shakespeare editions (Folgers, Penguin, etc), the digital "sample" you download only gives you the introduction, which tells you nothing of the formatting of the play itself. Since that formatting is essential to your reading experience, this is quite frustrating -- I thought it would be worth giving a brief review to warn other users off.

Given that all of Shakespeare's works are in the public domain, I'd like to think someone would have put together nice kindle editions of them. Given the strong reviews, I thought this might be it (also, I have my students reading the print version of this edition, so it seemed like a logical choice). Alas, my search for a decent kindle experience continues.

On the positive side, the lines of this play work well on a KindleDX, so the basic reading experience is comfortable.

On the minus side, they've done extraordinarily little work to convert this book into a Kindle book.

To start with, they didn't even take the time to format acts and scenes as chapters, so there's no way to quickly navigate the text except to search for "I.iii" or what have you (or a famous line in a scene that you happen to remember!). The table of contents consists simply of "Title Page", "Copyright Page", "Introduction" and the play. The "notes" (on the bottom of each page in the print edition) are included as raw text in the kindle edition. There's no way to make the kindle page line up with the print page (even though with the DX this might be physically possible), so the notes just appear as a blob now and again, which makes them awkward to use if not useless. Furthermore, the notes refer to "line numbers" which are not included in the text. The lack of line numbers is also frustrating for people trying to use the kindle edition to interact with a class where the print edition is standard. Having line numbers is to my mind quite essential if you're going to be working with the text with others.

The play, of course, is wonderful, and this edition makes it easy to read with just enough notes to help the reasonably experienced reader along (I find these editions much less annoying than the Folger's editions, which have an overwhelming number of notes).

The greatest villan
Othello boasts one of Shakespeare's greatest villainous achievements in the character of Iago. As Iago gleefully tells us "I am not what I am", and the dramatic irony of the reader knowing this obvious information and the characters in this tragedy so oblivious to it, heightens the suspense of this earliest of stage thrillers.
Othello, like all of Shakespeare's work, captures in many exquisite lines what it means to be human, and it boast in the character of Emilia one of Shakespeare's strongest female creations. Her speech about the equality of women's and man's needs at the end of Act 4:3 resonates very powerfully today, and must have been very cutting edge to its original audience. Her defiance in the face of tragedy and determination to do the right thing also endears her to this reader.
Othello moves along at a quick pace, and if you allow yourself to become immersed in Shakespeare's language and characters you will enjoy the ride.

"I am not what I am"
I first had to read this book in my senior high school years. We must have read the play at least three times, watched the movie (with Lawrence Fishburne) twice and read some of the accompanying notes. The first time we went thru it, the thing that struck me was the deceptiveness of Iago. He stands out in the book as the embodiment of true evil because of his ability to manipulate and deceive. His presence fills every scene he is in and Shakespeare doesn't give us the chance to see any redeeming qualities of this man.

Character studies are only one way to look at Othello. There are countless books on the market that dissect the play, exploring it from all angles, explaining the themes that Shakespeare explores, whether it be inter-racial marriage, jealousy or the evil nature of Iago and I would recommend you search these `aids' out if you are doing a study ofOthello for your English class.

Apart from Shakespeare's literary genius, most of his stories also have a moral behind them. The ones that stood out the most in Othello were the need for trust in a relationship and the dangers of jealousy unchecked. If you haven't ever read this play, or made the excuse that the language is daunting, you are truly missing out on a masterpiece of English literature.

I consider this play one of Shakespeare's great tragedies along with Hamlet and Julius Ceasar but the only really tragic thing about Othello is reading the play and coming away from it without learning anything new about life. Now that would be a tragedy indeed!

Perhaps Shakespeare's Greatest Tragedy
I have read Othello, Hamlet, Macbeth, Romeo and Juliet, and Julius Caesar, and I consider Othello to be Shakespeare's greatest tragedy that I have read to this point.The villain, Iago, is unlike any other villain.His character seems to be pure evil and is, in my mind, the most intense villain created by a writer known for his intense villains.I believe this play has a more enduring value than other Shakespeare works and can still be enjoyed by all today.It puts a clear boundary between good and evil unlike any other Shakespeare tragedy.The play centers on Iago's attempt to ruin Othello after he is passed up for a higher position in Othello's forces for a young, inexperienced soldier, Michael Cassio.He hatched an elaborate plan of evil and Othello falls perfectly into his trap.It is painful to read the play, with the knowledge of Iago's plan, if you develop sympathy for the unsuspecting Othello as he gets closer and closer to the final trap.I find it unbelievably ironic that so small an article as a handkerchief could start off such a chain of death and sadness at the end of the play, but I won't spoil the rest for those who have not read it.If you have not read Othello, please do.It is a brilliant, passionate, tragic, timeless work by perhaps the greatest writer ever.

Shakespeare's Othello is the Ultimate Tragedy
Shakespeare's Othello is an interesting and dramatic tragedy.If you like imagery and irony, you will like Othello.Shakespeare uses the power of imagery skillfully to develop themes throughout the play.For example, recurring animal imagery is used to sharpen the contrast between people and beasts, showing how Iago and Othello begin to act more like beasts than human beings.Irony also adds much to the plot of Othello to make it interesting and exciting for the reader.Much of the irony used is dramatic irony because the reader knows of Iago's plot, while the characters in the play have no idea what is about to unfold.The relationship between men and women in Othello is another aspect of the play that makes it interesting to read.Iago's wife Emilia, for example, is very cynical towards men, probably from years of living with Iago.Othello and Desdemona's relationship is also intriguing.In the beginning of the play, Othello and Desdemona are seemingly deeply in love with each other.Othello, however, is rather easily convinced that his wife is cheating on him and becomes angry to the point where he cannot forgive Desdemona.He decides to kill her.As she is being murdered, Desdemona tries to protect her husband's innocence in her own murder.Another interesting aspect of the play which makes it stand out from other Shakespearean plays is the race of the main character.Othello is black and a Moor, or Muslim.This fact brings up issues to be explored in the play.Shakespeare shows the characters being separated not only by status and rank but also by their place of origin and their religion.Overall, Shakespeare's Othello is dramatic, well-written, and thoroughly explores how evil a human being can become. ... Read more

Product Description

Folger Shakespeare Library

The world's leading center for Shakespeare studies

Each edition includes:

• Freshly edited text based on the best early printed version of the play

• Full explanatory notes conveniently placed on pages facing the text of the play

• Scene-by-scene plot summaries

• A key to famous lines and phrases

• An introduction to reading Shakespeare's language

• An essay by an outstanding scholar providing a modern perspective on the play

• Illustrations from the Folger Shakespeare Library's vast holdings of rare books

Essay by Karen Newman

The Folger Shakespeare Library in Washington, D.C., is home to the world's largest collection of Shakespeare's printed works, and a magnet for Shakespeare scholars from around the globe. In addition to exhibitions open to the public throughout the year, the Folger offers a full calendar of performances and programs. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (9)

Early Shakespeare Comedy
Okay, so maybe The Taming of the Shrew is highly offensive in its nature (particularly to women), but you have to admit, this is still a witty & nicely crafted comedy. I don't mind the misogyny surrounding the story, because after all, this was made a long time ago, when times and societies were drastically different. This was written in Shakespeare's early years, so it's not as poetic or charming as his later ones. But still, it's full of wit and some highly entertaining moments here and there. There are some problems I have with this play, but I'd be nitpicking if I explained what they are. I'd say the biggest problem I have with this comedy is that there are a few scenes that drag on for too long. Despite that, however, I still like The Taming of the Shrew. It's not the best by Shakespeare, but it's still well-made.

Grade: 7.5/10

Kiss me Kate, we will be married o' Sunday
"The Taming of the Shrew" is probably William Shakespeare's second most controversial play -- nobody can figure out if it's misogynistic or a biting double satire on the sexes. Whatever it is, it's still a witty and hilarious comedy that pits the titular "shrew" against a crazy guy determined to browbeat her into traditional subservience... and while they're no Beatrice and Benedick, it is lots of fun.

Framing device: a local lord and his hunting party stumble across a drunken tinker, and decide to play an elaborate prank on him. They dress him in rich clothes, arrange fine food for him, and even drag a protesting servant boy in to pretend to be his wife. And they put on a performance for him as well: Baptista Minola has two daughters, the hot-tempered razor-tongued Katharina and the quiet, demure Bianca.

Since Bianca is not allowed to marry until Katharina is, her suitors form an alliance to get the elder sister out of the way, which is made more complex when a young student named Luciento falls in love with Bianca, and comes up with a clever plan to woo her. Enter Petruchio, an impoverished nobleman with as sharp a wit as Katharina -- and since he's the only one willing to marry her, her father jumps on the chance. From the very beginning, Petruchio beats her over the head with crazy reverse psychology, a ridiculous wedding ceremony, and a honeymoon from hell.

It's often debated whether "The Taming of the Shrew" is a sexist play or not, since the strong-willed, independent Katharina ends up another little obedient wifie, lecturing the other wives on giving their husbands"love, fair looks and true obedience." Blech.

But consider: this speech comes from a woman who, after years of intimidating the men around her, has been browbeaten, emotionally abused and humiliated until her boorish hubby finally "breaks" her... not exactly a rousing celebration of "the taming of the shrew," or of Petruchio! If anything, Shakespeare seems to be hinting that women should be subtle about their rebellion (as Bianca is) rather than broadcasting it to the world... and perhaps that is what the "shrew" had really learned.

And as usual, Shakespeare wraps the play in delicious wordplay ("You lie, in faith; for you are call'd plain Kate,/And bonny Kate, and sometimes Kate the curst"), weird situations (the ridiculous wedding), and an farcical romantic tangle centering on Bianca. And Shakespeare has some fun with the framing device about Christopher Sly -- while the lord is being a jerk, the whole situation is just so hilarious that it's impossible not to enjoy it.

And the characters are pretty fun as well, even when you want to kick them in the backside -- Katharina is delightfully witty, bombastic and very intimidating, and Petruchio is a hilarious, witty jerk who knows just how to counter her. Bianca seems like a subservient doormat at first, but Shakespeare hints that (in her own way) she's just as rebellious as Katharina, unbeknownst to her clownish admirers and her worn-out dad.

"The Taming of the Shrew" seems like a pretty offensive piece until you see all the little barbs sticking out of the surface. Really uncomfortable, and truly brilliant.

anonomyous is wrong
I am a very big William Shakespeare fan. I am very moved and amazed by his writing abilities. And im proud to say that The Taming of the Shrew is a great book. The shipping was quick and the book arrived in perfect condition. i cant wait to re-read one of my favorites. Thank You AMAZON for supplying great prices and having this book in stock. And thank to FED-EX for their quick shipping time and their well keeping of my purchase.

Well-priced Edition
I teach British Literature and find the price is right for my students, the book size is a bit too small, and the intoductory and closing notes and essay are very good.

Taming of the Shrew
This is a must for Shakespeare buffs or even those who want to read more Shakespeare. The glossary on the left-hand page of the dialogue is extremely helpful. ... Read more

Product Description

Bill Bryson's Shakespeare pairs one of history's most celebrated writers with one of the most popular writers in the English language today. In this elegant, updated, illustrated edition, the superstitions, academic discoveries and myths surrounding the life of one of the world's greatest poets are evoked through a series of full-color paintings, drawings, portraits, documents and photographs. Bryson also discusses the recent discoveries of the Cobbe portrait and the remains of Shakespeare's first theatre in Shoreditch.

Customer Reviews (106)

A good little read
The book is short and a fast, easy read - too fast, really, because it's so engaging and enjoyable that the end comes far too soon.

It's not a definitive, scholarly thing, and doesn't claim to be. It's also not impartial on the question of whether Shakespeare was really Shakespeare - Bryson takes a firm stand that he was, and none-too-gently ridicules those who don't.

It's a great window into Shakespeare's life (what little is known about it) and times, and a very fun read.

Pleasantly surprised
Of coure I knew stuff about William Shakespeare...doesn't everybody?But apparently I didn't know much of anything, because there's just not much to know.

I was admittedly a little skeptical about this book, figuring I'd be hard pressed to get interested in this one.Really about the only thing I thought I knew about WS was what little bit I'd gleaned about him as I've passed through life, but Bryson has shown that much of that may be rumor, legend or myth.However, what Bryson has done is successfully taken what little is known of the man and crafted it into a very good book.Anyone who cares for literature, its history, and "the arts" in general would benefit from Bryson's work.In short, it'll just make the reader a more knowledgeable person - and that's usually a good thing.

Like Shakespeare
As a fan of Shakespeare, but no expert, I was surprised to really like this book.However, Bill Bryson is an amazing writer, so I buy anything and everything he writes.This book gives a good review of what we know about Shakespeare (not very much).I read it on my Kindle, so I did not see the illustrations.I highly recommend it, especially if you are a fan of Bill Bryson's.

Funny and demystifying
I like Bryson, so was on a winner to start with, but this I found superb. Having read a bit about Shakespeare over the years (although I'm no Shakespearian, I hasten to add!), it can be difficult to separate fact and legend. This book does that execellently, and in Bryson's lovely light and unassuming anecdotal style. A really enjoyable, useful and informative read, both on a professional and a personal level. A must read, really.

Fun and Interesting
I found this brief volume was pitched at just the right level for me.Obviously, this is not original Shakespeare research, and the Shakespeare scholar (and surely many below that level but above mine) will already know much of what it contains.But for someone at my level, who loved Branaugh's Henry V ("we few, we happy few") and "Shakespeare in Love ("Romeo, ooh, good title"), it is perfect.I learned about both Shakespeare and his era, and Bryson's sardonic voice leavened the material, while the material gave some weight to Bryson's musings.In his book about the Appalachian Trail, I ultimately found his self-serving self-deprecation tiresome, but this time, with a more high falutin' subject that can use a little pricking, Bryson is just right.The last section of the book takes on those who claim Shakespeare did not write Shakespeare, and this is where Bryson works hardest.From his (sometimes hilarious) one is left quite certain that Shakespeare is Shakespeare.The absurd provenance of some of the doubting theories is remarkable. ... Read more

Product Description
An elaborately annotated edition of Shakespeare's masterpieces of wit and erotic word-play.

When a volume of poetry entitled Shakespeares Sonnets. Never before Imprinted appeared in 1609, Shakespeare was forty-five and most of his greatest plays had seen several performances. Some of the sonnets, speaking of the begetting of children, mortality and memory, art, desire and jealousy, are addressed to a beloved youth; others are addressed to a treacherous mistress, a "dark lady." Appended to the sonnets is "A Lover's Complaint," a beautiful poem in rhyme-royal in which a young woman is overheard lamenting her betrayal by a heartless seducer.

While Shakespeare's biographers continue their investigations, readers may find the "secret" of the sonnets in the poetry itself. In this spirit John Kerrigan provides an illuminating Introduction to the volume as a whole, together with 258 pages of commentaries on the poems, a textual history, and suggestions for further reading.

Edited with an Introduction by John Kerrigan. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

Lord of my love, to whom in vassalage
Thy merit hath my duty strongly knit,
To thee I send this written embassage,
To witness duty, not to show my wit.
(Sonnet 26.)

How to do justice to the legacy of literary history's greatest mind -- moreover in such a limited review? Forget Goethe's "universal genius" and his rebel contemporary Schiller; forget the 19th century masters; forget contemporary literature: with the possible (!) exception of three Greek gentlemen named Aischylos, Sophocles and Euripides, a certain Frenchman called Poquelin (a/k/a Moliere), and that infamous Irishman Oscar Wilde, there's more wit in a single line of Shakespeare's than in an entire page of most other, even great, authors' works. And I'm not saying this in ignorance of, or in order to slight any other writer: it's precisely my admiration of the world's literary giants, past and present, that makes me appreciate Shakespeare even more -- and that although I'm aware that he repeatedly borrowed from pre-existing material and that even the (sole) authorship of the works published under his name isn't established beyond doubt. For ultimately, the only thing that matters to me is the brilliance of those works themselves; and quite honestly, the mysteries continuing to enshroud his person, to me, only enhance his larger-than-life stature.

The precise dating of Shakespeare's sonnets -- like other poets', a response to the 1591 publication of Sir Philip Sidney's "Astrophil and Stella" -- is an even greater guessing game than that of his plays: although #138 and #144 (slightly modified) appeared in 1599's "Passionate Pilgrim," most were probably circulated privately, and written years before their first -- unauthorized, though still authoritative -- 1609 publication; possibly beginning in 1592-1593.

Format-wise, they adopt the Elizabethan fourteen-line-structure of three quatrains of iambic pentameters expressing a series of increasingly intense ideas, resolved in a closing couplet; with an abab-cdcd-efef-gg rhyme form. (Sole exceptions: #99 -- first quatrain amplified by one line -- #126 -- six couplets & only twelve lines total -- #145 -- written in tetrameter -- and #146 -- omission of the second line's beginning; the subject of a lasting debate.) Their order is thematic rather than chronological, although beyond the fact that the first 126 are addressed to a young man -- maybe the Earl of Pembroke or Southampton, maybe Sir Robert Dudley, the natural son of Queen Elizabeth's "Sweet Robin," the Earl of Leicester -- (the first seventeen, possibly commissioned by the addressee's family, pressing his marriage and production of an heir), and ##127-152 (or 127-133 and 147-152) to an exotic woman of questionable virtues only known as "The Dark Lady," even in that respect much remains unclear; including the nature of Shakespeare's relationship with the two main addressees, regarding which the sonnets' often ambiguous metaphors invoke much speculation. #145 is probably addressed to Shakespeare's wife; the closing couplet plays on her maiden name ("['I hate' from] hate away she threw And saved my life, [saying 'not you']:" "Hathaway -- Anne saved my life"), several others contain puns on the name Will and its double meaning(s) (exactly fourteen in the naughty #135: "Whoever hath her wish, thou hast thy Will;" and seven in the similarly mischievous #136), and the last two draw on the then-popular Cupid theme. Sometimes, placement seems linked to contents, e.g., in #8 (music: an octave has eight notes), #12 and #60 (time: twelve hours to both day and night; sixty minutes to an hour); and in the famous #55, which praises poetry's everlasting power and as whose never-expressly-named subject Shakespeare himself emerges in a comparison with Horace's Ode 3.30 -- in turn written in first person singular and thus, denoting its own author as the builder of its "monument more lasting than bronze" ("Exegi monumentum aere perennius") -- as well as through the number "5"'s optical similarity to the letter "S," making the sonnet's number a shorthand reference for "5hake5peare" or "5hakespeare's 5onnets," echoed by numerous words containing an "S" in the text.

Of indescribable linguistic beauty, elegance and complexity, Shakespeare's sonnets owe their timeless appeal to their supreme compositional values, the universality of their themes, and their keen insights into the human heart and soul; as much as their transcendence of the era's poetic conventions which, following Petrarch, heavily idealized the addressee's qualities: a form new and exciting twohundred years earlier, but encrusted in cliche in the late 1500s. Indeed, Shakespeare's "Dark Lady" Sonnet #130 owes its particular fame to its clever puns on that very style, which went overboard with references to its golden-haired, starry- (beamy-, sparkling, sunny-) eyed, cherry- (strawberry-, vermilion-, coral-) lipped, rosy- (crimson-, purple-, dawn-) cheeked, ivory- (lily-, carnation-, crystal-, silver-, snowy-, swan-white) skinned, pearl-teethed, honey- (nectar-, music-) tongued, goddess-like objects. "My mistress' eyes are nothing like the sun;" the Bard countered, proceeded to describe her breasts as "dun," her hair as "black wires," and her breath as "reek[ing]," and denied her any divine or angelic attributes. "And yet," he concluded: "by heaven, I think my love as rare As any she belied with false compare."

Arguably, Shakespeare's very choice of addressees (a young man -- also the subject of the famously romantic #18: "Shall I compare thee to a summer's day;" the first of several sonnets promising his immortalization in poetry -- as well as the "Dark Lady," in turn introduced under the notion "black is beautiful" in #127) itself suggests a break with tradition; and compared to his contemporaries' poetry, even the equally-famous #116's on its face rather conventional praise of love's constancy ("Let me not to the marriage of true minds admit impediments"), echoed in the poet's vow to vanquish time in #123, sounds fairly restrained. But ultimately, Shakespeare's sonnets -- like his entire work -- simply defy categorization. They are, as rival Ben Jonson acknowledged, written "for all time," just as the Bard himself immodestly claimed:

'Gainst death and all oblivious enmity
Shall you pace forth; your praise shall still find room
Even in the eyes of all posterity
That wear this world out to the ending doom.
(Sonnet 55.)

Also recommended:
The Oxford Shakespeare: The Complete Works 2nd Edition
Shakespeare: For All Time (Oxford Shakespeare)
Much Ado About Nothing
Love's Labour's Lost
William Shakespeare's Hamlet (Two-Disc Special Edition)
BBC Shakespeare Comedies DVD Giftbox
BBC Shakespeare Tragedies DVD Giftbox
Olivier's Shakespeare - Criterion Collection (Hamlet / Henry V / Richard III)
William Shakespeare's The Merchant of Venice
Twelfth Night

lover
the site is fantastic and i am really found it trust worthy and logically created ... Read more

Product Description
This scarce antiquarian book is a selection from Kessinger Publishing's Legacy Reprint Series. Due to its age, it may contain imperfections such as marks, notations, marginalia and flawed pages. Because we believe this work is culturally important, we have made it available as part of our commitment to protecting, preserving, and promoting the world's literature. Kessinger Publishing is the place to find hundreds of thousands of rare and hard-to-find books with something of interest for everyone! ... Read more

Product Description
From the conjectured identity of the Dark Lady of the Sonnets to misprints in the First Folio, from Shakespeares favorite figures of speech to the staging of Othello in South Africa, The Oxford Companion to Shakespeare offers the most comprehensive coverage available on all aspects of Shakespeares life and works.

Illustrated with more than 100 photographs and boasting contributions from a team of internationally renowned scholars (including such noted Shakespeare authorities as Helen Vendler, Park Honan, and Jonathan Bate), the Companion has more than 3,000 entries that offer succinct, stimulating, and authoritative commentary on Shakespeares life and times, his plays and poems, and their interpretation around the world over the last four centuries. All Shakespeares plays from As You Like It and Alls Well that Ends Well to King Lear and Hamletare covered in major articles. There are concise descriptions of allusions in Shakespeare (Ajax, Agamemnon), well-known critics (Samuel Johnson, John Dryden), great Shakespearian actors (Richard Burbage, Lawrence Olivier, Kenneth Branagh), characters in the plays (Mercutio, Ophelia), figures of speech (metaphor, metonymy, oxymoron), and much more. Longer articles explore topics such as Shakespeares birthplace, censorship, the Chamberlains Men, film, and Shakespeares reception in such countries as China, Italy, and the United States.

Bringing its readers up to date not only with the latest in Shakespearian scholarship and controversy but with the plays most recent incarnations on stage, film, and in international popular culture, this is the perfect companion to Shakespeares works, covering everything from Aaron to Zeffirelli, and from Shakespeare in schools to Shakespeare in Love. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (8)

An Excellent Resource!
"The Oxford Companion to Shakespeare," is a terrific overview of Shakespeare's plays, and just about anything you can think of pertaining to our greatest playwright. The scholarship is up-to-date, the articles are clear and insightful, and the illustrations are plentiful.This user-friendly book is highly recommended for anyone wanting to better appreciate some of Western Civilization's greatest literature.

Great for general reference
This is an excellent source for any English major or literary scholar to have--a great supplement to any collection. But I bought this with the impression that it would contain more critical information on the works of Shakespeare so I was a bit disappointed when the critical summaries were just blurbs. If you are looking for a reference book that is more encyclopedic in nature, then this is an invaluable purchase.

A good elementary referece book
I bought this based on the Amazon.com reviews.I haven't been as impressed as others.It's written for a high school or a very general audience.As a high school reference, it's probably very good.At anything beyond a basic level, however, the book falls short.For example, the entries for many of the minor historical characters are so brief as to merely mention the play in which they appear -- even though I know these characters have relevant familial ties, particularly to royal families.I'm not sorry I bought it; I was just expecting a bit more depth considering its cost.It's fun to browse through (lots of interesting facts to stumble upon, and many beautiful illustrations) but the bottom line is that this book rarely provides sufficient answers to my specific questions.It doesn't really qualify as a reference book beyond an elementary level.I doubt this is the best source of its kind.I plan to do what I should have done in the first place, go to a library and compare the available Shakespeare handbooks.I'm certainly not going throw this book away, but I'm going to have to look for one that better suits my needs.

Weston Berg
This book I recommend to anyone who is well knowen to shakespear or some one like me who is just getting started. I bought the book to help me understand more about shakespear and things are becoming a lot less greek to me. The Author has done a excellent job with the book very easy to use and understand. A great insight to the history of Shakespearian Art and the theater.

Excellent !
A great service has been performed by the publication of this wonderful book. In case anyone is interested in the latest scholarship regarding the authorship question (which will greatly enhance your appreciation of Shakespeare), please visit these relatively new books: "Shakespeare by Another Name" by Mark Anderson; and "The Monument: "Shake-Speares Sonnets" by Hank Whittemore. ... Read more

Product Description
"The Comedy of Errors" is the story of two identical twins named Antipholus who are separated following a shipwreck 25 years earlier. Antipholus of Ephesus grows up in Ephesus with his mother, while Antipholus of Syracuse grows up in Syracuse with his father. Despite a ban on travel between the two cities, their father, Egeon, travels from Syracuse to Ephesus to try and find his long lost son and wife. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

Starts off somberly, then hold on
A tale of woe, with twins seperated at birth, children lost to their parents and a man whose life is sacrifice unless he can pay an enormous debt.And that is just the first scenes.

Then, you dive head first into broad slapstick and grand comedy.One twin is a married bawd, the other is a mostly honorable bachelor.The wrong master addresses the wrong servant, the wife gets mad at the wrong twin, and everyone thinks everyone else has lost their minds.Grand fun all around, and an inspiration for every comic troupe to follow (including the Marx brothers, Peter Sellers, and Disney in several manifestations).

Shakespearean comedy at its best!

E.M. Van Court

Shakespeare's 1st Smash!
Along with "Midsummer Night's Dream," "The Comedy of Errors" remains my favorite comedy to this day. While this is a hilarious play, the story actually starts quite sad. A merchant from Syracuse named Egeon is illegally in Ephesus, and will be executed unless he can come up with 1,000 marks. He appeals to the Duke and explains that he has been separated from his wife, his two identical twin sons (Antipholus of Ephesus and Antipholus of Syracuse), and their 2 identical twin servants (Dromio of Ephesus and Dromio of Syracuse).

Yes, it DOES pass plausibility that twins would have identical names, but the confusion to come can only occur if the names match. So, we have to be willing to forgive this if we are to enjoy the merry comedy to come. the Duke is moved into sympathy, and gives Egeon the day to come up with 1,000 marks. There are some who feel this sad scene ruins the story, but the truth is this one bit of sadness prevents the comedy from becoming an utter farce. Also, despite the comedy to come, this sad scene sets the mood, we really never forget about this one serious element, and we enjoy the comedy as we are in suspense about Egeon's fate.

Well, in comes Antipholus of Syracuse and his servant Dromio of Syracuse. We learn that Egeon was speaking of them. (A Syracuse and D Syracuse grew up with Egeon.) What makes this comedy so wonderful is that not only does Shakespeare maintain the comedy, but he gradually increases the tension.

At FIRST, the errors only lead to comical misunderstandings. But later, more outside parties get involved, and the situations grow more serious. Later, Antipholus of Ephesus suspects his wife is having an affair. (And in my opinion, he had stronger grounds for suspecting this than the so called noble Othello. After all, poor Antipholus of Ephesus was LOCKED OUT OF HIS OWN HOUSE! And behind a closed door, his wife told him to go away.) Later, the errors lead to Antipholus of Ephesus and his friend Angelo getting arrested. And by the end of the 4th Act, the confusion and errors have gotten so intense and out of hand that several characters in the play are angry at each other, and not one or two, but SEVERAL of the characters are in danger of being physically hurt.

But leave it to the master Shakespeare to resolve everything just in time,and give us a joyful ending with all of the characters happy. Perhaps the greatest thing about this play is that there are no villains, and there is no intentional deception. (Just a lot of misunderstandings.) And perhaps Shakespeare is telling us that many of our conflicts in life are due to misunderstandings.
... Read more

Product Description
WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE COMPLETE WORKS ULTIMATE COLLECTION: 213 PLAYS, POEMS AND SONNETS INCLUDING THE 16 RARE, 'HARD-TO-GET' APOCRYPHAL PLAYS

Do you want the most complete collection of all of Shakespeare's legendary works you can get? Do you want a collection that includes even the lesser known, yet highly acclaimed plays?Do you want the ultimate Shakespeare collection that has never before been so comprehensive?

Then you want this all inclusive, enhanced compilation from 'Everlasting Flames Publishing' - designed just for You.

THE 'MUST-HAVE' COMPLETE COLLECTION

In this irresistible, 'must-have' collection you get not only all the renowned, celebrated plays, but also get all the desirable, 'hard-to-get' Apocryphal Plays.

THE APOCRYPHAL PLAYS

These Apocryphal Plays, as they are collectively known, were not as widely published as Shakespeare's more well-known works, due to not being included in the famous 'First Folio' that was published by his fellow actors.

As a result, they have become extremely rare and sought-after. Electrifying argument rages over them, their histories, stories and characters, the works often getting more discussion than even Shakespeare's more familiar works do.

YOUR NEW WINDOW INTO SHAKESPEARE'S WORLD

Imagine the joy of having this exclusive, enviable collection, that rivals many libraries, at your fingertips, and imagine the immense pleasure of reading these forgotten nuggets of literature gold, discovering new inspiration in the fantastic creations that few others even know Shakespeare created.

Imagine the exciting, magnificent, never-seen-before passages and imagery you will discover from the Bard.

YOUR FREE BONUSES

In addition to all the works, you'll also get as Free 'Special Bonuses':

* 'The Life of William Shakespeare': A short biography detailing Shakespeare's intriguing life - his parentage, marriage and rise to fame
* 'Explanation of the Apocryphal Plays Commentary': A brief commentary explaining the fascinating history of each of the Apocryphal Plays
* Easy to follow 'Table of Contents'

Don't miss out!

As you read this, you can understand why you just have to have this unique and comprehensive edition because it is the best, most complete collection you can get. And available exclusively on the Kindle, this big collection is yours for next to nothing...

You already know you want the most complete collection, so don't deny yourself! And don't accept other collections that are lacking.

Get this Shakespeare Ultimate Collection right now and start enjoying the breath-taking world of Shakespeare like never before!

‘Everlasting Flames Publishing' is devoted to keeping the light of the classics burning bright. Please watch out for more comprehensive Kindle collections coming soon.

WORKS INCLUDED:

COMEDIES

ALLS WELL THAT ENDS WELL
AS YOU LIKE IT
THE COMEDY OF ERRORS
LOVE'S LABOUR'S LOST
MEASURE FOR MEASURE
THE MERCHANT OF VENICE
THE MERRY WIVES OF WINDSOR
A MIDSUMMER NIGHT'S DREAM
MUCH ADO ABOUT NOTHING
PERICLES, PRINCE OF TYRE
TAMING OF THE SHREW
THE TEMPEST
TWELFTH NIGHT
THE TWO GENTLEMEN OF VERONA
THE TWO NOBLE KINSMEN
THE WINTER'S TALE

HISTORIES

KING JOHN
KING RICHARD II
KING HENRY IV PART I
KING HENRY IV PART II
KING HENRY V
KING HENRY VI PART I
KING HENRY VI PART II
KING HENRY VI PART III
KING RICHARD III
KING HENRY VIII

TRAGEDIES

ROMEO AND JULIET
CORIOLANUS
TITUS ANDRONICUS
TIMON OF ATHENS
JULIUS CAESAR
THE TRAGEDY OF MACBETH
HAMLET
TROILUS AND CRESSIDA
KING LEAR
OTHELLO
ANTONY AND CLEOPATRA
CYMBELINE

APOCRYPHA

EXPLANATION OF THE APOCRYPHAL PLAYS

ARDEN OF FAVERSHAM
A YORKSHIRE TRAGEDY
THE BIRTH OF MERLIN
LOCRINE
THE LONDON PRODIGAL
THE PURITAN
SIR JOHN OLDCASTLE
LORD THOMAS CROMWELL
KING EDWARD III
SIR THOMAS MORE
FAIRE EM
A FAIRY TALE IN 2 ACTS
MUCEDROUS
THE MERRY DEVIL OF EDMONTON
EDMUND IRONSIDE
THOMAS OF WOODSTOCK

POEMS

THE SONNETS
VENUS AND ADONIS
RAPE OF LUCRECE
THE PASSIONATE PILGRIM
THE PHOENIX AND THE TURTLE
A LOVER'S COMPLAINT ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

The digital age is amazing!
This is the reason I love having Kindle!!! The fact that I can have a huge Shakespeare collection with all of his plays in it and I can carry it around with me and read it anywhere I am is so cool! As for the collection itself, it is Shakespeare of course, so it was going to be great stuff anyway, but its also so amazing that I now have a whole bunch of his plays that I've never even heard of before, and carry them along with me too! Just scrolling through them and seeing new characters and stuff makes me think how amazing this modern digital age is. They are really cool! I think this kind of electronic collection in our modern digital age s really making it a great time to be alive!

Very interesting and intriguing
I must say that I consider myself very well versed in Shakespeare and his works. I fell in love with them in high school and have continued to read and re read them. So when I was looking for a complete works collection that I could take along with me anywhere, I was most intrigued by the additional plays mentioned here. I have heard considerable debate about Shakespeare's authorship of certain plays and so I was most intrigued by the idea of these other plays.

Naturally, they were the first ones I began to read when I downloaded the collection. I must say that I find them fascinating on quite a few levels, bearing in mind the circumstances surrounding each. I find it quite absorbing to notice small literary allusions that I am finding to his other, more well-known plays, as well as seeing a development of style on his part.

I look forward to reading and re reading all of the plays at length.

I also find the Shakeaspeare bio illuminating. It seems his life was much like a soap opera.

I think this is definitely a worthwhile addition to anyone's library, especially anyone interested in Shakespeare, both devoted fans or people just beginning to delve into his works.

Great Find!
Great find!!

Let me start this review by saying I am a huge Shakespeare fan as well as being a huge Kindle fan and I was looking for a Kindle collection that had everything in it from him. Now, I already know all his plays and poems and works, or at least I thought I did. I mean, I wasn't aware of these apocryphal plays. I mean, I've always wondered if the plays that we all know were the only ones he ever wrote, but I'd never really gone to find out. When I read the title and description I just had to see what this was about.

When I downloaded it, I must say I was so happy with this great find!! These additional plays were the first ones I went to look at and alreadyjust paging through all these new ones, written at different times in his career, has beenso interesting!! I can't wait to get into them for real. I feel like I've gotten a new toy that I can play with!

I highly recommend it!! ... Read more

Product Description

Customer Reviews (3)

Better than "All My Children" and Readable, Too!!!
Masterful as always, this tragic story of the aging King Lear.

Caring for an aging parent? Wondering who is going to take care of you when you get old? Wondering how you will be treated in your old age?Thinking about Estate Planning? Read King Lear!!!

Shakespeare is still "da man," and "No Fear" is the only way to read him.Don't miss this, one of his best works...

It's better than "All My Children" on ABC!!!

the best way to read our finest playwright! and King Lear is one of his grestest works
Years ago when my husband's father, a farmer for many years, first saw large round-style hay bales, he wept with joy because, since these new bales could not be lifted by hand, he knew farmworkers would no longer need to risk the heavy, injurious previous work of stacking and transporting their hay.

I know how he felt. It nearly brought tears to my eyes to first experience reading a No Fear Shakespeare. I cannot overstate the ease this text brings to the pleasure and excitement of a Shakespeare play. If you have wanted to read Shakespeare but found the language too archaic to understand, if you have enjoyed reading Shakespeare but not the time it took to plow through the footnotes and concordances, if you have been assigned to read Shakespeare plays for a class and want to know which edition to use, if you have always meant to read Shakespeare to find out for yourself what "all the fuss" is about - this is the version to read.

As for the play King Lear itself, it is a beautiful, painful, truthful story of a human being in all his prideful flaws, who learns to understand himself and his relations with others, even though paying the ultimate tragic price. Shakespeare's genius is telling a story that we all can relate to, and part of you will be right there on the heath in the storm raging with Lear.

Shakespeare with NO FEAR
I LOVE love love these books.This one on King Lear is excellent and makes this play very approachable and readable. ... Read more

Product Description

Customer Reviews (6)

Into the mind of Shakespeare
Fantastic read.Focuses on 12-15 of the plays.Couldn't put this down.Highly recommended.

Shakespeare the Wonder
After reading this excellent book, my first thought was one of admiration for Shakespeare that he can provide so much interesting material for so many. Nuttall by no means exhausted the thematic possibilities of any of the plays but found very interesting questions in all of them.But actually not everyone who writes about Shakespeare writes interesting or memorable stuff, it takes what actually is a rare combination of good education, common sense and an open, alive mind. So even though there is an astounding amount of insight in the plays, not every commentator derives and gives us something of value.

I didn't agree with all his points but they are all honest questions: not self-serving and very little arguing with his colleagues. The question of The Tempest and nihilism is quite provocative. I suppose in the way that Buddhism is nihilistic, nihilism leading to transcendent joy, yes, he's right. Well, you'll read it and decide for yourself.

He writes in the Coda: "The universe is infinitely recessive to the understanding. It will not provide the thing that philosophers cannot help pursuing: the Answer."This is a very good formulation of our situation: we can't help wanting to have the conclusive view - and in fact we can't help assuming at any particular moment that we've got it already. It's natural to try to establish equilibrium. Still, for us, the truth of things comes as gnawing doubt, as a question. It's not truth but it's the accepting to entertain an opposing view,sensation, fact or feeling.

These are essays provoked by long acquaintance with Shakespeare, Plato and Western thought in general.It's not an introduction to Shakespeare. It's really only for people who love these plays.

A Valuable Companion
What makes this book especially valuable to me is that A.D. Nuttall brought not only a lifetime of reading and discussion of the plays, but a lifetime of seeing them performed.

This book has already proven to be an excellent companion when considering a specific play (using the Index helped), especially before and after seeing a new production. The contexts and meanings of the histories so remote in time and place are especially useful.

Nuttall writes with fearless precision that honors the best academic standards, yet in an almost conversational style. He writes about nearly all the plays, and his approach is variously appropriate to that particular play as well as its relationship to the others, to its "type," to Shakespeare's times and what we know about him. He does not shrink from the issues which certain plays raise for 21st century audiences: the role of women within marriage in "The Taming of the Shrew", for example. Other commentators may suggest that Kate's submission is meant ironically, but Nuttall does not take that easy escape.

I'm not a Shakespeare scholar, and I don't agree with all of Nuttall's interpretations, but that's the joy of Shakespeare--the dialogue with the plays can be endless. For reference and for reading, I will be returning to "Shakespeare the Thinker."

A Great Forest
That Harold Bloom sees A.D. Nuttall as his hero should be a tip-off to potential buyers of this book: it is not one for the average reader (like me).

There is no doubt that the author is a scholar of the first rank. However, this book is written for his fellow scholars and those intense amateurs who have a good existing command over the full breadth of William Shakespeare's many plays.

I was disappointed since the title seems to indicate there would be a more overt and accessible discussion of the thought patterns of the great playwright. Instead I entered a great forest, which as Professor Nuttall notes, "is a place to get lost in."

A lifetime of thinkng about Shakespeare summarized here
Nuttall who recently passed away was considered by his colleagues one of the great Shakespeare scholars of our time. I have read at least two reviews praising this book in the highest terms possible.
Thus to my own surprise and slight disappointment I did not find myself enjoying the book as much as I had hoped.
There are a couple of reasons for this. The title suggests that we are going to understand far more deeply, and in something like a systematic way that which Shakespeare thought on the major issues of life.
This is not exactly what happens. Nuttall continually stresses Shakespeare's extraordinary intelligence but he never really develops lines of thought ina rich and complicated way. What he does is 'read the plays' often by seeing how they grow out of each other. He also in doing this includes a lot of extraneous information often supplying short - summaries of concepts which in many cases it might be assumed the reader of his book would have a knowledge of.
The writing itself somehow does not flow, and feels to me ' broken up' shifting attention needlessly in a less than coherent way.
But the writing does contain an enormous knowledge about Shakespeare. It too reveals an encylopediac knowledge of scholarly disputes which often to the general reader seem less than interesting.
Nuttall does make a strong case for his own conception of Shakespeare as an enormously intelligent thinker, who uses a variety of literary techniques to hide himself and his own position on the question at hand. Shakespeare's long- noted multi- sidedeness, his ability to think sympathetically into and out of the positions of diverse and contradictory characters is also amply illustrated. Nuttall has a wonderful feeling for the most remarkable passages in Shakespeare, and in fact for me the most enjoyable part of the work was confronting and reading again, for instance , what Nuttall considers the greatest speech in all Literature, Antony's funeral oration for Ceasar in 'Julius Caaesar' or Gaunt's sad lament on the decline of the England he has known.
I believe that there is much to learn for all lovers of Shakespeare in this work.
But the kind of new depth in understanding which came with reading the great critics like Coleridge and A.C. Bradley I , perhaps mistakenly, did not find in this work. ... Read more

Product Description
Get your "A" in gear!

They're today's most popular study guides-with everything you need to succeed in school. Written by Harvard students for students, since its inception SparkNotes™ has developed a loyal community of dedicated users and become a major education brand. Consumer demand has been so strong that the guides have expanded to over 150 titles.SparkNotes'™ motto is Smarter, Better, Faster because:

· They feature the most current ideas and themes, written by experts.
· They're easier to understand, because the same people who use them have also written them.
· The clear writing style and edited content enables students to read through the material quickly, saving valuable time.

And with everything covered--context; plot overview; character lists; themes, motifs, and symbols; summary and analysis, key facts; study questions and essay topics; and reviews and resources--you don't have to go anywhere else!



... Read more

Product Description
The delightful play of William Shakespeare. "Then sighe not so, but let them goe, and be ye blithe and bonnie - converting all your songs of woe into hey nonnie nonnie." ... Read more

Customer Reviews (67)

They never meet, but there is a skirmish of wit between them.
A man and a woman meet. They outwardly seem to despise each other (or at least find each other annoying), but we know that deep down they're in love and just need a jolt to realize it.

That's one of the more popular romance tropes -- everybody from Jane Austen to anime has used it. But the original feisty Will They Or Won't They couple was Beatrice and Benedick in William Shakespeare's "Much Ado About Nothing" -- and while the plot supposedly revolves around an evil plot to discredit Beatrice's cousin, it's more fun to watch the two B's slinging insults and falling in love.

Spanish prince Don Pedro has defeated his evil illegitimate brother Don John, and is coming to the estate of Leonato for a visit -- along with his entourage, his disgraced brother, and his officers Benedick and Claudio. Claudio soon falls in love with Leonato's daughter Hero, but Hero's cousin Beatrice has the opposite reaction -- "there is a kind of merry war betwixt Signior Benedick and her."

Soon Hero and Claudio are happily engaged, and Don Pedro decides to matchmake Beatrice and Benedick -- and after a tidy bit of manipulation, the acid-tongued pair fall madly in love. But Don John spins up a malicious deception that tears apart the love between Claudio and Hero, creates a rift between Leonato and Don Pedro, and leaves it doubtful that anyone will live happily ever after...

"Much Ado About Nothing" is one of Shakespeare's finest comedies, mainly because it often hangs off his clever wordplay and zinger-filled dialogue ("I see, lady, the gentleman is not in your books." "No; and he were, I would burn my study"). There's even some hilarious scenes where Benedick bemoans the difficulty of writing rhyming poetry.

Technically the plot revolves around the impending wedding of Hero and Claudio, as well as Don John's attempts to derail the whole affair -- resulting on some painfully raw scenes (such as Beatrice freaking out after Hero's public disgrace), as well as some goofy ones... like any scene involving the absurd Dogberry. But Beatrice and Benedick are undeniably the centerpiece of the story, as well as the most likable characters.

Because they're so witty and prickly, Beatrice and Benedick are loads of fun -- they start off violently against getting married and content to just lob insults at each other. And even after they fall in love, Shakespeare keeps their wit intact ("Thou and I are too wise to woo peaceably"). Don Pedro is a good supporting character, a wise and kind prince who enjoys meddling in other people's romantic affairs.

The downsides: we never really get a REASON for Don John to be such a jerk. And Claudio comes across as a puffed up adolescent with a crush, especially since he deliberately humiliates Hero in public to salvage his ego... and for some reason, she doesn't hate him for the maliciousness.

"Much Ado About Nothing" is one of Shakespeare's best comedies -- a tennis match of zingers and witticisms, wrapped around a solid plot about deception and lies.

Real Shakespeare
Guides to the greatest Renaissance museum in Italy, the Uffizi, used to tell tourists gently, "Ladies and gentlemen, it is not the paintings that are on trial here."

Love Games
Whenever reading Shakespeare, I am always in fear that I am missing even some small portion of the plot.Shakespeare tends to pack so many grains of information into his works, that it is easy to overlook some.While "Much Ado About Nothing" is commonly refered to as a comedy, I fail to find humor in the pain.The sharp edged tongues of Benedick and Beatrice often steal the show as other characters manipulate this pair that was apparently made for each other into a compromising position.Yet the central plot seems less humorous.

The story of Claudio and Hero seems much less easy to accept.A manipulative and vendictive Don John implies that Hero was unfaithful to Claudio in the days leading up to their wedding, causing Claudio to refuse Hero at the wedding ceremony.Hero disappears seemingly into death until Don John's guilty accomplice confesses.

The story itself does not seem unrealistic by today's standards, yet I felt as though something was missing from the plot.Known as one of Shakespeare's best comedies, I felt I missed some of the humor in its subtleness.

mrs.depp
Much Ado About Nothing was a very well written play.It was a much lighter reading than Antigone and I think I liked and understood it better too.It was still hard to read and understand but I think the movie and actually seeing it being acted out helped a ton.I really didn't understand a lot of what was going on in the garden scene when they are trying to get Beatrice and Benedick to think they both love each other.So I was a little bummed when our group chose that to do the skit.But then as you read and actually break down the words it was actually very easy and fun to figure out what it means.
I think Shakespeare's main point in writing was to show people how funny love is.He has done tons of serious works and I think this was a great piece that kind of gave you a breath of fresh air.I think that was one of the reasons for writing this.To give the people who were coming to see it something a little lighter.I think this because the play focused a ton on the comedy of love.How you can get to people who started out hating each other to like each other.
I surprised myself in this question.I came into this play thinking that I will not like and I would not understand it.Although one of those statements is true the other one was false.I loved this script.In the beginning I thought it could show me nothing about my life or teach me anything and I was completely wrong.From this play I learned to not judge a book (or play) by its cover.I mean this literally.I came into this with a bad attitude and I realized that instead of doing that I should of had a good attitude and I could have enjoyed it more.Also in Beatrice and Benedick's situation they thought they could never like each other and they ended up falling in love.Some of the people I thought I could never be friends with I am very close friends with now.
Another thing it taught me was to not believe everything I hear.When Claudio heard that Hero was having an affair with someone he got mad and disgraced her and everyone thought she was a horrible person.But she never did and she really loved Claudio.I am a very big gossiper and I now realize how much they can hurt people.
I would totally recommend this script to others.Although you may think you can't learn much from it you really can.I would suggest, though, watching the movie after you read each act.It makes them so much easier to understand.Without the movie I think I would completely be lost and not understand the book at all.Also I would go into reading the book with a good attitude thinking that this can help you because if you don't, like me, you will wind up more confused than ever.

Matt Jones' Much Ado Review
This play was a particular relief of your average Shakespeare play, in that it is not a deep philosophical piece of literature. I personally loved reading this play and it does have many interesting values and lessons that one could learn and apply. In several instances I found myself laughing out loud just reading the script. Over all I would say that this is yet another one of Shakespears timeless classics that can still very easily be applied in almost every persons life today. Shakespeare wrote this play, as I believe, to show people how stupid they are and the foolish things that they do when they are in love. I personally do not really enjoy the drama of a love story, but this is a whole different animal.The characters in the story are completely normal citizens of an almost care- free society, but, when love comes knocking at their door they transform into completely zaney lunatics. The characters are, however, people and react in different ways. No matter how they do react it is a far cry from what they normally would do. Indeed, this story shows someone to what great lengths they will go in the name of love. For instance, Benedict, one of the main characters, falls in love with the main female and all of a sudden becomes a quiet, softspoken gentleman, who now cares about his appearance. Whereas before he was an opinionated man, who used sarcasm to get his points across. The story does portray very well what love is, different types of love, and how it is reacted to. This play has taught me many things, especially about women, but most of all it has taught me that there are two very specific types of love and that a person should experience both. One type of love, presented by Beatrice and Benedict is the real heart felt one, where both people know and care for one another and the other was demonstrated by Hera and Claudio. This type is known as "puppy love." Each couple represents their type of love very well and has helped me to realize which sort of love that I have, and have had with other people. This book is well worth whatever they are asking for it. If you really apply yourself you can get alot out of this story. The storyline is very good and lets you feel that you are a part of the story, like you know something that the other characters do not know. It is so involved that I often wanted to strangle some of the characters and tell others some great secret. Then I felt like a retard and stopped myself. This is a very light read and though it is mildly difficult to understand it is easy to understand what point Shakespeare is trying to get across. This story is so good because it teaches so many lessons without having this heavy blanket of philosophy shrouded around it. I would recommend this play to anyone who just simply enjoys a good read. If by chance you read this review, then realize this, I am not exagerrating of making any of this stuff up. This is a really good story without the deep thoughts and questions of life. So, in conclusion, this is just one person talking, but READ THE PLAY! It is really good and worth it, but you do not have to take my word for it. ... Read more

Product Description
Among the most popular of all Shakespeare’s comedies, this play humorously celebrates the vagaries of love. With its several pairs of lovers, on-again, off-again romances, magic spells, fairies, and a bumbling troupe of would-be actors, the play continues to enchant audiences. Unabridged reprint of an authoritative British edition, complete with explanatory footnotes.
... Read more

Customer Reviews (23)

What night-rule now about this haunted grove?
It's neither the best nor worst of Shakespeare's many comedies, but "A Midsummer Night's Dream" definitely holds one honor -- it's the most fantastical of his works. This airy little comedy is filled with fairies, spells, love potions and romantic mixups, with only the bland human lovers making things a little confusing (who's in love with whom again?).

As Athens prepares for the wedding of Theseus and Hippolyta, the fusty Egeus is demanding that his daughter Hermia marry the man he's chosen for her, Demetrius. Her only other options are death or nunhood.

Since she's in love with a young man named Lysander (no, we never learn why her dad hates Lysander), Hermia refuses, and the two of them plot to escape Athens and marry elsewhere. But Helena, a girl who has been kicked to the curb by Demetrius, tips him off about their plans; he chases Hermia and Lysander into the woods, with Helena following him all the way. Are you confused yet?

But on this same night, the fairy king Oberon and his queen Titania are feuding over a little Indian boy. Oberon decides to use a magical "love juice" from a flower to cause some trouble for Titania by making her fall in love with some random weaver named Nick Bottom (whom his henchman Puck has turned into a donkey-headed man). He also decides to have Puck iron out the four lovers' romantic troubles with the same potion. But of course, hijinks ensue.

"A Midsummer Night's Dream" is another one of Shakespeare's plays that REALLY needs to be seen before it's read. Not only is it meant to be seen rather than read, but the tangle of romantic problems and hijinks are a little difficult to follow... okay, scratch that. They can be VERY difficult to follow, especially if you need to keep the four lovers straight.

But despite those small flaws, Shakespeare is in rare form here -- the story floats along in an enchanted haze of fairy magic, forest groves, and a love square that twists in on itself. And Shakespeare's lush, haunting poetry is absolutely lovely here ("With sweet musk-roses and with eglantine/There sleeps Titania sometime of the night/Lull'd in these flowers with dances and delight...").

But he also packs it with plenty of hilarity -- not only is it funny to read about the haughty fairy queen fawning over a guy with a donkey head (Nick Bottom = "ass's head", get it?), but there's plenty of funny moments in the dialogue ("Thisby, the flowers of odious savours sweet...").

The four main lovers are relatively bland and interchangeable, and we never find out much about them except that Helena is kind of stalkerish and not too bright (she tips off the guy she likes that the girl HE likes is eloping so he can stop her?). The real draws are the fairy creatures -- Titania and Oberon are proud alien creatures filled with both cruelty and kindness, and Puck is delightfully mischievous and.... puckish.

"A Midsummer Night's Dream" is a shimmering little concoction of magic, romantic mayhem and fairy squabbling. Absolutely stunning.

A Timeless Classic
What can be said about Shakespeare that hasn't been said or written?
Of all Shakespeare plays Midsummer Night's Dream is my favorite. All the fairies' spells wrecking havoc in the forest is the best plotline ever created by such genious. Enough said.

Great
Any true reader will enjoy this boko. It is a little hard to follow at first but once you get the reading it is a great book.

" What mortal fool we are"
A midsummer Night's Dream has a lot of spunk!!I think it was a little difficult to understand all of what they were saying sometimes but watching the movie really put in prospective for me.I thought is was one of those mudhy ushy love stories where they fall in love and kiss but it had a lot of twists and turns.My teacher, Mr. Paden, told us to do a scene from shakespear.I thought it was the same but he added a twist to it, we had to use only 15 props and that counted costumes.We had to eluminate the whole stage with something or do it outside.We could not change the words around either.We did outside in the rain and my skit was under a hang over while the audience stood in the rain.It was like the real thing because we had to do it outside and we were under the hangover just like in shakespeare time.I understood it after we watched the movie with each scene and do a skit on a scene.I think shakespeare moral is we are fools when we are in love.Just like Puck says.We make promises we can not keep when we are in love and overlook the facuities of the other person.The faries made a little mistakes and had to fix it so Lysander loves Hermia and Demetrius loves Helena again.It is funny and exciting with romantic, actors, and faries.

Lo, What Fools These Mortals Be
In Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream, four different people constantly fall in and out of love, all the while being confused and toyed with by some fairies.The story is good for a laugh, as well as being a rather clever insight into some of the nuances of love.
At the start of the play, there is a dilemma.Egeus' daughter Hermia is in love with Lysander, who is in love with her.But her father believes she should marry Demetrius, another courter.To complicate matters, Hermia's friend Helena has slept with Demetrius before, and is completely enamored with him.By a strange turn of events, all four end up in the woods late at night, when the fairies are about.Oberon, the king of the fairies, sends his number one servant Puck, to bewitch Demetrius to fall in love with Helena.But Puck makes a mistake, and instead makes Lysander fall in love with Helena.Attempting to correct things, Puck makes Demetrius also fall in love with her, leaving poor Hermia confused and angry.Helena thinks everyone is playing a trick on her, Lysander and Demetrius are professing their love for Helena, and Hermia is trying to claw out Helena's eyes.The scenes are most amusing, but are also rather pointed.In this altered state, Lysander says things to his beloved Hermia that he would never have said otherwise, calling her short and shrewish.It leaves one to wonder if this is what he truly thought of her sometimes, but was afraid to say.Eventually, Puck and Oberon clear everything up by putting everyone to sleep, and when they wake up, Hermia and Lysander are in love, as are Helena and Demetrius.There are two weddings, and everyone is happy, except Egeus.
In this play, there is a rather funny view of love represented.Although normally they are the picture of happiness and kindness to each other, Lysander and Hermia become violently at odds once the spell is cast upon them by Puck.They say terrible things, insult each other, and generally act like school children.On the other hand, Hermia is so desperate to have Demetrius back again, but once she actually gets him, she doesn't believe his love is true and real, because she has so convinced herself that he can never love her.It's a funny story, but it has reflections into real life as well.When in love, people are oftentimes so enamored with each other that they overlook, gloss over, or pretend that one another's flaws don't exist.But once that veil of initial emfatuation is removed, then they start to be honest about each other's imperfections.On the other hand, Hermia's experience is quite normal as well.Sometimes, a person can be so entranced, and want someone so badly, that they conjure up an image of the person that is unrealistic.Then, when they finally can have the person, they find out that they don't measure up to expectations or fantasies, and the grass truly isn't greener on the other side of the fence.
I think that this play was excellent.Shakespeare never fails to disappoint in being able to capture his reader's attention, and I loved this play.It was clever and witty, and I would recommend it as a good read, if for no other reason than to get exposure to some of Shakespeare's lighter writings. ... Read more

Product Description
Now available in beautiful World's Classicseditions--with handsome, four-color covers and new lowprices--The Oxford Shakespeare offers new andauthoritative edions of Shakespeare's plays.In eachvolume, an introductory essay provides all relevantbackground information together with an appraisal ofcritical views and the play's performance history.Inaddition, the detailed commentaries pay particularattention to the language and staging.These editionsare perfect for all readers, whether actors needingstage directions, students desiring comprehensive (yet inobtrusive) notes, or the reader of classic literaturereturning to the Bard's timeless writings. The most formally ambitious and poetically brilliant ofShakespeare's tragedies, Anthony and Cleopatra is alsoone of his most critically contentious plays in terms ofthe degree and nature of its success. Always alert tothe play's theatricality and boldly experimental design, the wide-ranging introduction offers a fresh criticalaccount of the play, exploring its paradoxical treatmentof gender and identity as well as the rich complexityand tensions of its much-loved poetic language.With agenerous appendix of Shakespeare's source materials,this edition also offers a full stage history. ... Read more

Product Description
Here are the books that help teach Shakespeare plays without the teacher constantly needing to explain and define Elizabethan terms, slang, and other ways of expression that are different from our own. Each play is presented with Shakespeare's original lines on each left-hand page, and a modern, easy-to-understand "translation" on the facing right-hand page. All dramas are complete, with every original Shakespearian line, and a full-length modern rendition of the text. These invaluable teaching-study guides also include:



1. Helpful background information that puts each play in its historical perspective.



2. Discussion questions that teachers can use to spark student class participation, and which students can use as springboards for their own themes and term papers.



3. Fact quizzes, sample examinations, and other features that improve student comprehension of what each play is about.



... Read more

Customer Reviews (11)

Very helpful
I recently got this for my 13 year old niece who is getting ready to go see the play.It is her very first encounter with Shakespeare, and she is really enjoying the side by side modern translation of Shakespeare's text.It makes the language a lot less intimidating!

Gift for my Grandchild
The Merchant of Venice was purchased for our Grandchild who is using it at school as he prepares for major exams.Thanks for sending it as promised.Always nice to deal with Amazon.com.
Terence Uddenberg

Another Shakespeare Classic
I read the "Merchant of Venice" after reading "Romeo and Juliet", another of Shakespeare's masterpieces, and I thoroughly enjoyed the play. The "Merchant of Venice" is an excellent play that explores moral and ethical issues of what is right or wrong, good or bad, vice or virtue. It teaches that ultimately good will win over evil, love over hate.

Shakespeare powerfully brings out the characters in his play in a compelling and unforgettable way. Portia is shown to be the perfect woman, full of wisdom and wit, loving with all her soul, and submitting with all her heart to Bassanio.

Antonio was a kind and generous man who often helped people who were indebted to Shylock, the greed moneylender, to repay their debts. Antonio offers to go into debt for a loan to enable his friend Bassanio to have enough money to impress Portia, a woman he wishes to court and marry. The cruel Shylock demands a pound of his flesh if Antonio cannot pay back the loan. Antonio fails to pay the loan on time and it is only the clever and witty Portia who saves Antonio by pointing out in court that the agreement with Shylock requires him to take exactly one pound of flesh and that no blood has to be shed.

Among the various interesting sub-plots was where various Portia's suitors had to choose between three caskets. According to her late father's will, Portia's suitor must choose the correct of three caskets that contained Portia's picture (gold, silver, and lead), and then, if correct, he may marry Portia. The Moroccan prince arrives to woo Portia and learns that if he chooses the wrong chest, he must swear to never ask any woman to marry him. The Moroccan prince chooses a chest to open and he incorrectly chooses the gold one. The Prince of Aragon arrives and chooses the silver chest, also the wrong one. Bassanio, whom Portia loved, correctly chooses the lead casket and wins Portia's hand in marriage.

The one aspect of this play that mars an otherwise perfect play is the characterisation of Shylock, the Jew to be a caricature of Jewish usury and greed versus Christian mercy and kindness.

Mercy Versus Justice
William Shakespheare in the Merchant of Venice, explores again, like so many of his other plays, the difference between vice and virture, the noble and ignoble. This time out he compares the hero Antonio's acts of mercy with the villian Shylock's desire for justice, the spirit of the law versus the letter of the law. Shakespheare shows throughout the play that he is very confident that Christianity and its followers are superior to Judaism and its followers and quite frankly, his portrayal of the Jewish moneylender Shylock is anti-Semitic and leaves out none of the negative stereotypes. The play seems to be a Christian polemic with its theological interest in Christianity's mercy versus Judaism's justice, as Shakespheare sees it. It may have also been a warning to its audience about the moneylenders of Shakespheare's time.

The story is one in which Antonio offers to go into debt for a loan so that his friend Bassanio can have enough money to impress Portia, a woman he wishes to court and marry. Antonio goes into debt to Shylock, a moneylender who demands a pound of his flesh if he cannot pay back the loan. Shylock hates Antonio because Antonio has payed off many loans of his indebted clients and also has badmouthed him as an unethical loan shark, trying to damage Shylock's business.

It is the tension of hate between the two, which give the play an intensity, especially at the climax when Shylock is about to take a pound of his flesh. Also the fear of losing flesh to the moneylender makes for good drama. The character Shylock has some juicy vitriolic lines during the scene. And there is a certain glee Shakespheare builds into the play to see Shylock's "justice" turned against him.

There is also a subplot involving Portia and her various suitors who have to choose between 3 caskets of gold, silver, and lead. Choosing the correct casket will make them the husband of Portia. It was interesting to read about the different reasonings that each suitor has for their choices. Portia also disguises herself as a judge during Antonio's trial in which she helps to set him free of the charges and his friend Bassanio is persuaded to give up his engagement ring to the judge out of gratitude, which gets him in trouble with Portia later who does not tell him she was the judge as she asks him what happened to the ring.

This is a good, tightly constructed play with none of diffuseness of King Lear. It had more drama too.

Shakespeare's Worst Play
This is one of the worst plays ever published.I thought Shakespeare was a fool after reading this complely pointless play.Do not wase your money on this book because it is completly worthless.A total waste of time to even read any of this play. ... Read more

Product Description
In this full color, 64 page book, students as young as seven show an amazing understanding and appreciation of Macbeth and its theme--the consequences of ambition and greed. It is written in rhyming couplets and illustrated by the sutends of Stratford's Hamlet Elementary School. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (7)

teacher's response
I have used this at the high school level for students who have low reading levels.I also have used this in connection with explaining the story line.I have also used it at the elementary level where the younger students become fascinated by the story so that when it is introduced in high school, they already feel connected to the story and are not as intimidated by the language.I have used all of her books in these same ways.

Bravo!Thank you!
Often times, by the time a kid is old enough to tackle Shakespeare (in high school usually) he or she has already been exposed so thoroughly to the idea that "Shakespeare is hard" that it's a drudgery before they even begin.These books help parents and teachers head off that attitude and show them how interesting and fun Shakespeare is before they have a chance to develop a negative attitude.

We have both "A Midsummer Night's Dream" and "Macbeth" and I have to give a very sincere BRAVO for these books!My third grader enjoyed both books thoroughly, and I am tickled pink that she's now intrigued by Shakespeare and asking to read more of his "stories."Thank you Ms. Burdett!

The best introduction to Shakespeare that any parent could dream about
Brilliant idea, wonderful edition.

Lois Burdett did a wonderful job of retelling Shakespeare's tragedies and comedies for what they really are - wonderful stories. The language of these adapted plays is perfect; it has magic of Shakespeare's words, but is easy to comprehend by young readers. The children's drawings to Shakespeare's plays are used as books' illustrations. In contrast to many "half-academic" adapted versions for teens, the "Shakespeare could be fun" series are printed on a good paper, and include a lot of illustrations and children's comments to the play. The total effect is exactly the desired one: kids are not intimidated by the name of Shakespeare, they are interested and motivated to read further.

In our case, we bought the "Macbeth" after my daughter (10 years old) asked me whether it's really a "cursed play", and could I buy the play for her to read. Mumbling "there must be some adapted version for you" I run to the bookstore, trying to find something before her interest faded and thankfully found this book. She loved it and asked to read "Romeo and Julia"...
In less than three months, we ended up buying all the books in the series!

Even better, my daughter tried to move to the next level and to read one of the plays in the next level of adaptation ("teen version"). It didn't go well, admittedly, but thanks to Lois Burdett, she feels encouraged - and interested.
Great book! Great series!

It's Like Sparknotes with Pictures!
Hello, my name is Shannon, and I have a Shakespeare comprehension problem. I cannot elicit any meaning out of "thither he in and me within," or "wherefore art thou," so when my AP lit class delved into MacBeth, I was already waving the white flag.
Then my mom pulls out this book we picked up at Folger Shakespeare Library in D.C. She tells me a teacher wrote a poem about MacBeth for 2nd graders to understand--she had her 2nd grade class draw the pictures in them. Okay, I need all the help I can get, so I acquiesce.
And this book is incredible. The poem is fiercely creative and original, the drawings are such a hoot, and I am understanding the entire play to the point that I am acing quizzes and writing high reviews on Amazon for MacBeth (as I'm doing now). Some people may be recommending this for tiny tots getting into Big Will. I'm calling out to all HIGH SCHOOL SENIORS WHO WANT A LITTLE HELP!!! Get this book. Trust me.

My kids love these books!
I have 2 sons, ages 9 and 11, and they both love Lois Burdett's Shakespeare books!These books make the story lines accessible while providing the flavor of Shakespeare through the wonderful rhyming couplets.I first used one of these books to "preview" the story of MacBeth to my younger son, who was going to be in a children's musical production of the story.He loved the book and often asks me to reread it to him, and we have since acquired several other of the Burdett titles. My sons also enjoy the whimsical illustrations and sidebars done by the children. ... Read more

Product Description

Folger Shakespeare Library

The world's leading center for Shakespeare studies

Each edition includes:

• Freshly edited text based on the best early printed version of the play

• Full explanatory notes conveniently placed on pages facing the text of the play

• Scene-by-scene plot summaries

• A key to famous lines and phrases

• An introduction to reading Shakespeare's language

• An essay by an outstanding scholar providing a modern perspective on the play

• Illustrations from the Folger Shakespeare Library's vast holdings of rare books

Essay by Alexander Leggatt

The Folger Shakespeare Library in Washington, D.C., is home to the world's largest collection of Shakespeare's printed works, and a magnet for Shakespeare scholars from around the globe. In addition to exhibitions open to the public throughout the year, the Folger offers a full calendar of performances and programs. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (16)

great condition, terrible customer service.
the book came in excellent condition, but I needed to return it for exam purposes. I had to email twice to receive their return policy. They weren't prompt and I didn't appreciate their lack of dedication.

A classic, with references to religious anti-semitism
For those who study the historical events related to the history of religious anti-semitism, this Shakespeare play provides a character, Shylock the Jewish moneylender, and is portrayed as Christian folks of that era would relate and treat him through the lens of that prejudice, for them "it is not Shylock (his name), is the Jew," a devilish usurer in opposition with the antagonist character merchant Antonio who lends money to friends as an act of kindness without making any profit. Also Shylock besides being Jewish in a hostile environment, suffers other misfortunes, his servant leaves the house, her daughter wants to marry a Christian, his loan payment to Antonio gets difficult to get collected due to Antonio's financial troubles and things do not seem to work the way he expected
However, I see something positive in the Shakespeare description and is that Jews are people who strictly comply with agreements and abide by the Law
In the edition I read, the language full of old English words, idiomatic expressions and intentions used by Shakespeare were difficult to understand so it has references to help the reader to follow the text. I recommend an edition of this kind

Oh that crazy merchant
If one can get past the blatant anti-semitism of this play, you will be sucked into a hilarious battle of wits. This is actually called a drama, but it contains romance and very hysterical lines and gives women a role that is seldom in seen in works of this time period. Classic characters and classic lines!

NOT the Folger Shakespeare Library - No Annotations!
I clicked on the "Kindle Version" link from the paperback "The Merchant of Venice (Folger Shakespeare Library)" since I had purchased several of the Folger hard-copy editions and found the full facing page annotations a huge help in getting the most from the plays.I was worried that the alternating pages of annotations and text would be a bit cumbersome on the Kindle.I need not have worried, as the annotations, and all other extra features, are MISSING. The product description, however, of the Kindle edition does state that the extra features are present on this eBook. Amazon, please convert the Folger Shakespeare Library to the Kindle including all extra features with annotations.In the meantime, please clean up the descriptions for this product line.

A play about racism or business ethics?
Most reviewers focus on the issue of religion - Shylock as a Jew - but fail to look past the issues of faith and consider the discussion of business ethics in "The Merchant of Venice".

I won't go into the racism and religions arguments because I have nothing new to say on those subjects, and they have been done to death by everyone from high school freshmen to PhD candidates.

As much as any other theme, greed and impact of greed on business are themes that don't get the consideration in this play.In the era of the collapse of the "Sub-Prime Lending Market" and all the related scams, scandals, and tragedies, and Enron, and the impending collapse of several commodities markets, the theme of greed is more relevant than ever."Oh my daughter, oh my ducats" has a familiar ring as realtors wring their hands that their properties can only be sold at a loss due to their own thoughtless avarice.As Shylock demanded the pound of flesh he was owned, mortgage firms foreclosing on properties where the buyer was encouraged to lie on the application has familiar feel to it.

"Merchant of Venice" has comedy, and has several other themes, but greed is the least discussed, and has the air of the elephant at a cocktail party that everyone is too polite to mention.The play was written in a time when people would fund military ships in order to share in the loot and salvage the ship brought back.From this play alone, you could make the case that Shakespeare was the first Socialist, the first person to openly question the business ethics and practices of his time.By setting the play in Venice and making the personification of Greed a Jew, he gently deflects the audience to the real statement he's trying to make.

Aside from the possible political message, this is quite a play.The characters are lively and timeless as all the best of the Bard, and the themes of romance, wayward children, and justice are as timely and thought provoking now as when they were written.

Excellent and complex play with as much drama and social criticism as comedy.

E.M. Van Court ... Read more

Product Description
Promised a golden future as ruler of Scotland by three sinister witches, Macbeth murders the king to ensure his ambitions come true. But he soon learns the meaning of terror - killing once, he must kill again and again, and the dead return to haunt him. A story of war, witchcraft and bloodshed, Macbeth also depicts the relationship between husbands and wives, and the risks they are prepared to take to achieve their desires. ... Read more