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The classic play. According to Wikipedia: "The Merchant of Venice is a play by William Shakespeare, believed to have been written between 1596 and 1598. Although classified as a comedy in the First Folio, and while it shares certain aspects with Shakespeare's other romantic comedies, the play is perhaps more remembered for its dramatic scenes, and is best known for the character of Shylock. The title character is the merchant Antonio, not the Jewish moneylender Shylock, who is the play's most prominent and more famous character. Though Shylock is a tormented character, he is also a tormentor, so whether he is to be viewed with disdain or sympathy is up to the audience (as influenced by the interpretation of the play's director and lead actors). As a result, The Merchant of Venice is often classified as one of Shakespeare's problem plays." ... Read more

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This file includes 12 plays sometimes attributed in part to Shakespeare: Cromwell, Edward III, Faire Em, Fairy Tale in Two Acts, London Prodigal, Merry Devil, Puritaine Widdow, Sir John Oldcastle, Sir Thomas More, Tragedy of Locrine, Two Noble Kinsmen, and Yorkshire Tragedy. According to Wikipedia: "William Shakespeare (baptised 26 April 1564 – died 23 April 1616) was an English poet and playwright, widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and the world's pre-eminent dramatist.He is often called England's national poet and the "Bard of Avon" (or simply "The Bard"). His surviving works consist of 38 plays,154 sonnets, two long narrative poems, and several other poems. His plays have been translated into every major living language, and are performed more often than those of any other playwright."
Responding to customer feedback, I made changes to the formatting on 7/3/2009.If you bought a copy before then, you should be able to download the new version at no extra cost.Feedback always welcome. seltzer@samizdat.com ... Read more

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This Kindle book includes all of Shakespeare's tragedies: Antony and Cleopatra, Coriolanus, Hamlet, Julius Caesar, King Lear, Macbeth, Othello, Romeo and Juliet, Timon of Athens, Titus Andronicus, and Troilus and Cressida.It also includes "Notes to Shakespeare volume 3 Tragedies" by Samuel Johnson and Shakespearean Tragedy: Lectures on Hamlet, Othello, King Lear, Macbeth" by A.C. Bradley. With the "active" (hyperlinked) table of contents, click on a title to go to it, then use the Back button to return to the table of contents. ... Read more

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This Kindle book includes: King John, Richard II, Henry IV Part 1, Henry IV Part 2, Henry V, Henry VI part 1, Henry VI part 2, Henry VI part 3, Richard III, and Henry VIII. According to Wikipedia: "William Shakespeare (baptised 26 April 1564 – died 23 April 1616) was an English poet and playwright, widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and the world's pre-eminent dramatist.He is often called England's national poet and the "Bard of Avon" (or simply "The Bard"). His surviving works consist of 38 plays,154 sonnets, two long narrative poems, and several other poems. His plays have been translated into every major living language, and are performed more often than those of any other playwright." ... Read more

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This Kindle book includes: Cymbeline, Pericles, The Tempest, and The Winter's Tale. According to Wikipedia: "William Shakespeare (baptised 26 April 1564 – died 23 April 1616) was an English poet and playwright, widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and the world's pre-eminent dramatist.He is often called England's national poet and the "Bard of Avon" (or simply "The Bard"). His surviving works consist of 38 plays,154 sonnets, two long narrative poems, and several other poems. His plays have been translated into every major living language, and are performed more often than those of any other playwright." ... Read more

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This Kindle book includes: All's Well that Ends Well, As You Like It, the Comedy 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, The Taming of the Shrew, Twelfth Night, and Two Gentlemen of Verona. It also includes Notes to Shakespeare volume 1 Comedies by Samuel Johnson and Shakespeare Study Programs: the Comedies by Porter and Clarke.According to Wikipedia: "William Shakespeare (baptised 26 April 1564 – died 23 April 1616)[a] was an English poet and playwright, widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and the world's pre-eminent dramatist. He is often called England's national poet and the "Bard of Avon" (or simply "The Bard"). His surviving works consist of 38 plays, 154 sonnets, two long narrative poems, and several other poems. His plays have been translated into every major living language, and are performed more often than those of any other playwright" ... Read more

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This Kindle book includes all 37 of Shakespeare's plays (11 tragedies, 12 comedies, 10 histories, and 4 romances), plus 12 plays sometimes attributed in part to him, plus his poetry (Sonnets, Venus and Adonis, Rape of Lucrece, Lover's Complaint, and Passionate Pilgrim. It also includes 24 books about Shakespeare. An active (linked) table of contents helps you navigate through this massive file. (Click on a title to go to it; use the Back button to return to the table of contents). According to Wikipedia: "William Shakespeare (baptised 26 April 1564 – died 23 April 1616) was an English poet and playwright, widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and the world's pre-eminent dramatist.He is often called England's national poet and the "Bard of Avon" (or simply "The Bard"). His surviving works consist of 38 plays,154 sonnets, two long narrative poems, and several other poems. His plays have been translated into every major living language, and are performed more often than those of any other playwright." ... Read more

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Robert Weimann redefines the relationship between writing and performance, or "playing," in Shakespeare's theater. Through close reading and careful analysis Weimann offers a reconsideration and redefinition of Elizabethan performance and production practices. The study reviews the most recent methodologies of textual scholarship, the new history of the Elizabethan theater, performance theory, and film and video interpretation, and offers a new approach to understanding Shakespeare. Weimann examines a range of plays as well as other contemporary works. A major part of the study explores the duality between playing and writing. ... Read more

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"Begun in the winter of 1874, a first instalment of "A Study of Shakespeare" appeared in the _Fortnightly Review_ for May 1875, and a second in the number for June 1876, but the completed work was not issued in book form until June 1880.In a letter to me (January 31, 1875), Swinburne said: 'I am now at work on my long-designed essay or study on the metrica progress or development of Shakespeare, as traceable by ear and _not_ by finger, and the general changes of tone and stages of mind expressed or involved in this change or progress of style.' The book was produced at the moment when controversy with regard to the internal evidence of composition in the writings attributed to Shakespeare was raging high, and the amusing appendices were added at the last moment that they might infuriate the pedants of the New Shakespeare Society.They amply fulfilled that amiable purpose." ... Read more

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For this new edition, the text of the play, the notes, and the introductory matter have all been revised so as to make them clearer and more accessible.In addition, the entire text of the book has been redesigned and reset to make it easier to read.The illustrations have been completely redrawn, photographs of recent stage production have been included and there is a new, attractive cover design. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (21)

Dueling Duality
"Henry IV Pt. 1" was one of Shakespeare's greatest successes in his lifetime, and has remained pre-eminently popular to this day. But each century has had its own version of what it is about.

For Elizabethans, it was Falstaff and his merry pranks. For the 18th century, it was Hotspur and his proud nobility. More recently, the pendulum swung back to Falstaff, but this time as a tragic exponent of relativistic realism, a clown who understands his place as cosmic punchline.

But as David Bevington points out in his introduction to my Bantam edition, the real central figure is the guy who encapsulates the best of both Falstaff and Hotspur, young Prince Hal. In "Henry IV Pt. 1", he is the dissolute heir to the throne, living the fast life of drink and crime (petty and otherwise) with the dubious aid of his pal Falstaff, a fat coward who lives only to fill his purse and gut. Can Hal break out of his seeming tailspin and aid his father, the title character Henry IV, before the king loses his throne in a civil war?

Bevington's point is Hal represents the true center of this play, the character for whom Hotspur and Falstaff represent opposite ends of an ideal monarch. Not for Hal the opportunistic legacy of his grasping father, "this ingrate and cankered Bolingbroke" as Hotspur calls him, not without cause, early in the play. Hal must be his own self-made man, pulled from disparate parts, and "Henry IV Pt. 1" shows him at the start of his rather Machiavellian journey.

"So when this loose behavior I throw off/And pay the debt I never promised/...By so much shall I falsify men's hopes," he declares, less as a cunning rogue a la Shakespeare's Richard III and more as a cagey modern-day spin-doctor aware of how unsteadily his father's kingdom rests.

Philosophy aside, "Henry IV Pt. 1" is a worthwhile reading experience because it is packed with so much fun. You have low comedy, battles, court intrigue, and fast-flowing dialogue with sharp twists and turns. "I can call spirits from the vasty deep!" brags the mystical Welsh rebel Glendower, to which Hotspur replies: "Why, so can I, or so can any man. But will they come when you do call for them?"

Others seem more inclined these days to gravitate to Falstaff. I enjoy Falstaff's comedy, and his undeniable relativism sets him up as an Elizabethan figure more grounded in the 21st century than the 16th ("Henry IV Pt. 1" is set in the early 1400s, but was first produced around 1597), but as a personality he's about as callous as they come, at one point collecting a bunch of wretches to die in war so he can collect money from others who would have gone in their stead. Hal actually seems more attracted to Hotspur, the figure I find more compelling. Hotspur's an idealist, but entirely too mule-headed for serious statescraft. He's undone not so much by his enemies but his allies, including his shifting uncle and irresolute father.

Hal here combines Hotspur's sense of a higher mission with Falstaff's pragmatic commonness to launch himself as a political man. "I'll so offend to make offense a skill/Redeeming time when men least think I will", he says early on. It's ironic how much more at ease Prince Hal would be in our era, running for office, than in his own, where the crown, if not attendant legitimacy, could be inherited. This is one of many things that makes "Henry IV Pt. 1" such a timeless pleasure.

Shakespeare "King henry IV Part 1 with notes."
Wordcraft: New English to Old English Dictionary and Thesaurus
If you only know Shakespeare by the fact that he existed and was a play writer and you decide that you want to read one of his history plays and the history play that you pick happens to be King Henry IV part one then just reading the text alone will be extremely confusing. Barbara Hodgdon has done an amazing job editing this play and her notes are extremely helpful besides her explication of this play there are historical graphics and historical maps that will help you when reading or seeing the works of Shakespeare. This book is more than a college textbook, it is enjoyable historical reading. Craig Barr.

King Henry IV Cambridge
The copy is very nice. The paper is of higher quality than most pulp Shakespeare plays I have bought. My only complaint is that it was one of the last plays to arrive out of seven. It took something like two weeks, and I'm glad I didn't need it for a class, because if I did I would be very unhappy with the service.

History as Art
The young Hal and his instructor in the art of living the good life , Falstaff cavort through the first half of Henry IV as if life were going to be one long , irresponsible entertainment. The dramatic transformation of all of this , and Hal's casting off of Falstaff, and moving to kingly responsibility will come in the Henry IV Part II.
What is present here throughout is the tremendous richness of Shakespeare's imagination in his creation of character, and inventiveness in language , in his ability to create so many different moods and feelings.
'Falstaff' is one of Shakespeare's most beloved characters, and one of the great figures in the Comedy of world literature.
Enjoy.

Two sweeping plays where comedy and history join.
I am actually reviewing both Parts One and Two with this since they should be read together.The reason why I enjoyed these plays so much is because we see Falstaff in both of them.He is my favourite Shakespearean character - big, bawdy, rough, a liar and a cheat, but again we know what he is right from the beginning, and Shakespeare keeps him so true to character.These plays are a bit different from some of the other histories.There are more comedic parts in them for one thing.The plays are certainly used as a medium for introducing young Hal (who will become King Henry V).We see him as a young man, and watch him grow and see the influences that his society and the people in it have on his development.He doesn't appear to be growing up well according to his father because he is so irresponsible.King Henry IV was not England's strongest ruler.He was haunted by his guilt over the death of his predecessor, King Richard II.In Part Two, comedy still plays a big role, and we still see Falstaff's influence on young Hal until the shocking moment of Falstaff's death.The best part about Part Two though is the deathbed scene between old King Henry IV and his son Prince Henry.The play leads us to "King Henry V".Prince Hal does finally grow up and he becomes a very strong leader.Actually King Henry Iv, Parts one and two should be read before King Henry V.It is the correct sequence and we see Prince Hal grow and mature.

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From the General Introduction: "Dr. Johnson's Preface to Shakespeare is one of the most famous critical
essays of the eighteenth century, and yet too many students have
forgotten that it is, precisely, a preface to the plays of Shakespeare,
edited by Dr. Johnson himself. That is to say, the edition itself has
been obscured or overshadowed by its preface, and the sustained effort
of that essay has virtually monopolized scholarly attention--much of
which should be directed to the commentary. Johnson's love for
Shakespeare's plays is well known; nowhere is this more manifest than in
his notes on them. And it is on the notes that his claim to remembrance
as a critic of Shakespeare must rest, for the famous Preface is, after
all, only rarely an original and personal statement."
... Read more

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From the General Introduction: "Dr. Johnson's reaction to Shakespeare's tragedies is a curious one, compounded as it is of deep emotional involvement in a few scenes in some plays and a strange dispassionateness toward most of the others. I suspect that his emotional involvement took root when he read Shakespeare as a boy--one remembers the terror he experienced in reading of the Ghost in _Hamlet_, and it was probably also as a boy that he suffered that shock of horrified outrage and grief at the death of Cordelia that prevented him from rereading the scene until be came to edit the play. Johnson's deepest feelings and convictions, Professor Clifford has recently reminded us, can be traced back to his childhood and adolescence." ... Read more

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Elizabethan play, sometimes attributed in part to Shakespeare. According to Wikipedia: "William Shakespeare (baptised 26 April 1564 – died 23 April 1616) was an English poet and playwright, widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and the world's pre-eminent dramatist.He is often called England's national poet and the "Bard of Avon" (or simply "The Bard"). His surviving works consist of 38 plays,154 sonnets, two long narrative poems, and several other poems. His plays have been translated into every major living language, and are performed more often than those of any other playwright." ... Read more

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According to the Preface: "It is observed by Mr. Pope, that 'If ever any author deserved the
name of an ORIGINAL, it was Shakespeare. Homer himself drew not his art so immediately from the fountains of nature; it proceeded through AEgyptian strainers and channels, and came to him not without some tincture of the learning, or some cast of the models, of those before him. The poetry of Shakespeare was inspiration: indeed, he is not so much an imitator, as an instrument of nature;and it is not so just to say that he speaks from her, as that she speaks through him." ... Read more

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The plots of Shakespeare's plays, told as stories for children. ... Read more

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To accompany the "Henry V" graphic novels from Classical Comics and to help with their application in the classroom, this book is spiral-bound, making the pages easy to photocopy. It is written by a teacher, for teachers, helping to engage and involve students in Shakespeare's play. Suitable for teaching ages 10-17, this book provides exercises that cover structure, listening, understanding, motivation and character as well as key words, themes and literary techniques. Although the majority of the tasks focus on the use of language and comprehension, there are also many cross-curriculum topics, covering areas within history, ICT, drama, reading, speaking, writing and art. An extensive Educational Links section provides further study opportunities. Devised to encompass a broad range of skill levels, this book provides many opportunities for differentiated teaching and the tailoring of lessons to meet individual needs. This resource can be used alongside the Classical Comics adaptation of "Henry V" as well as any traditional text. In fact, many of the activities can stand on their own as introductions to the world of Shakespeare. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Courtesy of Teens Read Too
In this version of Classical Comic's HENRY V, adapted by John McDonald, you're dealing with the Original Text.By that I mean that you get the entire play, just as William Shakespeare wrote it.Classical Comics has also published two other versions:Plain Text, which takes the original script and converts it into modern English, and Quick Text, which reduces the dialogue into as few words as possible (as many graphic novels do).

Thanks to the wonderful artwork of many talented illustrators (Neill Cameron for pencils, Bambos for Inks, Jason Cardy & Kat Nicholson for Coloring, and Nigel Dobbyn for Lettering), the result is a colorful, heavy-duty, true-to-the-script version of one of Shakespeare's most recognized plays.

This is the perfect book to introduce reluctant teen readers to Shakespeare.Whether they read it for fun or for a class, they're getting the original play, act by act, and they get it in a convenient, reader-friendly way.In this day of graphic novels, it's important to remember the classics, and HENRY V doesn't disappoint.

The additional information at the end of the story, including a short biography of William Shakespeare and one of Henry V, a detailed description of the Battle of Agincourt, and even a guide to the creation of the graphic novel's pages, only add to the value.

If you're looking for a well-made and instructional graphic novel based on HENRY V, look no further than this edition.

Reviewed by:Jennifer Wardrip, aka "The Genius" ... Read more

Product Description
Elizabethan play, sometimes attributed in part to Shakespeare. According to Wikipedia: "William Shakespeare (baptised 26 April 1564 – died 23 April 1616) was an English poet and playwright, widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and the world's pre-eminent dramatist.He is often called England's national poet and the "Bard of Avon" (or simply "The Bard"). His surviving works consist of 38 plays,154 sonnets, two long narrative poems, and several other poems. His plays have been translated into every major living language, and are performed more often than those of any other playwright." ... Read more

Product Description
Elizabethan play, sometimes attributed in part to Shakespeare. According to Wikipedia: "William Shakespeare (baptised 26 April 1564 – died 23 April 1616) was an English poet and playwright, widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and the world's pre-eminent dramatist.He is often called England's national poet and the "Bard of Avon" (or simply "The Bard"). His surviving works consist of 38 plays,154 sonnets, two long narrative poems, and several other poems. His plays have been translated into every major living language, and are performed more often than those of any other playwright." ... Read more