Books by William Shakespeare
First published in 1623, 'Macbeth' is an iconic play by William Shakespeare, an English playwright, poet, and actor. He is widely considered the most splendid writer in the English language and the world's most remarkable dramatist. It is regarded as one of Shakespeare’s darkest works. Set in Scotland, the play dramatizes the psychological and political effects when evil is chosen to fulfill the ambition for power. On a moor, three witches appear to Macbeth and prophesize his fate to become Scotland’s King. Macbeth embraces his greed and lust for power to fulfill his destiny by the most disgraceful of means, fuelled by his wife’s cold ambition. His wife, Lady Macbeth, urges him to seize the opportunity and take the throne. One night, Macbeth murders King Duncan in his sleep and frames the guards for the crime. He becomes the new king and kills more people out of paranoia. Civil war erupts to overthrow Macbeth, resulting in more death.
Written in 1603, 'Othello' is a tragedy written by William Shakespeare, an English playwright, poet, and actor. He is widely considered the most splendid writer in the English language and the world's most remarkable dramatist. It is set in the contemporary Ottoman-Venetian War fought for the control of the Island of Cyprus, since 1489 a possession of the Venetian Republic. The play examines the difficult position held by Moorish general, Othello after he secretly marries Desdemona, a Senator's daughter. Desdemona falls victim to a spiteful plot, as jealousy, accusations, and betrayal lead the characters down a violent path. As a 'Moor', Othello is notably portrayed as a dark-skinned leading character, though his ethnic origin remains ambiguous. Based upon a 16th-century short story entitled 'A Moorish Captain' by Italian novelist and poet Cinthio, 'Othello', masterfully dramatizes the miserable consequences that can arise from jealous deceit.
One of Shakespeare's most popular and accessible plays, Romeo and Juliet tells the story of two star-crossed lovers and the unhappy fate that befell them as a result of a long and bitter feud between their families. The play contains some of Shakespeare's most beautiful and lyrical love poetry and is perhaps the finest celebration of the joys of young love ever written. Shakespeare's use of his poetic dramatic structure, especially effects such as switching between comedy and tragedy to heighten tension, his expansion of minor characters, and his use of sub-plots to embellish the story, has been praised as an early sign of his dramatic skill. The play ascribes different poetic forms to different characters, sometimes changing the form as the character develops.
First published in 1990, ‘The Tempest’ is a play by William Shakespeare, an English playwright, poet, and actor. He is widely considered the most splendid writer in the English language and the world's most remarkable dramatist. It is set on a remote island, where Prospero, the suitable Duke of Milan, plots to restore his daughter Miranda to her proper place using illusion and skillful manipulation. He invokes a storm, the eponymous tempest, to lure his usurping brother Antonio and the complicit King Alonso of Naples to the island. The characters outshine the roles of villains and heroes. Prospero seems heroic, yet he enslaves Caliban and has a hunger for revenge. Caliban seems to be a monster for attacking Miranda but appears heroic in opposing Prospero, prompting the period of colonialism during which the play was written. Miranda’s engagement to Ferdinand, the Prince of Naples and a member of the shipwrecked party helps resolve the drama.
"Neither comedy nor tragedy, The Winter's tale contains elements of each genre, and defies easy classification. It experiments, like many of Shakespeare's late plays, with different styles and tones, and draws on a wide range of sources and inspirations. Full of mysteries and miracles, grief and dark humour, this strange play has fascinated critics and theatregoers for centuries. Theatrical and cinematic productions have tried to capture the range of interpretations and staging possibilities presented by The Winter's Tale, and the introduction to this edition explores the play's long history in performance and in criticism. Illustrations and extended notes interleaved throughout the text discuss the echoes of religious, scientific, and mythological texts found in the play."--Publisher description.
"For this updated edition, Alexander Leggatt has written a wholly new introduction to Russell Fraser's edition of one of Shakespeare's most puzzling, ambiguous and demanding plays. Leggatt's interest in performance informs his introduction and his account of the instability of the main characters. He offers a full, illustrated and thoughtful account of the play's critical and theatrical fortunes to the end of the twentieth century, and of our experience as an audience of seeing and hearing it performed. An updated reading list completes the edition."--Jacket.
A magnificent drama of love and war, this riveting tragedy presents one of Shakespeare's greatest female characters--the seductive, cunning Egyptian queen Cleopatra. The Roman leader Mark Antony, a virtual prisoner of his passion for her, is a man torn between pleasure and virtue, between sensual indolence and duty . . . between an empire and love. Bold, rich, and splendid in its setting and emotions, Antony And Cleopatra ranks among Shakespeare's supreme achievements.From the Paperback edition.and the narrator vinay has explained what the intension in the relationship between antony and cleopatra
This play has two principal settings: the court that Frederick has usurped from his brother, the rightful Duke, and the Forest of Arden, where the Duke and his followers (including the disgruntled Lord Jaques and the jester Touchstone) are living.
A proud Roman general conquers the Volscians, leads them against Rome in revenge for his banishment, and is killed by the Volscian general when Coriolanus is persuaded to spare the city.
Cymbeline, King of Britain is one of the best-known works of William Shakespeare. It is a romantic play interwoven with war and tragedy. It revolves around Cymbeline and his daughter, Imogen. Imogen does not abide by her father's wishes and marries a lowborn gentleman, Posthumous. After their marriage, Posthumous is banished from Britain, and Imogen is held as a prisoner in the palace. As the play unfolds, the evil plots of the queen, Imogen's stepmother, the jealousy of Posthumous, and the loyalty of Imogen come to light.
"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
Presents the original text of Shakespeare's play side by side with a modern version, with discussion questions, role-playing scenarios, and other study activities.
"This is the first fully annotated and comprehensive modern-spelling edition of King Henry VIII - known in its early performances as All is True - for over ten years. It makes full use of current scholarship on the dating, authorship, printing, and sources of the play, as well as critical interpretations, and includes an up-to-date survey of the play in performance.
It is the first edition to make frequent use of Cavendish's life of Cardinal Wolsey, which seems likely to have influenced certain aspects of the play, as well as the other recognized sources in Holinshed, Hall, and Foxe." "On authorship, the editor concludes that Shakespeare and his younger colleague John Fletcher worked on the script together but that Shakespeare was probably the guiding spirit, as well as the principal author of several major scenes.".
"A fully detailed commentary and a selective collation of major variant readings appear immediately beneath the text. Special attention has been given to the frequent allusion to scripture and proverb lore. An index to all words glossed and authorities cited appears at the end of the volume."--BOOK JACKET.
Presents the original text of Shakespeare's play side by side with a modern version, discusses the author and the theater of his time, and provides quizzes and other study activities.
"Professor Schlueter approaches this early comedy as a parody of two types of Renaissance educational fiction: the love-quest story and the test-of-friendship story, which by their combination show high-flown human ideals as incompatible with each other and with human nature. A thoroughly researched, illustrated stage history reveals changing conceptions of the play, which nevertheless often fail to come to terms with its subversive impetus. Since the first known production at David Garrick's Drury Lane Theatre, it has tempted major directors and actors, including John Philip Kemble, William Charles Macready and Charles Kean, who established a tradition of understanding which cast its shadow even on such modern productions as Denis Carey's famous staging for the Bristol Old Vic and Robin Phillips's for the Royal Shakespeare Company. This updated edition includes a new introductory section by Lucy Munro on recent stage and critical interpretations, bringing the performance history completely up to date"--
Shakespeare's tragedy of jealousy and suspicion presented scene by scene in comic book format.
The Tempest is a play by William Shakespeare, believed to have been written in 1610–11, and thought by many critics to be the last play that Shakespeare wrote alone. It is set on a remote island, where Prospero, the rightful Duke of Milan, plots to restore his daughter Miranda to her rightful place using illusion and skilful manipulation. He conjures up a storm, the eponymous tempest, to lure his usurping brother Antonio and the complicit King Alonso of Naples to the island. There, his machinations bring about the revelation of Antonio's lowly nature, the redemption of the King, and the marriage of Miranda to Alonso's son, Ferdinand.
This book includes a general introduction to Shakespeare's life and Elizabethan theatre, a seperate introduction to Pericles, a chronology, suggestions for further reading, an essay discussing performance options on both stage and screen, and a commentary.
"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)
With new editors who have incorporated the most up-to-date scholarship, this revised Pelican Shakespeare series will be the premiere choice for students, professors, and general readers well into the twenty-first century.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
King Lear divides his kingdom among the two daughters who flatter him and banishes the third one who loves him. His eldest daughters both then reject him at their homes, so Lear goes mad and wanders through a storm. His banished daughter returns with an army, but they lose the battle and Lear, all his daughters and more, die.
([source][1])
[1]: https://www.shakespeare.org.uk/explore-shakespeare/shakespedia/shakespeares-plays/king-lear/
In this quintessential Shakespeare tragedy, a young prince's halting pursuit of revenge for the murder of his father unfolds in a series of highly charged confrontations that have held audiences spellbound for nearly four centuries. Those fateful exchanges, and the anguished soliloquies that precede and follow them, probe depths of human feeling rarely sounded in any art.
The title role of Hamlet, perhaps the most demanding in all of Western drama, has provided generations of leading actors their greatest challenge. Yet all the roles in this towering drama are superbly delineated, and each of the key scenes offers actors a rare opportunity to create theatrical magic.
Hamlet is a unique pleasure to read as well as to see and hear performed.
One night two young couples run into an enchanted forest in an attempt to escape their problems. But these four humans do not realize that the forest is filled with fairies and hobgoblins who love making mischief. When Oberon, the Fairy King, and his loyal hobgoblin servant, Puck, intervene in human affairs, the fate of these young couples is magically and hilariously transformed. Like a classic fairy tale, this retelling of William Shakespeare's most beloved comedy is perfect for older readers who will find much to treasure and for younger readers who will love hearing the story read aloud.
Shakespeare Memorial Theatre, Stratford-upon-Avon, Summer festival, June 27th to September 10th, 1932. "The Second Part of Henry the Fourth, containing his death, and the coronation of King Henry the Fifth," by William Shakespeare. The prologue will be spoken by Eugene Wellesley and the epilogue by Hilda Coxhead.
AKA Richard, Duke of York
In this lively comedy of love and money in sixteenth-century Venice, Bassanio wants to impress the wealthy heiress Portia but lacks the necessary funds. He turns to his merchant friend, Antonio, who is forced to borrow from Shylock, a Jewish moneylender. When Antonio's business falters, repayment becomes impossible--and by the terms of the loan agreement, Shylock is able to demand a pound of Antonio's flesh. Portia cleverly intervenes, and all ends well (except of course for Shylock).
Presents the original text of Shakespeare's play side by side with a modern version, discusses the author and the theater of his time, and provides quizzes and other study activities.
"Richard is King. A monarch ordained by God to lead his people. But he is also a man of very human weakness. A man whose vanity threatens to divide the great houses of England and drag his people into a dynastic civil war that will last 100 years"--Container.
"containing his treacherous plots against his brother Clarence, the pittiefull murther of his innocent nephewes, his tyrannicall usurpation, with the whole course of his detested life and most deserved death"
(Subtitle of the 1597 edition.)
Romeo and Juliet is a tragedy written by William Shakespeare early in his career about two young Italian star-crossed lovers whose deaths ultimately reconcile their feuding families. It was among Shakespeare's most popular plays during his lifetime and, along with Hamlet, is one of his most frequently performed plays. Today, the title characters are regarded as archetypal young lovers.
The play concerns a trusted general who secretly lusts for power. Encouraged by the prophecies of three witches and urged on by his ambitious wife Macbeth commits regicide. Left fearful and superstitious by this desperate act he is driven to a spiralling course of murder and outrage, almost inevitably culminating in his own death. One of Shakespeare’s most popular tragedies, Macbeth is ostensibly based on the Scottish king although the story represented in the play bears no relation to historical fact as the true King Macbeth was well respected by his contemporaries. This book includes the hero Macbeth becoming more and more evil after he gets told his "destiny" by the witches and becomes greedy with power.
