Books

Henry V is Shakespeare’s most famous “war play”; it includes the storied English victory over the French at Agincourt. Some of it glorifies war, especially the choruses and Henry’s speeches urging his troops into battle. But we also hear bishops conniving for war to postpone a bill that would tax the church, and soldiers expecting to reap profits from the conflict. Even in the speeches of Henry and his nobles, there are many chilling references to the human cost of war.

Shakespeare may have written Julius Caesar as the first of his plays to be performed at the Globe, in 1599. For it, he turned to a key event in Roman Caesar’s death at the hands of friends and fellow politicians. Renaissance writers disagreed over the assassination, seeing Brutus, a leading conspirator, as either hero or villain. Shakespeare’s play keeps this debate alive.

Much Ado About Nothing is a comedy by William Shakespeare. First published in 1600, it is likely to have been first performed in the autumn or winter of 1598-1599, and it remains one of Shakespeare's most enduring and exhilarating plays on stage. Stylistically, it shares numerous characteristics with modern romantic comedies including the two pairs of lovers, in this case the romantic leads, Claudio and Hero, and their comic counterparts, Benedick and Beatrice.

Arcturus Publishing Ltd Antony Cleopatra (Arcturus Shakespeare Editions) ABISBOOK Arcturus Publishing Ltd.

Written in the early 1590s, Shakespeare's version of the story of Richard III, more properly known as The Tragedy of Richard the Third, depicts events that happened more than a century before. The story is based on the unfinished History of Richard III by Sir Thomas More, writing as the Tudor dynasty was seeking to consolidate its position. Shakespeare portrays his usurping, hunchbacked Richard as truly villainous, with few redeeming features. Yet as he strives to consolidate power, he is a…

Set in a topsy-turvy world like a holiday revel, this comedy devises a romantic plot around separated twins, misplaced passions, and mistaken identity. Juxtaposed to it is the satirical story of a self-deluded steward who dreams of becoming “Count Malvolio” only to receive his comeuppance at the hands of the merrymakers he wishes to suppress. The two plots combine to create a farce touched with melancholy, mixed throughout with seductively beautiful explorations on the themes of love and time,…

William Shakespeare was an English playwright, poet, and actor. He is 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 extant works, including collaborations, consist of some 39 plays, 154 sonnets, three long narrative poems, and a few other verses, some of uncertain authorship. His plays have been translated into every major living language and are…

Adapted and illustrated to introduce children and students to the works of Shakespeare! A Midsummer Nights Dream is one of the most popular comedies of the legendary playwright, William Shakespeare. The play revolves around Hermia and her best friend, Helena. Hermia runs away into the woods with her lover, Lysander, and Demetrius, the man of her fathers choice, follows them. Helena follows Demetrius, as she is in love with him and wishes she could win his love. In the woods, they come across…

"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. Hardcover"

Adapted and illustrated to introduce children and students to the works of Shakespeare! King Lear is one of the greatest tragedies of the master playwright, William Shakespeare. The play is focused around Lear, the aging King of Britain, and his three daughters, Goneril, Regan and Cordelia. When Lear wants to step down from the throne, he decides to divide his kingdom between his three daughters and asks each daughter how much she loves him. Goneril and Regan, greedy for their share, give…