Shakespeare's Lives


Book Description

This volume presents a study of the changing images and differing ways that the life of English poet and playwright William Shakespeare (1564-1616) has been interpreted throughout history. The author takes readers on a tour of the countless myths and legends which have arisen to explain the great dramatist's life and work, bringing the story right up to 1989. He reconstructs as much of the elusive author's life as possible, considering his family history, his economic standing, and his reputation with his peers; the Shakespeare who emerges may not always be the familiar one.




William Shakespeare


Book Description

Describes Shakespeare's experiences in London and his retirement to the country in a fictional account that includes excerpts from his works.




A Year in the Life of William Shakespeare


Book Description

Winner of the Baillie Gifford Prize’s 25th Anniversary Winner of Winners award What accounts for Shakespeare’s transformation from talented poet and playwright to one of the greatest writers who ever lived? In this gripping account, James Shapiro sets out to answer this question, "succeed[ing] where others have fallen short." (Boston Globe) 1599 was an epochal year for Shakespeare and England. During that year, Shakespeare wrote four of his most famous plays: Henry the Fifth, Julius Caesar, As You Like It, and, most remarkably, Hamlet; Elizabethans sent off an army to crush an Irish rebellion, weathered an Armada threat from Spain, gambled on a fledgling East India Company, and waited to see who would succeed their aging and childless queen. James Shapiro illuminates both Shakespeare’s staggering achievement and what Elizabethans experienced in the course of 1599, bringing together the news and the intrigue of the times with a wonderful evocation of how Shakespeare worked as an actor, businessman, and playwright. The result is an exceptionally immediate and gripping account of an inspiring moment in history.




The Life of William Shakespeare


Book Description

The Life of William Shakespeare is a fascinating and wide-ranging exploration of Shakespeare's life and works focusing on oftern neglected literary and historical contexts: what Shakespeare read, who he worked with as an author and an actor, and how these various collaborations may have affected his writing. Written by an eminent Shakespearean scholar and experienced theatre reviewer Pays particular attention to Shakespeare's theatrical contemporaries and the ways in which they influenced his writing Offers an intriguing account of the life and work of the great poet-dramatist structured around the idea of memory Explores often neglected literary and historical contexts that illuminate Shakespeare's life and works







Shakespeare Without Tears


Book Description

Covers Elizabethan theater, later changes in theatrical practice, scholarly interpretations, staging problems, analysis of principal characters. "Not an obscure or otherwise dull page in the book." — N.Y. Times Book Review.




Shakespeare


Book Description

Bill Bryson’s bestselling biography of William Shakespeare takes the reader on an enthralling tour through Elizabethan England and the eccentricities of Shakespearean scholarship—updated with a new introduction by the author to commemorate the 400th anniversary of Shakespeare’s death William Shakespeare, the most celebrated poet in the English language, left behind nearly a million words of text, but his biography has long been a thicket of wild supposition arranged around scant facts. With a steady hand and his trademark wit, Bill Bryson sorts through this colorful muddle to reveal the man himself. His Shakespeare is like no one else's—the beneficiary of Bryson's genial nature, his engaging skepticism, and a gift for storytelling unrivaled in our time.




Will and Me


Book Description

Shakespeare has always been a big part of the author's life. This is the story of how he has stumbled, shambled and occasionally glided through the years with Shakespeare as his guide. It also shows us what Shakespeare's rough-and-ready genius can teach us about love, war, sex, death, drunkenness, friendship.




The Book of Will


Book Description

Without William Shakespeare, we wouldn’t have literary masterpieces like Romeo and Juliet. But without Henry Condell and John Heminges, we would have lost half of Shakespeare’s plays forever! After the death of their friend and mentor, the two actors are determined to compile the First Folio and preserve the words that shaped their lives. They’ll just have to borrow, beg, and band together to get it done. Amidst the noise and color of Elizabethan London, THE BOOK OF WILL finds an unforgettable true story of love, loss, and laughter, and sheds new light on a man you may think you know.




Shakespeare


Book Description

A comprehensive collection of the life and works of a literary great — William Shakespeare! The beautifully illustrated guide unravels the life and works of Shakespeare and his plays, from language, history, and themes to plays, poems, and sonnets. Explore the art of this famous playwright and his enduring legacy through the stunning gift format. Celebrate one of the theaters most influential contributors through his legendary works of comedy, tragedy, romance, and poetry. Inside this playbook, you’ll find: • A clear and accessible format. • Plot summaries of all 39 plays with lists of characters. • Guidance on how to read and interpret his great sonnets and narrative poems. • Plays ordered by time and genre, helping readers trace the development of Shakespeare’s topics, themes, and artistry. • Sidebars that clarify the mythological, geographical and historical context of each play and decode its language, dramatic action, and themes. • Illuminated guidance on how to approach reading the play and seeing it perform. Shakespeare fans will revel in the marvelous depiction of the Stratford-upon-Avon born Bard himself! His drama book allows you to dive into famous works like Hamlet, Romeo and Juliet, and A Midsummer Night’s Dream, and explore Shakespeare’s sources and inspirations for each! Themes, plots, characters, and language are brought to life with act-by-act plot summaries, resumes of main characters, and in-depth analysis of Shakespeare’s use of the English language. Shakespeare: His Life and Works is a wonderful exploration of plays, poems, and sonnets in the context of his life and the Elizabethan and Jacobean theatre, further enriching your on the page (or stage, or screen!) experience.