William Shakespeare

Viele Jugendliche finden heute keinen Zugang mehr zu klassischen Texten. Das Verständnis und das Lesevergnügen scheitern oft an den sprachlichen Hürden. Die Reihe «einfach klassisch» macht auch ungeübte Leserinnen und Leser mit klassischen Stoffen bekannt und versucht, ihr Leseinteresse zu wecken. — Die Originaltexte sind behutsam gekürzt und sprachlich vereinfacht, ungebräuchliche Wörter durch geläufige ersetzt, schwer Satzkonstruktionen aufgelöst. — Die Bearbeitung hält sich dabei so nah wie möglich an das Original, um literarische Eigenart und Intention der ursprünglichen Fassung zu erhalten. — Eine zeitgemäße Gestaltung, zweifarbiger Druck, Bilder und Fotos, Info-Kästen, klare Gliederung der Texte in Abschnitte sowie Verständnisfragen nach jedem Abschnitt helfen bei der Lektüre. Die Praxis hat gezeigt: «Einfach klassisch» erleichtert den Zugang zu klassischen Texten und weckt Lesevergnügen, was sich positiv auf den Unterricht auswirkt.

Shakespeare's tragedy about Othello the Moor is presented in this freshly edited text with full explanatory notes, scene-by-scene plot summaries, an Introduction to reading Shakespeare's language, and much more.

The author's popular comedy of love and mistaken identity is accompanied by a section on reading his language, information on his life and theater, explanatory notes, annotated reading lists, and an essay.

Contained along with the complete text of Shakespeare's classic tragedy about the «two star-crossed lovers» from Verona is full explanatory notes, scene-by-scene plot summaries, a key to famous lines and phrases, and illustrations from the Folger Shakespeare Library's vast holdings of rare books.

Folger's Shakespeare Library presents these definitive editions of Shakespeare's classic tragedies, featuring scene-by-scene plot summaries, full explanatory notes, and much more.

»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» Susan Snyder 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. For more information, visit www.folger.edu.

The star-crossed lovers of «Romeo and Juliet, « the madness and vengeance of «Hamlet, « and the corrupting lust for power of «Macbeth» — this collection of three of Shakespeare's greatest tragedies is based on the acclaimed individual Folger editions of the plays. The present volume offers accurate texts in modern spelling, full explanatory notes, and scene-by-scene action summaries.

»The New Folger is an edition that all serious Shakespeare students will want to read and accumulate, and one that many teachers of Shakespeare will surely judge the best available.» The Shakespeare Newsletter The havoc wrought on lovers by magic in «A Midsummer Night's Dream» the furious battle of the sexes waged in «The Taming of the Shrew» and a stranded woman finding her way in a man's world in «Twelfth Night» — this collection of three of Shakespeare's greatest comedies is based on the acclaimed individual Folger editions of the plays. The present volume offers accurate texts in modern spelling, full explanatory notes, and scene-by-scene action summaries.

Two young lovers, Hermia and Lysander, meet in the wood with the intention of running away and getting married secretly. They are followed by Demetrius, who loves Hermia, and Helena, who is in love with Demetrius. What they don’t know is that the wood is enchanted…

The Shakespeare comedies collected in this text are frequently known as «the romances». It is argued that they conclude in a spirit of hope as the main characters are reunited in an aura of reconciliation, wrongs are righted, and exiles returned to their homes.

Henry V is the most famous and influential of Shakespeare's history plays. Its powerful patriotic rhetoric has resounded down the ages, gaining eloquent expression in Laurence Olivier's renowned film. Henry himself, astute and charismatic, who led his 'band of brothers' to victory in the Battle of Agincourt, could indeed seem to be 'this star of England'. In recent decades the play has attracted increasing critical attention and is now highly controversial. Kenneth Branagh's film-production reflected the changing valuation. Does this play have a sceptical sub-text which subverts its patriotism? Is Henry's achievement beset by irony? Has current scepticism distorted a predominantly and proudly nationalistic drama?

The Merchant of Venice is one of Shakespeare's most popular comedies, but it remains deeply controversial. The text may well seem anti-Semitic; yet repeatedly, in performance, it has revealed a contrasting nature. Shylock, though vanquished in the law-court, often triumphs in the theatre. He is a character so intense that he can dominate the play, challenging abrasively its romantic and lyrical affirmations.

Claudio is in love with Hero, but is afraid that she will reject him. His friend, Don Pedro, volunteers to make her fall in love with him at a masked ball. The trick works well, and Hero agrees to marry Claudio. But Don Pedro’s brother, Don John, organises a plot which will make Claudio think that Hero is unfaithful…

The Signet Classic Shakespeare series contains the preeminent mass market books of the complete works of Shakespeare. This reissue features a new Overview by Sylvan Barnet, former chairman of the English Department at Tufts University, an updated Bibliography, suggested references, and stage and film history.

William Shakespeare (1564-1616) is acknowledged as the greatest dramatist of all time. He excels in plot, poetry and wit, and his talent encompasses the great tragedies of «Hamlet», «King Lear», «Othello» and «Macbeth» as well as the moving history plays and the comedies such as «A Midsummer Night's Dream», «The Taming of the Shrew» and «As You Like It» with their magical combination of humour, ribaldry and tenderness. This volume is a reprint of the Shakespeare Head Press edition, and it presents all the plays in chronological order in which they were written. It also includes Shakespeare's Sonnets, as well as his longer poems «Venus and Adonis» and «The Rape of Lucrece».

In the hope of saving her brother's life, should a woman submit to rape? Should the law be respected when its administrator is corrupt? How powerful in the state should religion become? Although Measure for Measure ends like a comedy, with reconciliations, forgiveness and marriages, it has often been regarded as one of Shakespeare's problem plays. The drama shows the difficulty of effecting an appropriate balance between judicial severity and mercy, between sexual repression and decadence, and between political vigilance and social manipulation. These problems remain topical, and, in Measure for Measure, they are given immediacy by vivid character-conflicts and memorably intense poetry. This is one of Shakespeare's most probing and powerful works.

Much Ado About Nothing has long been celebrated as one of Shakespeare's most popular comedies. The central relationship, between Benedick and Beatrice, is wittily combative until love prevails. Broader comedy is provided by Dogberry, Verges and the watchmen. The drama ranges between the destructively sinister and the lyrically romantic, giving the whole a complex and sometimes problematic character.

The gentle melancholy and lyrical atmosphere of «Twelfth Night» have long made the play a favourite with Shakespearian audiences. The plot revolves around mistaken identities and unrequited love, but is further enlivened by a comic sub-plot of considerable accomplishment. In it, Sir Toby Belch and his companion outwit the pretentious Malvolio, who despite suffering their most outrageous and insulting practical jokes, emerges as an almost noble figure.

»The Winter's Tale», one of Shakespeare's later romantic comedies, offers a striking and challenging mixture of tragic and violent events, lyrical love-speeches, farcical comedy, pastoral song and dance, and, eventually, dramatic revelations and reunions. Thematically, there is a rich orchestration of the contrasts between age and youth, corruption and innocence, decline and regeneration. Both Leontes' murderous jealousy and Perdita's love-relationship with Florizel are eloquently intense. In the theatre, «The Winter's Tale» often proves to be diversely entertaining and deeply moving.

This is a title in an inexpensive range of classics in the «Penguin Popular Classics» series.

»King Lear» has been widely acclaimed as Shakespeare's most powerful tragedy. Elemental and passionate, it encompasses the horrific and the heart-rending. Love and hate, loyalty and treachery, cruelty and self-sacrifice: all these contend in a tempestuous drama which has become an enduring classic of the world's literature.

»The Tempest» is the most lyrical, profound and fascinating of Shakespeare's late comedies. Prospero, long exiled from Italy with his daughter Miranda, seeks to use his magical powers to defeat his former enemies. Eventually, having proved merciful, he divests himself of that magic, his 'art', and prepares to return to the mainland. «The Tempest» has often been regarded as Shakespeare's 'farewell to the stage' before his retirement.

When Rosalind is banished by her uncle, who has usurped her father's throne, she flees to the forest of Arden where her exiled father holds court. There, dressed as a boy to avoid discovery, she encounters the man she loves — now a fellow exile — and resolves to remain in disguise to test his feelings for her. A gloriously sunny comedy, «As You Like It» is an exuberant combination of concealed identities and verbal jousting, reconciliations and multiple weddings.

Shakespeare's sonnets have an intensity of both feeling and meaning unmatched in English sonnet form. They divide into two parts; the first 126 sonnets are addressed to a fair youth for whom the poet has an obsessive love and the second chronicles his love for the notorious 'Dark Lady'. In addition to the sonnets, this volume includes Shakespeare's two lengthy narrative poems on classical themes, 'The Rape of Lucrece' which looks forward to the dark imagery of Macbeth, and 'Venus and Adonis' which mixes ribaldry and tragedy in unique Shakespearean manner. 'The Phoenix and the Turtle' is a beautiful metaphysical and allegorical short elegy, and takes its place with Shakespeare's better-known poetry.