Shakespeares English

Spanning half a century of Elizabethan and Jacobean history and sweeping from the lowest reaches of society to the royal court, this richly textured novel tells the real story of Shakespeare in love.

Here, in all 154 of Shakespeare's immortal sonnets, addressed to a friend about the woman he loves and to his muse. We discover the promise of youth, the ecstasy of love, and the devastation of loss.

This book aims to introduce students (including those with little or no prior experience of the field) to the worlds of Shakespeare and his theatre revealed in King Lear. It begins by ‘Approaching Shakespeare’ as utterly a man of the theatre, a professional actor before he was a playwright and a resident dramatist who knew intimately the actors for whom he wrote. It continues by discussing ‘King Lear’ in that light. The middle chapters look in detail at the ‘Actors and Players’ of the drama, and at Shakespeare’s favourite ‘Acts and Devices’ as deployed within it. A final ...

Introduce children to the works of William Shakespeare with this captivating collection. Professional storyteller Patrick Ryan has brought together the stories that are at the heart of seven of Shakespeare's masterpieces. He introduces each story with fascinating information about its history, and its prevalence in other cultures, as well as offering insights into local traditions and political issues that influenced Shakespeare's writing.

King Lear demands that his three daughters tell him how much they love him. When his youngest, Cordelia, refuses, he casts her out and divides his kingdom between the other two. But when those two reject him, he descends into despair and madness...

It is generally accepted that the European Renaissance began in Italy. However, a historical transformation of similar magnitude also took place in northern Europe at the same time. This "Other Renaissance" was initially centered on the city of Bruges in Flanders (modern Belgium), but its influence was soon being felt in France, the German states, England, and even in Italy itself. Following a sequence of major figures, Paul Strathern tells the fascinating story of how this "Other Renaissance" played as significant a role as the Italian Renaissance in bringing our modern world into being.

Twelve-year-old Trish can solve tough math problems and throw a mean fastball. But because of her mom’s new job, she’s now facing a summer trying to make friends all over again in a new town. That isn’t an easy thing to do. But at her first baseball practice, Trish realizes one of her teammates is Ben, the sixth-grade math prodigy she beat in the spring Math Puzzler Championships. When a mysterious booklet of math puzzles claiming to reveal the “ultimate answer” arrives in her mailbox, Trish and Ben start to get closer and solve the puzzles together.

A romance between a Roman general and the Queen of Egypt was never going to be easy. Marc Antony has abandoned his duties since he has fallen in love with Cleopatra. But as war looms, their union shifts from difficult to doomed...

Romeo and Juliet is one of Shakespeare's greatest and best loved tragedies. In this series for GCSE English Literature, we analyse all aspects of the play, ensuring that you gain a full understanding of the various complexities - including the context and a detailed analysis of all the scenes - helping whilst you study and revise. Furthermore, we have two dedicated chapters on preparing for your exam, so when it comes to the big day you know what to expect.

Steven Adler examines the dynamic life and workings of the theatre company responsible for some of the world's most compelling performances and influential productions of the last 40 years, including Marat/Sade, A Midsummer Night's Dream, Les Misérables, Les Liaisons Dangereuses, and Nicholas Nickleby.

Miriam's family should be rich. After all, her grandfather was the co-creator of smash-hit comics series The TomorrowMen. But he sold his rights to the series to his co-creator in the 1960s for practically nothing, and now that's what Miriam has: practically nothing. How can she afford college when her family can barely keep a roof above their heads? As if she didn't have enough to worry about, Miriam's life gets much more complicated when a cute boy shows up in town...and turns out to be the grandson of the man who defrauded Miriam's grandfather.

An exciting and authoritative study guide to Richard II in its theatrical, cultural and political contexts. Professor Hattaway's study places Richard II within the contexts of Shakespeare's life and of the strenuous political debates that were taking place at the end of the reign of Elizabeth I. It offers a commentary upon the unfolding action of the play, stressing possible alternative readings of the text, and noting how directors have made particular decisions about these. It ends with two shorter linked chapters on aspects of the play's critical traditions and on selected stage ...

The second of Shakespeare's tetralogy that deals with the successive reigns of Richard II, Henry IV, and Henry V. Henry IV, Part One depicts a span of history that begins with Hotspur's battle at Homildon against the Douglas late in 1402 and ends with the defeat of the rebels at Shrewsbury in the middle of 1403. From the start it has been an extremely popular play both with the public and the critics and this full cast performance is by The Marlowe Society.

Venus and Adonis is a rich and rewarding work. This version includes substantial in introductory and concluding commentary from Shakespeare expert Charlie Creed, in addition to the full poem. Written in glorious language, the story balances comic invention with a tragic and moving love story. Appearing in quarto form in 1593, Venus and Adonis was Shakespeare’s first published work - for though several of the author’s plays had been performed by this date, none had been printed.

How much do you know about the key role women played in shaping the theatre we all know and love today? Perhaps you know little about the women who made theatre what it is today, and you are searching for a book that will help you improve your knowledge of musicals and their history. Or maybe you already have a strong understanding of the history of Broadway musicals, and you are searching for a book that covers the biographies of women in theatre in great detail. The truth is women’s role in the rise of theatre is greatly underappreciated. That is, until now. Introducing The Wonderful ...

Hamlet, Prince of Denmark, encounters his father's ghost. When he learns that his uncle, now King and married to his mother, was responsible for the death of his royal father, he sets out to avenge the murder.

London 1600. When an attempt is made on Queen Elizabeth’s life, Serjeant Noah Ames races to her rescue, then sets out to identify the culprit among a band of foreigners who’ve newly arrived from the Continent to join with the seditious Lord Essex. In the course of his investigation, Noah uncloaks an unmitigated reign of evil that has resulted in the murders of kings, queens, and religious minorities ... and which now threatens Noah’s life for reasons no one would ever suspect. Will he pay the ultimate price for forgetting that the past is never past?

Troilus and Cressida is a tragedy by William Shakespeare, believed to have been written in 1602. It was described by Frederick S. Boas as one of Shakespeare's problem plays. The play ends on a very bleak note with the death of the noble Trojan Hector and destruction of the love between Troilus and Cressida. The work has in recent years "stimulated exceptionally lively critical debate". Throughout the play, the tone lurches wildly between bawdy comedy and tragic gloom, and readers and theatre-goers have frequently found it difficult to understand how one is meant to respond to the characters.

Coriolanus is a tragedy by William Shakespeare, believed to have been written between 1605 and 1608. The play is based on the life of the legendary Roman leader Caius Marcius Coriolanus. The tragedy is one of the last two tragedies written by Shakespeare, along with Antony and Cleopatra. Coriolanus is the name given to a Roman general after his military success against various uprisings challenging the government of Rome. Following this success, Coriolanus becomes active in politics and seeks political leadership.

The first volume of David Timson's series retelling of the stories from Shakespeare's plays was widely praised by newspaper and educators alike. Here is volume 2, with more key plays. Including Julius Caesar, The Merchant of Venice, and Henry IV, all texts which regularly appear on the exam syllabus. As before, the stories are illustrated by numerous examples from the plays themselves. They are read by two leading Shakespearean actors, Juliet Stevenson and Alex Jennings.