william shakespeare book review

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Top 10 Shakespearean books

William Shakespeare’s influence on English literature is enormous, but from Dr Johnson to Germaine Greer, some outstanding works have explored his legacy and life story

T he world’s libraries contain thousands of books on England’s national poet, in every language under the sun. Writers such as Milton, Dryden, Pope, Dr Johnson, Keats, Coleridge, Charles Lamb, Henry James and Virginia Woolf have all addressed the Shakespeare conundrum in one way or another. Additionally, since the millennium, there have been several new books devoted to Shakespeare’s life and work by scholars as diverse as Peter Conrad, Stephen Greenblatt, James Shapiro and Stanley Wells.

To write in this genre, I knew I would be putting myself at some risk. But I had a story to tell. In my mind, Shakespearean was inspired by watching a controversial Public Theatre production of Julius Caesar in June 2017 in New York which nightly staged the assassination of Donald Trump. From the moment the Roman dictator (in a Maga baseball cap) bounded on to the stage in Central Park wearing a white shirt and long red tie, I asked myself: how did a young man who grew up in rural Warwickshire, who did not go to university, and who died at the age of 52, far from court or cloister, become not merely “Shakespeare” but also the global icon for the quality we call “Shakespearean”? How, to put it another way, does he remain so effortlessly modern more than 400 years after his death?

By chance, the historical disruption that inspired this book only worsened from 2017 to 2020, culminating in the outbreak of the modern plague, coronavirus. Our times were turning out to be more Shakespearean than I had anticipated. There was also this literary dividend: Shakespeare left about 1m words of poetry and prose; he also bequeathed the legacy of his influence: novels, stories and essays inspired by his work. Here is my selection.

1. A Dictionary of the English Language by Dr Samuel Johnson If Shakespeare is famous for one thing, it’s his innovative brilliance with the English language, as many as 1,800 new words, including lacklustre , amazement , assassinate , hobnob and barefaced . These all appear in Johnson’s dictionary, which makes a point of using Shakespeare citations to establish English usage.

2. Moby-Dick by Herman Melville Melville did not just want to identify with Shakespeare – he wanted to compete with him, as an American. “If Shakespeare has not [yet] been equalled,” he wrote, “he is sure to be surpassed by an American born now, or yet to be born.” Melville’s edition of the complete works has about 500 passages marked for special study; and the writing of Moby-Dick became an extraordinary effort of literary oneupmanship.

3. The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain Twain’s masterpiece offers a double-shot of Shakespearean influence. His comic duo of confidence men, the “rightful duke of Bridgewater” and his sidekick “the King of France” – two characters who could have stepped from The Merry Wives of Windsor or Falstaff’s Eastcheap – were inspired by the young Twain’s experience of wild west culture as a reporter during the California gold rush. Secondly, Twain’s famous parody of Hamlet (“To be or not to be; that is the bare bodkin”) displays an American master spoofing brilliantly at the top of his bent.

4. A Thousand Acres by Jane Smiley Many US novelists have been bitten by the Shakespeare bug: Toni Morrison ( Desdemona ), John Updike ( Gertrude and Claudius ) and Arthur Phillips ( The Tragedy of Arthur ) from contemporary fiction. More popular, perhaps, is Smiley’s modernisation of King Lear, in which Shakespeare’s plot and characters are relocated to the midwest. Smiley says that her novel grew out of her response to “the ways in which I found the conventional reading of Lear frustrating and wrong”. Part of Shakespeare’s eternal youth is that he always invites us to find new responses to his work.

5. A Room of One’s Own by Virginia Woolf This landmark in feminist thought was inspired by Woolf’s recollection of an old academic declaring that “women cannot write the plays of William Shakespeare”. Her portrait of “Judith Shakespeare” becomes a polemical fiction about a woman who, like Woolf herself, had to stay home, watch her brother go to school, and become imprisoned in domesticity. Eventually, Judith is shamed into a marriage of convenience. Her brother flourishes, while Judith’s genius remains unfulfilled. The poet’s sister eventually kills herself, but enables Woolf to review the creative beginnings of some great literary examplars, including Jane Austen, George Eliot, and the Brontë sisters.

6. Shakespeare’s Wife by Germaine Greer In a kind of homage to Woolf, Greer starts with a woman about whom almost nothing is known, married to a great poet, and reimagines the story of the Hathaway-Shakespeare marriage in its context, treating Anne (or Agnes) with the greatest sympathy. Greer rescues her life story from oblivion with wit and scholarship. It’s a good companion to Hamnet, below.

7. Hamnet by Maggie O’Farrell The 2020 winner of the Women’s prize for fiction, this poignant meditation on grief is characterised by O’Farrell’s outstanding immersion in the Elizabethan Stratford of the 1590s. Shakespeare is unnamed, and O’Farrell focuses on his wife Agnes (as Anne was known) to explore the death of their son Hamnet from plague in 1596. The luminous magic of this novel lies as much in what it omits as what it depicts, but the scene in which Agnes lays out her son’s body is one that few readers will forget.

8. The Lodger, Shakespeare on Silver Street by Charles Nicholl Nicholl made his reputation as a writer with The Reckoning, his brilliant investigation into the death of Christopher Marlowe, Shakespeare’s contemporary and rival. In a second foray into the court records of the age, Nicholl takes a forgotten lawsuit in which Shakespeare appeared as a witness (the only occasion on which his actual spoken words were recorded). In an enthralling weave of metropolitan social history, Shakespeare commentary and the Jacobean domestic romcom surrounding the marriage of Marie Mountjoy and Stephen Belott, Nicholl once again breathes new life into some very dusty archives. A delight.

9. Nothing like the Sun by Anthony Burgess Burgess’s fascination with Shakespeare was a lifetime’s obsession. His first foray into Shakespeare’s world occurred in 1964 with this exuberant novel about Will the poet’s love life, partly driven by the claim that Shakespeare’s imagination was inspired by syphilis. This became a film script, The Bawdy Bard, never produced, which morphed into his brilliant biographical essay, Shakespeare (1970).

10. Shakespeare and the Goddess of Complete Being by Ted Hughes Shakespeare was obsessed with risk and originality, the key to drama. Hughes was also fascinated by the wellsprings of creativity. He devoted much of his life to rereading the complete works, and signed the contract for this magnum opus towards the end of his life. It was to offer the reader “a sort of musical adaptation”, a majestic song in which the plays become “a single titanic work, like an Indian epic”. Shakespeare and the Goddess became Hughes’s most sustained prose work, a book he claimed nearly killed him. On publication in 1992, it was poorly received, but is now becoming recognised as his prose masterpiece.

Shakespearean: On Life and Language in Times of Disruption by Robert McCrum is published by Picador. To order a copy, go to guardianbookshop.com .

• William Shakespeare
• Anthony Burgess
• Virginia Woolf
• Maggie O'Farrell
• Herman Melville

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By Geraldine Brooks

• Published July 17, 2020 Updated Nov. 23, 2020

HAMNET A Novel of the Plague By Maggie O’Farrell

“Hamnet” is an exploration of marriage and grief written into the silent opacities of a life that is at once extremely famous and profoundly obscure.

[ The editors of The Book Review chose this as one of the 10 best books of 2020 . ]

Countless scholars have combed through Elizabethan England’s parish and court records looking for traces of William Shakespeare. But what we know for sure, if set down unvarnished by learned and often fascinating speculation, would barely make a slender monograph. As William Styron once wrote, the historical novelist works best when fed on short rations. The rations at Maggie O’Farrell’s disposal are scant but tasty, just the kind of morsels to nourish an empathetic imagination.

We know, for instance, that at the age of 18, Shakespeare married a woman named Anne or Agnes Hathaway, who was 26 and three months pregnant. (That condition wasn’t unusual for the time: Studies of marriage and baptism records reveal that as many as one-third of brides went to the altar pregnant.) Hathaway was the orphaned daughter of a farmer near Stratford-upon-Avon who had bequeathed her a dowry. This status gave her more latitude than many women of her time, who relied on paternal permission in choosing a mate.

Shakespeare was a grammar school graduate, the eldest son of a glove maker in declining fortune. His father had once been the equivalent of Stratford’s mayor, but by the time his son was 18, he had fallen into debt, disrepute and legal opprobrium.

For centuries, Shakespeare’s male biographers twisted these meager facts into a misogynistic scenario: An aging spinster entraps a callow youth and a loveless, mostly long-distance, marriage ensues. In 2007, in her convincing corrective, “Shakespeare’s Wife,” Germaine Greer placed these accounts in the long history of male scholarship’s diminishment of women — especially wives — in the lives of male artists and intellectuals going back to the ancient Greeks. O’Farrell has cited Greer’s work as an influence on her thinking .

In “Hamnet,” Shakespeare’s marriage is complicated and troubled, yet brimming with love and passion. Hathaway is imagined as a free-spirited young woman, close to the natural world and uncannily intuitive. She attracts the ardor of a repressed, restless teenager still in search of his life’s purpose. In this telling, Will, with his disgraced father and uncertain prospects, is no catch; it is Agnes, given her degree of social and financial independence, who is seen as making the poorer match with this “feckless, tradeless boy.”

A few more facts from the historical record: The child whose imminent arrival likely forced the timing of the Shakespeares’ November wedding was born six months later, a girl named Susanna. Two years on, the couple had twins: Judith and Hamnet. In 1596, Hamnet, just 11 years old, died. (The cause of death is unknown; O’Farrell imagines, plausibly, that it was plague.) By then William Shakespeare was an established playwright, living in London but providing amply for his family, amassing Stratford property and returning home for visits.

He is not at home, however, as O’Farrell’s novel opens on a moment of domestic tension. The boy, Hamnet, is in frantic search of help. His twin sister has suddenly fallen ill. We feel his anxiety rise as he fails to find the adults — particularly his mother — who might know what to do.

Here, right at the start, O’Farrell plants her flag. This novel will be about grief: how we experience it, how we respond to it, what it costs and whom it damages. “Every life has its kernel, its hub, its epicenter, from which everything flows out, to which everything returns,” she writes. “This moment is the absent mother’s: the boy, the empty house, the deserted yard, the unheard cry. … It will lie at her very core, for the rest of her life.” The mother is a mile away from home, tending to her beehives. Her son’s building panic is juxtaposed beautifully with a serene description of her gentle labors. Would her presence have saved her child from plague? Probably not. But grief’s equations are not figured rationally.

O’Farrell knows this. Her breathtaking memoir, “ I Am, I Am, I Am: Seventeen Brushes With Death ,” details the disturbing instances in her own life when the angel of death came close enough to let her feel the beat of wing feathers disturb the air. And as the mother of a child born with a suite of life-threatening illnesses, she is on intimate terms with the dread, grief and guilt engendered by a suffering offspring.

This novel is at once about the transfiguration of life into art — it is O’Farrell’s extended speculation on how Hamnet’s death might have fueled the creation of one of his father’s greatest plays — and at the same time, it is a master class in how she, herself, does it.

Consider this description of Judith falling ill: “She cannot comprehend what has happened to this day. One moment, she and Hamnet were pulling bits of thread for the cat’s new kittens … and then she had suddenly felt a weakness in her arms, an ache in her back, a prickling in her throat. … Now she is on this bed and she has no idea how she got here.” O’Farrell, in her memoir, has written vividly of how, at age 8, she contracted encephalitis, almost died and was bedridden for more than a year. When Judith lies watching the walls “bulging inwards, then flexing back” as the bedposts “writhe and twist like serpents,” it is the precise and graphic description of high-fevered hallucinations recalled by someone who has experienced them.

At times, “Hamnet” brought to mind an earlier novel I admire, Sena Jeter Naslund’s “Ahab’s Wife” (1999), which centers its narrative on the young bride of Melville’s whaling captain — a woman barely mentioned in “Moby-Dick.” At the time, Naslund recalled the pressure of writing into the space occupied by such a classic: “You don’t send a minnow out after ‘Moby-Dick.’” Nor do you go after the private life of the Bard of Avon with a casual regard for English prose. O’Farrell, Irish-born, schooled in Scotland and Wales, and shaped by a childhood steeped in story and school days that always began with song, has a melodic relationship to language. There is a poetic cadence to her writing and a lushness in her descriptions of the natural world.

She is deft, too, at keeping her research subordinated to the story. We’re not force-marched through a manual on 16th-century glove-making techniques or an exegesis of illegal practices in the Tudor wool trade. But we can smell the tang of the various new leathers in the glover’s workshop, the fragrance of the apples racked a finger-width apart in the winter storage shed, and we can see how the pale London sun “reaches down, like ladders, through the narrow gaps in buildings to illuminate the rain glazed street.”

At the center of the novel is a question: Why did Shakespeare title his most famous play for the son who had died several years earlier? (Hamlet and Hamnet are used interchangeably in parish records of the time. They were, essentially, the same name.)

The book builds toward an intriguing speculation, which I will not reveal here. As it unfolds, it brings its story to a tender and ultimately hopeful conclusion: that even the greatest grief, the most damaged marriage and most shattered heart might find some solace, some healing.

An earlier version of this review overstated what is known about the death of Shakespeare’s son, Hamnet. The circumstances of his death were not recorded; it is not known that he “died of plague.” The error was repeated in the headline.

How we handle corrections

Geraldine Brooks’s most recent novel is “The Secret Chord.”

HAMNET A Novel of the Plague By Maggie O’Farrell 305 pp. Alfred A. Knopf. $26.95.

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Hamlet by William Shakespeare: Book Review, Summary and Analysis

Book: Hamlet  Written by William Shakespeare

The Tragedy of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark, often shortened to Hamlet, is a tragedy written by William Shakespeare sometime between 1599 and 1601. It is Shakespeare's longest play, with 29,551 words. Wikipedia

• Characters: Ophelia, Claudius, Polonius, Laertes, Horatio, Gertrude, MORE
• Original language: Early Modern English
• Genre: Shakespearean tragedy, Drama
• Setting: Denmark

Who is Hamlet

Hamlet is the protagonist in Shakespeare's tragedy "Hamlet".

Hamlet, Prince of Denmark, is an idealist and perfectionist. The death of the father, the marriage of the mother to the uncle, and the ghost of the father telling Hamlet that he was killed by Claudius. 

Hamlet's outlook on life has changed, and his personality has become complicated and suspicious. In the end, Hamlet dies for justice in order to avenge his father, which is regrettable and regrettable.

"Hamlet" Synopsis

"Hamlet", also known as "The Prince's Revenge", "Hamlet", "Macbeth", "King Lear" and "Othello" are called Shakespeare's "four tragedies". "Hamlet" is the longest play among Shakespeare's plays, and it is also the most prestigious play. 

It has profound tragic significance and represents the highest achievement of Western Renaissance literature. The "to be or not to be" said by Hamlet in the play is even more classic among the classics.

Why Hamlet is a Masterpiece

"Hamlet" deserves to be a masterpiece, it can be a magical work, or it can be a work created by God. To put it simply, this work has been widely circulated in the world today, and it has been touched on in various fields of Western culture. If you want to learn Western culture, "Hamlet" is definitely a classic work. 

Everyone in the West Thinkers should study this book in depth because, in this book, the ideas or ideas that they want to convey are not accepted by everyone.

For example, in "Hamlet" in the book, don't be attached to your mother. From the perspective of modern people, this kind of behavior may be more or less understandable, but when Shakespeare wrote this book, if he had such an idea, it was absolutely detached. of. 

This does not belong to the simple love between men and women that we usually call, because "Hamlet" is too attached to his mother, which makes "Hamlet" become hesitant, hesitant, and even weak.

Even though later generations have remade the book "Hamlet" into a movie, the details described in the book have not been fully shown in the video. 

Reading the original work is the greatest respect for the author. Since Shakespeare was able to create such a work, his thoughts must surpass others and be more open.

What exactly does Hamlet want to reflect?

Many people read "Hamlet" but didn't really understand it, and didn't understand what the book wanted to express. It will be easier if you look at the writing background. 

When Shakespeare wrote this book, he was in the Renaissance period. What he wanted to express was the rampant bourgeoisie and the chaotic and dark age in England at that time. Relics of history.

About the Author:  William Shakespeare

William Shakespeare (April 23, 1564-April 23, 1616) was a great dramatist and poet during the European Renaissance. He was born in a small merchant family in Strasford-upon-Erwen, England. In 1587, Shakespeare left his hometown and went to London. 

At first, he worked as a horse guard for the theater and did chores in other houses, and later became an actor. Just play in the beginning. In 1593, Shakespeare's first long poem, Venus and Adonis, was published.

William Shakespeare is the most outstanding dramatist in the history of English literature, the most important and greatest writer of the European Renaissance, the master of humanist literature at that time, and the most outstanding literature in the world Home.

Born and raised in Stratford-upon-Avon, Shakespeare married Anne Hathaway at the age of 18, with whom they had three children: Susannah and twins Hamnet and Judith. 

For more than 20 years from the end of the 16th century to the beginning of the 17th century, Shakespeare started a successful career in London. 

He was not only an actor and a playwright, but also one of the partners of the Chamberlain's Theater Company, which was later renamed the King's Theater Company. Shakespeare retired to Stratford-upon-Avon around 1613, where he died three years later.

The period from 1590 to 1600 was the golden age of Shakespeare's writing. His early plays were mainly comedies and historical plays, which reached their peak of depth and artistry in the late 16th century. 

From 1601 to 1608, he mainly wrote tragedies. Shakespeare advocated noble sentiments and often described sacrifice and revenge, including "Othello", "Hamlet", "King Lear" and "Macbeth", which are considered to be among the best examples in English. In the last period of his life, he began to write tragicomedies, also known as romantic dramas.

Shakespeare's handed-down works include 37 plays, 154 sonnets, and two long narrative poems. His plays have been translated into every major language and performed more often than any other playwright.

Excerpts from the original text: Hamlet

Introduction to the story of hamlet.

"Hamlet" describes the Danish prince Hamlet's revenge for his father. When the prince was studying in Germany, his father was killed by his younger brother Claudius. The murderer covered up the truth, usurped the throne, and married the king's wife; Hamlet worked hard to understand the truth in the play. 

But he fell into the metaphysical thinking of "to be or not to be", and gave up the chance of revenge. As a result, Claudius counterattacked, and he could only parry. In the sword competition, Hamlet finally awakened and bravely stabbed his enemy to death; at the same time, he was also poisoned and martyred.

"Hamlet" is a tragic work written by English playwright William Shakespeare between 1599 and 1602. The play tells that Uncle Claudius murdered Hamlet's father, usurped the throne, and married the king's widow Gertrude; Prince Hamlet avenged his uncle for his father.

"Hamlet" is the longest play among all Shakespeare's plays, and it is also Shakespeare's most famous play. It has profound tragic significance, complex characters, and rich and perfect tragic art techniques, and represents the whole of Western Renaissance literature. highest achievement. Together with "Macbeth", "King Lear" and "Othello", they form Shakespeare's "four tragedies".

"Hamlet" is Shakespeare's most famous play, and it is also the earliest, most complex, and longest of his four tragedies. In the three acts and one scene of the play, Hamlet has a monologue, which is popular both in the original text and in translation.

"Hamlet" is known as one of the four great masterpieces in Europe. Since its inception, it has been adapted many times into stage plays, operas, film and television, and other works.

William Shakespeare was an English Renaissance dramatist and poet, a master of humanist literature in the European Renaissance, and one of the founders of modern European literature. He wrote a total of 37 plays, 154 sonnets, two long poems, and other poems.

What are the main contents of Hamlet?

It mainly describes the story of Prince Hamlet of Denmark avenging his father. When the prince was studying in Germany, his father was killed by his younger brother Claudius. The murderer covered up the truth, usurped the throne, and married the king's wife; Hamlet worked hard to understand the truth in the play.

" Hamlet " is a tragic work written by English playwright William Shakespeare between 1599 and 1602. The play tells that Uncle Claudius murdered Hamlet's father, usurped the throne, and married the king's widow Gertrude; Prince Hamlet avenged his uncle for his father.

The story happened in Denmark, when Prince Hamlet's father was killed by his uncle, and his uncle married her mother, and he became the king of Denmark. These were a great blow to Prince Hamlet of Denmark. In the past, he lived a carefree life, went to college, practiced swordsmanship with friends, ate, drank, and had fun. But now his life has changed drastically.

The loving father was robbed of his life, and the state power was robbed by his cruel uncle, and her mother remarried. These bad things hit Hamlet all at once, causing him to completely collapse, and even have the idea of ​​suicide. But his fortunes change when Bernardo and Francesco discover a ghost one night on the terrace in front of the castle.

That ghost was the ghost of Hamlet's father. They observed it for two consecutive nights. On the third night, they called Horatio and found the ghost. He was Hamlet's good friend, so he decided to call this ghost Tell Hamlet. On the morning of the fourth day, he told Hamlet about it, and Hamlet was so surprised that he also decided to go and have a look.

He was a little puzzled and half-believed, so that night on the castle terrace, he really saw the ghost, and the ghost waved to him. He rushed like a ghost, and the ghost took him to the corner and told him that his father had been killed by his uncle. Venom poured into his ear.

Now the ghost needs Hamlet to avenge him. After speaking, the ghost disappeared. At this time, Horatio and Bernardo appeared. They promised Hamlet not to tell others what they heard, and then Hamlet told them about the ghost. Then Hamlet begins to prepare for revenge, and his first impression plan is to pretend to be crazy.

Makes everyone look crazy when they see him, and makes others think he is really crazy. At this time, she fell in love with Ophelia, the daughter of a flattering minister Polonius. In order to please the king, Polonius is unwilling to let Hamlet and Ophelia touch each other, so Hamlet is very angry and becomes crazier.

His two very good friends, Rosencrantz and Guildenstern, spent his childhood with Hamlet when he was young, and these two friends, whom he thought were loyal, also fought for the king and money. , honor, betrayed him. Inquire about him for the king, and why he has gone mad. And his mother is constantly testing him. Everyone is against him.

His heart is also very safe and angry. And at this time a pair of theater troupes came and gave Hamlet a wonderful play. Hamlet told them to let them play another play. In it, Hamlet adds some fragments, which are similar to the content of the State Grid killing his father. When watching a play, look at the king's facial expression. If he is a little disturbed, it means he killed him.

He kept thinking about these things, concentrating on how to avenge the king and finally found out that it was he who killed him. After the play in the queen's bedroom, when he was talking with the queen, Polonius was entrusted by the king to hide behind the curtain and eavesdrop on their conversation. 

As a result, Hamlet thought it was the king, so he drew his sword and stabbed into the curtain.

He stabbed Polonez to death with a sword, but after opening the reply, he found out that it was Polonez, and he was very regretful. Then he fled the palace in a hurry. 

Polonez's daughter, Ophelia, went mad when she found out, sang songs without thinking at all, and finally committed suicide by jumping into the river. Her brother, Laertes, was furious when he came back from France and decided to kill Hamlet.

He is united with the king. The triple shackle trick was planned, so that Hamlet could not escape. But when the two of them implemented their plan, a tragedy happened. A poisonous sword was supposed to kill Hamlet, but it killed Hamlet and Laertes. Hamlet. When dying, a sword pierced the king's body.

The queen also drank the poisoned wine originally given to Hamlet and died. Finally, Fortinbras, who came to Danmai, saw the tragedy, took advantage of the fire, and returned Denmark to his territory.

Why is it said that "action" is the most brilliant stroke in Hamlet's life?

In fact, this scene also reflects the characteristics of Hamlet's actions. "To be or not to be" seems to have two options on the surface, but in fact Hamlet has no intention of accepting reality, giving up the mission of revenge, and living in the world. 

He is just uneasy about the unknown afterlife. Then Hamlet realizes that too much "careful thinking" will prevent him from taking decisive action, and again feels uneasy about his delay. That's why he had the behavior of attacking from behind. The second scene of the fifth act concentratedly demonstrates his power of action in contradictions.

This is the climax and the last part of the whole tragedy. First, Hamlet tells his friend Horatio how he saw through Claudius' treachery and returned to Denmark. Then write about his sword match with Laertes and the arrangements for his funeral. 

The biggest feature of Hamlet's character is the delay, but Hamlet is in action in the sword fight. It seems contradictory, but it is in line with the logic of Hamlet's character. Because fighting swords was not a strategy he took on his own initiative, when he accepted the challenge, he completely had the mentality of letting fate arrange it.

Shakespeare's description in this way reflects Hamlet's delayed character more vividly. But no matter how you say it, Hamlet finally dies with his opponent and finally completes his revenge. 

The scene of this last scene is full of horror and tragedy: Hamlet, Claudius, the queen, and Laertes all die one by one, and Polonius, Ophelia, Rosenger, etc. Lands and Guildenstern, together with the old king, made a total of nine fatalities. 

It can be said that at the end of the tragedy, Hamlet finally overcomes the fear of death and bravely sends out a final blow to evil. He is finally destroyed by evil, but he uses his actions to tell the world that the spirit of humanism The brilliant brilliance of the spirit and ideal also makes this work have a distinct critical significance.

What enlightenment significance does Hamlet's tragedy have?

The significance of the tragedy of Hamlet's image lies in From a positive perspective, his struggle reflects the historical progress of the uncompromising struggle between the humanist thinkers of the Renaissance and the declining feudal forces and is the product of the inevitable requirement of historical development.

From the perspective of summarizing experience and lessons, his tragedy stems from two aspects: First, the era he lived in was an era when feudal forces were still very strong, and the object of his struggle was the entire official court represented by Claudius. 

Hamlet uses his personal strength to compete with this powerful evil force, and a tragic fate is inevitable. In addition, as a bourgeois humanist, he doesn't believe in the masses and believes that only "poor me" can "reset the world", has been fighting alone, and in the end, he can only die with hatred. 

Secondly, the tragedy of Hamlet is also the result of the limitations of humanists' understanding of human beings under the new historical conditions at that time. He clings to the ideal of "human" in the early Renaissance, and cannot adapt to the reality that people have changed in the new historical environment. 

He uses abstract anthropological theories to solve practical problems, and tragedy is inevitable. Therefore, the tragedy of Hamlet is the tragedy of the later humanists, and also the tragedy of the anthropological theory of a specific era in the late Renaissance

Hamlet Book Summary and Analysis  

Hamlet's book review.

Hamlet (drawing sword) what! Which rat thief is it? It must be fatal, I will kill you. (Piercing the curtain with a sword) Polonius (behind) Ah! I'm dead! Ouch, queen! What have you done? I don't know Hamlet; isn't that the king? Queen, what reckless and cruel behavior! Hamlet's cruel behavior! Good mother, it's as bad as killing a king and marrying his brother. The queen killed a king! Hamlet Well, mother, that's exactly what I said. (See Polonius on the drape) Goodbye, you unlucky, careless, nosy fool! …… —— "Hamlet" Act 3, Act 4, Act  5, Act 1  

Hamlet, you prayed wrongly. Please don't pinch my head and neck; because although I am not an irritable person, it is very dangerous for my fire to break out, so don't annoy me. Let go of your hand!

Hamlet, hey, I'm willing to fight him over this subject until my eyelids stop blinking.

Hamlet, I love Ophelia; the love of forty thousand brothers, combined, is not worth my love for her. What are you willing to do for her? ——In the first scene of the fifth act of "Hamlet"

Hamlet, you are a man, give me the glass! (Compete with Horasch for the glass) Let go! God, give it to me! (Overturning the wine glass in Horasch's hand) God, if no one can expose the truth of this matter, then how much my name will be harmed! If you ever loved me, Then please sacrifice the happiness of heaven for the time being, and stay in this cold world to bear the pain and tell the world my story. —— "Hamlet" Act 5, Scene 4,

Reading Notes:  Hamlet by William Shakespeare

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Books by William Shakespeare and Complete Book Reviews

• The 10 Most Mysterious Shakespeare Sonnets

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Theresa Smith Writes

Delighting in all things bookish, book review: the complete works of william shakespeare.

By now, regular readers will have gotten wind that I’m a Shakespeare tragic. Combine this with my love of collecting beautiful books, and you get this:

The Complete Works of William Shakespeare is an elegant edition boasting the entire credited catalogue of William Shakespeare including 16 comedies, 10 histories, 12 tragedies, as well as all of his poems and sonnets.

Be still my beating heart. This book is indeed beautiful, but even better, it has all of Shakespeare’s work, and while it’s far from compact and not even a little bit portable, it has presence: a stately hardcover, elegant end papers, and a thick ribbon bookmark (trust me – these things matter to a book collector). The text is presented in the traditional two column format which appeals to the traditionalist in me. There’s a short introduction at the front and a short life and times of Shakespeare at the back, but other than this, it’s all Shakespeare, not someone else’s reinterpretation, not a whole heap of ‘translated’ meanings, and no deconstructed text analysis – just The Bard, in his own words, as they were always intended to be appreciated.

Now, clearly, I’m not going to sit down and read this book from cover to cover and review it in the usual way. This is more of a dip in and dip out kind of book, so I thought I’d just tell you all about the edition itself, just in case you were thinking about acquiring a collection of Shakespeare for yourself or to give as a literary gift. I highly recommend this one from an aesthetic point of view. And besides, Shakespeare is above review – his work speaks for itself.

‘But Shakespeare does not simply deliver eternal truths from on high, despite being the most quoted poet in history. His writing is like one side in the best imaginable conversation. To access the riches in Shakespeare’s writing, readers, performers, and audiences need to bring their own experience and their own imaginations to bear, to converse with what they see and hear. The works then come alive, in different ways in different places and times, but always with the potential for astonishing creativity.’ – Introduction by John Lotherington

Thanks is extended to The Quarto Group (via Allen & Unwin) for providing me with a copy of The Complete Works of William Shakespeare for review.

The Complete Works of William Shakespeare Published by The Quarto Group – Rock Point Released 1st October 2019 Buy from Booktopia

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22 thoughts on “ book review: the complete works of william shakespeare ”.

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It’s in pride of place in the glass fronted book case, aka, the place only the best and beautiful books get to rest.

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A glass fronted book case! Ooh, that’s special! Would love to see a photo some time.

It’s only a low one, nothing extravagant!

Beautiful edition! Very timeless style.

It does have a timeless style, you’re right!

It’s definitely a beautiful edition. I have a hardcover edition of Shakespeare’s works too, but the print is so small! I was thinking it would be nice to have a set of individual titles – beautifully bound of course.

I was happy to see that the print is regular sized in this edition. There’s nothing worse than having to squint at your book!

Beautiful Theresa. I would probably never read it but I love having beautiful books to look at.

I have some like that too. Ones that are for looking only because the contents are not to my taste.

How lovely! What size is the font? I have a complete Shakespeare but the font is too small for me to read it in bed. I think I”ll have to order this one and pass the one I have on. I”ve just watched the first couple of acts of Hamlet, BBC production, 2009; in modern dress, but it’s holding me because the poetry is there, the words are projected clearly; though i get a bit irritated by Tennant’s mannerisms!!\

At a guess I’d say 10pt font.

I’ve just searched for the book and can only find an NZ site, but no way of ordering it! Where did you get your copy?

Ah, I just saw the link to Booktopia, and have ordered my copy! Thank you.

Excellent. It’s a good price too, I was surprised. Enjoy! 😊

From the publisher. I have included a buy link for Booktopia at the bottom of the post.

What a wonderful collection to have. If you are ever in the UK, I hope you would have time to visit Stratford Upon Avon and see a performance from the RSC. I try to see something there every year, and it is a great experience.

That is something that I would definitely make time to do! It would be fantastic.

I love the showcase style review – fabulous! What a gorgeous book. I have a similar one in my keeps cabinet, an anniversary gift from my husband.

Thank you! What a thoughtful anniversary present!!

Oh, how beautiful! We already have two hardcover Collected Works in our house, both beautiful and both inherited from grandparents, so neither of us can bear to part with them 😅 but this one looks gorgeous!

Well that’s a couple of special editions there! How excellent!

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Tiger Riding for Beginners

Bernie gourley: traveling poet-philosopher & aspiring puddle dancer.

BOOK REVIEW: Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare

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This is one of Shakespeare’s most famous works, if not the most famous love story in the history of love stories. The central challenge of this couple’s love affair isn’t the usual fare of Shakespeare’s works – e.g. unrequited love, love triangles, or class differences. [There is an issue of unrequited love early in the play between Romeo and Rosaline, but Romeo gets over that girl in a hot minute once he meets Juliet.] The problem is that he meets Juliet by crashing her father’s party while wearing a disguise (a disguise that ultimately doesn’t fool the right people,) and the reason Romeo needs a disguise is because Romeo’s father and Juliet’s father are archenemies. Otherwise, the couple meets all requirements for wooing to commence: they each have feelings for the other, and they are of similar class status. In short, they would be a marriageable couple if their families didn’t hate each other.

[Warning: My Shakespeare reviews are far more spoiler-laden than usual because the stories are well-known to most readers and some find a detailed synopsis useful to make sense of the archaic language.] After an opening that establishes the enmity between the Montagues and Capulets, Romeo and Juliet fall for each other fast and hard, and with lightening speed have wed and consummated the marriage. However, no one other than the priest who married them, Friar Laurence, knows of the wedding. They have to keep the marriage secret because it would get back to the heads of the feuding households immediately.

Soon after the wedding, Tybalt (Juliet’s hot-headed kinsman) goes out looking for Romeo. Tybalt had recognized Romeo at the party, and wanted to fight him then, but Mr. Capulet (Juliet’s father) made him chill out because he didn’t want blood spilled during his party. But the next day Tybalt goes out intent on fighting. Tybalt finds Romeo’s friend (Mercutio) and his kinsman (Benvolio,) and Mercutio ends up crossing blades Tybalt. When Romeo comes on the scene, he steps into the middle of the fray to separate the men, and Tybalt finds an opening to thrust into Mercutio. As Mercutio dies, he famously wishes a “plague on both houses” (meaning Tybalt’s Capulets and Romeo’s Montagues.) Mercutio is but one of many who are completely fed up with the feud between these two families. The Prince of Verona has had it up to his neck with the bickering.

While Romeo is generally more a lover than a fighter, he duels and kills Tybalt immediately after Mercutio’s death. After killing Tybalt, Romeo flees the scene, later to find out he’s been banished from Verona upon threat of death. (Lady Capulet petitions the Prince for Romeo to be executed but the Prince won’t go for it, figuring Tybalt got what was coming to him for picking a fight and stabbing Mercutio. Then Lady Capulet plots to have a hit put out on Romeo, but events outpace her plot.) After meeting with Friar Laurence, Romeo flees to Mantua.

When her family informs Juliet that Tybalt has been slain by Romeo, they think she is broken up about her kinsman’s death. However, she’s really worried about her husband Romeo (who, of course, none of the family knows she’s married to.) When it seems like Juliet’s sadness for Tybalt has gone on long enough, her father sets a post-haste wedding date between Juliet and County Paris (the young man that Capulet favors for his daughter.) This is a problem for Juliet because: a.) she’s already married; and, b.) she deeply loves Romeo and finds Paris sort of Meh! She gets into a tiff with her father who thinks she’s an ungrateful whelp. [In Shakespeare’s day, the debate was whether a girl’s feelings about to whom she should be wed should be empathized with or ignored altogether. The idea that her feelings should be a major consideration was deemed laughable. Her mother comes down on the former side, but Lady Capulet accepts her husband’s conclusion of the alternative.]

Juliet goes to see Friar Laurence, who is a botanical mad scientist on the side. The Friar develops an elaborate scheme. Juliet is to go home, apologize to her father for not jumping on board the marriage train with the boy that her father so dearly loves (but to do so without sarcasm,) and then before going to sleep she will take a potion. This potion, not uncommon in Shakespearean works, will make her appear dead for a time, and then she’ll wake up perfectly fine. The family will take her to their crypt, pending the funeral. Friar Laurence sends a note to Romeo explaining the plan. Romeo is to meet Juliet when she wakes up, and they can then flee to Mantua — their families none the wiser.

Up to this point, this play could be a comedy just as easily as it is a tragedy. Sure, there have been a couple stabbing fatalities, but that’s actually pretty calm stuff compared to some of the comedies. (The dead are secondary characters.) What makes it a tragedy, is that Friar Laurence’s messenger can’t get through to deliver the memo in time because of some Black Death scare. Instead, Romeo’s (the Montague family’s) servant gets there first, and, because he’s not in on the Friar’s plot, tells Romeo the truth as he understands it – i.e. that Juliet is dead. Romeo sneaks back to the Verona cemetery with some poison he got at a shady apothecary on the way. Friar Laurence doesn’t know Romeo didn’t get the priest’s message until Romeo is already rolling up on the crypt, intent on dying with is beloved and so Laurence is late arriving to the scene.

To add to the tragedy, Paris is visiting Juliet’s grave and thinks Romeo is a villain. Romeo and Paris battle it out, and Romeo kills Paris. Romeo – knowing that Paris was betrothed to Juliet but without knowledge of Romeo and Juliet’s marriage – places Paris in the crypt near Juliet. But then he takes up position immediately beside her, and drinks the poison. As soon as Romeo dies, Juliet regains consciousness. She finds Romeo dead, and discovers that there’s not enough of the poison left for her. She tries kissing some poison off him, but when that doesn’t work, she plunges a dagger into her own chest.

After Juliet dies, authorities arrive on the scene having been summoned by a person who heard the duel between Romeo and Paris. The Prince arrives and calls for the heads of the Montague and Capulet households so that they can see what tragedy their feud has caused. The sight of the two dead star-crossed lovers (plus Paris, whom Capulet seemed to love) moves Montague and Capulet to end hostilities.

This is a must read for all readers.

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I’ve been a Shakespeare fan since high school and have played a witch in Macbeth. It helps to learn the old English language and the history to really understand him and his humor. If more folks would do so they would love his work so much more than they do.

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By William Shakespeare Written between 1599-1600

General Note: In January 2009 I decided that I�d like to go back and read all the plays of William Shakespeare, perhaps one a month if that works out. I hadn�t read a Shakespeare play since 1959, 50 years ago! But I had read nearly all of them in college. I wanted to go back, start with something not too serious or challenging, and work my way through the whole corpus. Thus I began with The Two Gentlemen of Verona. At this time I have no idea how the project will go, nor if it will actually lead me through the entire corpus of Shakespeare�s plays. However, I will keep a separate page listing each play I�ve read with links to any comments I would make of that particular play. See: List of Shakespeare�s play�s I�ve read and commented on

COMMENTS ON AS YOU LIKE IT

Sweet are the uses of adversity, Which, like the toad, ugly and venomous, Wears yet a precious jewel in his head; And this our life, exempt from pubic haunt, Finds tongues in trees, books in the running brooks, Sermons in stones, and good in everything.

O good old man, how well in thee appears The constant service of the antique world, When service sweat for duty, not for mead! Thou are not for the fashion of these times, Where none will sweat but for promotion, And having that, do choke their service up Even with the having; it is not so with thee.

Corin: Who calls? Touchstone: Your betters, sir? Corin: Else are they very wretched.

DUKE SENIOR: Thou seest we are not all alone unhappy: This wide and universal theater Presents more woeful pageants than the scene Wherein we play in. JAQUES All the world�s a stage, And all the men and women merely players; They have their exits and their entrances, And one man in his time plays many parts, His acts being seven ages. At first, the infant, Mewling and puking in the nurse�s arms. Then the whining schoolboy, with his satchel And shining morning face, creeping like snail Unwillingly to school. And then the lover, Sighing like furnace, with a woeful ballad Made to his mistress� eyebrow. Then a soldier, Full of strange oaths and bearded like the bard, Jealous in honor, sudden and quick in quarrel, Seeking the bubble reputation Even in the cannon�s mouth. And then the justice, In fair round belly with good capon lined, With eyes severe and beard of formal cut, Full of wise saws and modern instances; And so he plays his part. The sixth age shifts Into the lean and skippered pantaloon, With spectacles on nose and pouch on side; His youthful hose, well saved, a world too wide For his shrunk shank, and his big manly voice, Turning again toward childish treble, pipes And whistles in his sound. Last scene of all, That ends this strange eventful history, Is second childishness and mere oblivion, Sans teeth, sans eyes, sans taste, sans everything.

Truly, shepherd, in respect of itself, it is a good life; but in respect that it is a shepherd�s life, it is naught. In respect that it is solitary, I like it very well; but in respect that it is private, it is a very vile life. Now in respect it is in the fields, it pleaseth me well; but in respect it is not in the court, it is tedious. As it is a spare life, look you, it fits my humor well; but as there is no more plenty in it, it goes much against my stomach.

A wonderful play to read, so very much fun and so lovely.

Shadowing Shakespeare

A Year in the Life of William Shakespeare: 1599 , by James Shapiro ’77CC (HarperCollins, 394 pages, $27.95).

Shakespeare , by Mark Van Doren ’21GSAS, ’60HON (New York Review Books Classics, 302 pages, $15.95).

If, as Plato dreamed, man is the shadow of a shadow, then what must a playwright be? The shadow of a shadow, making shadows? And if the playwright is William Shakespeare? Then, one guesses, the greatest shadow maker of all time. He has certainly cast his own shadow over every successive generation, over none more obscurely than the biographers. We just don’t know enough. He left behind no diaries, no grocery lists, no letters. The corridors of his days are dimly lit; one looks in vain to find the man behind his characters. The dearth of information has led some to deny his authorial existence altogether, attributing the writing of the plays to his more historically verifiable contemporaries: Christopher Marlowe, Francis Bacon, Edward de Vere. For others, the scarcity becomes open ground for speculation, building fiction out of what little facts we have ( Will in the World , Stephen Greenblatt’s historicist approach, par excellence). Still others have removed the Bard completely from his historic moment, re-creating him, essentially, into timeless versions of themselves (Johnson’s Shakespeare, we still say; Coleridge’s Shakespeare; Harold Bloom’s . . . ).

Now James Shapiro, the Larry Miller Professor of English and Comparative Literature, has added to the store.  A Year in the Life of William Shakespeare: 1599  situates the Bard firmly in history, presenting a synoptic view of the playwright suspended in a particular moment of time. It’s as though the trajectory of a life were arrested mid-arc and turned into a cross-section. Looking in, we see the threads converge and intertwine, view life from its many angles — the artistic, religious, political, and so on. So what can one year —  this  year — tell us about our most luminous shadow? In Shapiro’s study, it turns out, quite a lot.

For starters, look at the literary output. In 1599, one of the best-selling books is  The Passionate Pilgrim  by “W. Shakespeare.” The author, who is 35, will embark this year upon a period of unprecedented, even unparalleled, literary accomplishment, completing three plays —  Henry V, Julius Caesar, As You Like   It  — and beginning to draft his masterwork,  Hamlet . Remarkable by any standard. But consider, further, his daily immersion in the nuts-and-bolts routine, what Yeats called “theatre business, management of men”: In 1599, Shakespeare was a “key member and shareholder of the Chamberlain’s Men, a company of traveling players who performed in front of both royalty and regular citizens”; with them, “he juggled creative and administrative responsibilities, rehearsing, writing, and performing while also supervising the building of the Globe Theatre, a huge gamble for all the principals involved.” Add to this the insatiable demand of London theatergoers upon Shakespeare and his rival dramatists for new material, plays to please both court and commoners, works both pleasurably conventional and experimentally sharp. The wonder is not only that Shakespeare produced such fine plays this year; it’s that he produced them at all.

Shapiro broadens his focus to include the dominant domestic and international issues occupying the minds of Elizabethans (and, presumably, Shakespeare) at the time, seismic tremors and shifts in all spheres — political, economic, philosophical, cultural, religious, and social. A short list includes England’s deploying of troops under Essex to crush an Irish rebellion, and the difficult truce that followed; ongoing hostilities with Spain and the threat of an Armada invasion; the beginnings of the East India Company and the subsequent rise of global capitalism; suppression of seditious writings and speech; mounting anxiety over a successor to Britain’s aging and childless queen; religious tensions and the dying code of chivalry. Such political tensions and topical issues — censorship, tyranny, and controversies over the calendar — come into Shakespeare’s reimagining of the ancient tragedy of  Julius Caesar , Shapiro argues. The intrigue and uncertainty in the air at court, as well as the nostalgia for a passing age, influence the Bard’s creation of  Hamlet .

A decade of archival research turns up more material: Shapiro demonstrates how contemporary sermons, political tracts, letters, diaries, travelers’ accounts, and official records shed light on the man. He directs us toward not only what Shakespeare might have read, but what public spectacles he might have witnessed, what art he might have viewed, the people with whom he must have spoken, what he might have heard by way of rumors and facts in the ferment of London and the Elizabethan court. In all, he shows an artist immersed in his historic moment, responsive — as Shakespeare must have been — to what Hamlet called the “form and pressure” of his time. And he amply substantiates his claim that this year, 1599, is pivotal, “the decisive one in Shakespeare’s development as a writer.”

A vastly different but equally illuminating treatment is afforded by another Columbia professor, the legendary Mark Van Doren, in his collection of essays,  Shakespeare , first published by Henry Holt in 1939 and newly reissued by New York Review Books Classics. The essays grew out of a course Van Doren taught in the 1930s and ’40s whose roster included a number of students, who would become luminaries in their own right: the poets John Berryman, Allen Ginsberg, Richard Howard, John Hollander, Louis Simpson, just to name a few. Where Shapiro’s focus is on a historical moment, and on what that moment might tell us about the man, Van Doren’s is all upon the art: “The biography of Shakespeare is the biography of his art, his intellect, and his imagination.” To know Shakespeare, in Van Doren’s eyes, is to trace his development as an artist through the plays and poems; the playwright swells in stature precisely through his technical discoveries, imaginative facility, and felicities.

Harold Bloom’s recent book credits Shakespeare with the invention of the human; Van Doren’s essay on the gratuitously bloody  Titus Andronicus  suggests that Shakespeare first had to learn to be humane: The inhumanity of the play is symptomatic of the inexperience of the author. One indication of growth is self-parody, a state that Shakespeare brilliantly achieves by the end of  A Midsummer Night’s Dream . Along the way, there is the growing self-consciousness of his powers as a poet: “The author of  Richard II  is perhaps more interested in poetry than he will ever be again. He is still learning to write at a fabulous rate; he is still making the most remarkable discoveries of powers with his pen which he could not have guessed were there before, let alone measured.” The book is rich with such instances where we learn Shakespeare even as  he  learns the limits and potentials of his style.

Van Doren is at his best when elucidating character or, more particularly, characteristic speech. “Language most shews a man,” wrote Shakespeare’s great contemporary, Ben Jonson. “Speak, that I may see thee.” Van Doren follows this line of idea throughout, showing how speech patterns encapsulate and reveal character. Witness Shylock in The  Merchant of Venice , whose voice “comes rasping into the play like a file,” so different from the musical voices that surround him. “[T]he edge of it not only cuts but tears, not only slices but saws. He is always repeating phrases, half to himself, as misers do — hoarding them if they are good, unwilling to give them wings so they may spend themselves generously in the free air of mutual talk.” Or Falstaff, whose “native speech is casual yet pure, natural yet distinguished, easy and yet expertly wrenched out of line with the conventions of syntax.” Like language, like man. Or, more broadly, the characters in  Julius Caesar , who all “tend to talk alike; their training has been forensic and therefore uniform, so that they can say anything with both efficiency and ease.” Even the monster Caliban gets his due: “His characteristic speech does not open the mouth to music; it closes it rather on harsh, hissing, or guttural consonants that in the slowness with which they must be uttered express the difficult progress of a mind bemired in fact, an imagination beslimed with particulars.”

Thankfully, Van Doren’s mind and imagination work in just the opposite way with their facts and particulars; his eye is so keen, his facility with phrasing so adept and surprising — to say nothing of his encyclopedic knowledge of the plays (they are all treated here, along with the poems) — one leaves the experience of reading each essay exhilarated and refreshed. Their brevity is part of the exhilaration: As David Lehman writes in his foreword, each piece was written in a sustained burst of energy. “The professor kept his Columbia students in mind as he wrote. ‘Things they had said to me, things I had said to them, and things they now might learn for the first time as I myself was learning them’ all went into the writing.” One has the feeling, moving through the book, of listening to an extraordinarily high and finely tuned current of thinking. It’s what those students of years ago must have felt sitting under the master’s tutelage. Todd Hearon’s work appears in various literary journals, including  AGNI ,  Harvard Review ,  The New Republic ,  Parnassus ,  Poetry ,  Slate  and  The Southern Review . He lives in Exeter, N.H.

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By William Shakespeare

'Henry VIII' by William Shakespeare is a play that is great in some ways but lacking by some standards. This review will give you reasons to decide whether or not to read the play and perhaps tell you how to place your expectations.

About the Book

Article written by Onyekachi Osuji

B.A. in Public Administration and certified in Creative Writing (Fiction and Non-Fiction)

‘ Henry VIII ‘ is the last play by the legendary William Shakespeare . This historical play has some good features to recommend it but in some other aspects falls below the standard, given the precedence of its author. There are some remarkable lines in the dialogue, well-developed characters, and a good plot. But on the other hand, some of the characters lack depth or significance and for a historical play, the accuracy of some details of the play is questionable.

For me, whoever is the author of ‘ Henry VIII ‘ (as the authorship is still a debatable matter) deserves full marks for the depiction and development of the character Cardinal Wolsey—much is said about him by other characters in the play and his own words and actions corroborate what is said about him, giving the audience a clear understanding of his character. Also, his character undergoes a significant change from evil to good.

Unfortunately, apart from Cardinal Wolsey and a few other characters like Duke of Buckingham and Queen Katherine, many other characters appear repeatedly but still fail to add significantly to the plot or make an impression on the audience. For instance, characters like Thomas Lovell and Lord Sands, despite numerous appearances, can easily remain forgettable if removed from the play.

Historical Accuracy

A quick piece of advice to readers— if you’re looking for an accurate account of events in King Henry VIII’s reign, please do not limit your sources to the story of ‘ Henry VIII ‘ by Shakespeare .

Some of the details are vague, mixed up, and can be misleading. For instance, in the play, Sir Thomas More is mentioned as the man who succeeded Cardinal Wolsey as Lord Chancellor which is historically correct, but Sir Thomas More resigned from his position as Lord Chancellor in the year 1532, before the birth of Elizabeth I in 1533. Yet in Act V, Scene III of the play, we see the character of a Lord Chancellor presiding over a trial after the birth of Elizabeth I and nowhere in the play was it stated that Sir Thomas More had ceased to be the Lord Chancellor at that time. So, this can mislead some readers into thinking that Sir Thomas More was still Lord Chancellor after Elizabeth I was born.

Also, some of the characters’ names are spelt differently from the names of the actual historical figures they are based on. For instance, the historical figure Queen Catherine of Aragon is misspelt as ”Katherine” in the play, and Anne Boleyn is spelt as ”Anne Bullen” in the play.

Reading the play is recommended but not as a reliable source of history .

The plot of ‘ Henry VIII ‘ by Shakespeare is one of the good points in the play’s favour. For me, the tragic execution of the Duke of Buckingham orchestrated by Cardinal Wolsey is quite arresting, but the grief of the reader is eventually assuaged by the nemesis that catches up with Cardinal Wolsey when he is stripped of his power by the king and disgraced.

The two events above give the play a worthwhile plot. Without them, the other events in the plot would be rather dull.

Language and Dialogue

Modern readers often find it challenging to read and understand Shakespearean texts and ‘ Henry VIII ‘ will likely not be an exception. 21 st Century English has evolved into what feels like an entirely different language from what was used in the 16 th and 17 th centuries, and so it is natural for modern-day readers to experience some comprehension hitches. However, the challenge in comprehending the language is not beyond what a careful perusal can rectify. A helpful tip for better comprehension is to read dialogues twice.

The dialogues in the play contain some wise quotes . Therefore, I’d strongly recommend that readers follow the dialogues attentively. Also, figurative language is brilliantly deployed in the dialogues to make for an enjoyable read.

Henry VIII Review

Book Title: Henry VIII

Book Description: 'Henry VIII,' Shakespeare's last play, delves into the monarch's dramatic life, offering notable quotes and themes.

Book Author: William Shakespeare

Book Edition: Folio First Edition

Book Format: Paperback

Publisher - Organization: Penguin Classics

Date published: November 16, 1623

ISBN: 978-0-14-039696-2

Number Of Pages: 376

• Lasting Effect on a Reader

Henry VIII Review: The Light Fades on Shakespeare as he takes this Last Bow

Henry VIII  is the last play credited to the legendary William Shakespeare. This historical play while not being a bad piece, still falls below expectation given the precedence of the author and the interesting English monarch after whom the play is named. King Henry VIII of England is a historical character whose life and reign were royally dramatic, and it is not out of place to expect more when a man considered the greatest playwright of all times makes his last play about such an epic character.

However, barring very high expectations, the play is not so bad a read. It still contains some quotes, themes and literary devices that make it a worthwhile read.

• Interesting elements in the plot
• Dialogues with nuggets of wisdom 
• Great use of literary devices and figurative language
• Some poorly developed characters
• Unclear sequence of historical events

About Onyekachi Osuji

Onyekachi was already an adult when she discovered the rich artistry in the storytelling craft of her people—the native Igbo tribe of Africa. This connection to her roots has inspired her to become a Literature enthusiast with an interest in the stories of Igbo origin and books from writers of diverse backgrounds. She writes stories of her own and works on Literary Analysis in various genres.

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Osuji, Onyekachi " Henry VIII Review ⭐ " Book Analysis , https://bookanalysis.com/william-shakespeare/henry-viii/review/ . Accessed 16 April 2024.

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A MIDSUMMER NIGHT’S DREAM

by William Shakespeare & illustrated by Kate Brown ‧ RELEASE DATE: June 1, 2008

Of late many classic titles—including the Bible—have been turned into manga, in a 21st-century version of the venerable Classics Illustrated comics. This take on the Bard boils his play down to approximately 20 words per page, drastically abridging the text, though keeping intact the original language and meter. A fully colored dramatis personae reduces the characters to sound bites and shines in comparison to the flat, gray-toned images that murkily tell the story itself. As drawn by Brown, the characters are decidedly more Western-looking in their styling than is typical to most manga, and the adaptor’s choice of setting is an anachronistic mishmash of quasi-antique and modern, a choice that will leave sophisticated readers knowledgeable with the text slightly puzzled. The Tempest (ISBN: 978-0-8109-9476-8), drawn by Paul Duffield, follows an identical template. These attempts to convert Shakespeare into visual language fall flat, although the slick manga styling alone may attract some new readers to these works. (plot summary, author’s biography) (Graphic fiction. 13 & up)

Pub Date: June 1, 2008

ISBN: 978-0-8109-9475-1

Page Count: 208

Publisher: Amulet/Abrams

Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010

Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 15, 2008

GENERAL GRAPHIC NOVELS & COMICS | TEENS & YOUNG ADULT FICTION

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BOOK REVIEW

by William Shakespeare ; adapted by Crystal S. Chan & Michael Barltrop ; illustrated by Julien Choy

by William Shakespeare ; adapted by Crystal Chan ; illustrated by Julien Choy

by William Shakespeare ; adapted by Georghia Ellinas ; illustrated by Jane Ray

IF ONLY I HAD TOLD HER

by Laura Nowlin ‧ RELEASE DATE: Feb. 6, 2024

A heavy read about the harsh realities of tragedy and their effects on those left behind.

In this companion novel to 2013’s If He Had Been With Me , three characters tell their sides of the story.

Finn’s narrative starts three days before his death. He explores the progress of his unrequited love for best friend Autumn up until the day he finally expresses his feelings. Finn’s story ends with his tragic death, which leaves his close friends devastated, unmoored, and uncertain how to go on. Jack’s section follows, offering a heartbreaking look at what it’s like to live with grief. Jack works to overcome the anger he feels toward Sylvie, the girlfriend Finn was breaking up with when he died, and Autumn, the girl he was preparing to build his life around (but whom Jack believed wasn’t good enough for Finn). But when Jack sees how Autumn’s grief matches his own, it changes their understanding of one another. Autumn’s chapters trace her life without Finn as readers follow her struggles with mental health and balancing love and loss. Those who have read the earlier book will better connect with and feel for these characters, particularly since they’ll have a more well-rounded impression of Finn. The pain and anger is well written, and the novel highlights the most troublesome aspects of young adulthood: overconfidence sprinkled with heavy insecurities, fear-fueled decisions, bad communication, and brash judgments. Characters are cued white.

Pub Date: Feb. 6, 2024

ISBN: 9781728276229

Page Count: 416

Publisher: Sourcebooks Fire

Review Posted Online: Jan. 5, 2024

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 1, 2024

TEENS & YOUNG ADULT SOCIAL THEMES | TEENS & YOUNG ADULT FICTION | TEENS & YOUNG ADULT ROMANCE

More by Laura Nowlin

by Laura Nowlin

INDIVISIBLE

by Daniel Aleman ‧ RELEASE DATE: May 4, 2021

An ode to the children of migrants who have been taken away.

A Mexican American boy takes on heavy responsibilities when his family is torn apart.

Mateo’s life is turned upside down the day U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents show up unsuccessfully seeking his Pa at his New York City bodega. The Garcias live in fear until the day both parents are picked up; his Pa is taken to jail and his Ma to a detention center. The adults around Mateo offer support to him and his 7-year-old sister, Sophie, however, he knows he is now responsible for caring for her and the bodega as well as trying to survive junior year—that is, if he wants to fulfill his dream to enter the drama program at the Tisch School of the Arts and become an actor. Mateo’s relationships with his friends Kimmie and Adam (a potential love interest) also suffer repercussions as he keeps his situation a secret. Kimmie is half Korean (her other half is unspecified) and Adam is Italian American; Mateo feels disconnected from them, less American, and with worries they can’t understand. He talks himself out of choosing a safer course of action, a decision that deepens the story. Mateo’s self-awareness and inner monologue at times make him seem older than 16, and, with significant turmoil in the main plot, some side elements feel underdeveloped. Aleman’s narrative joins the ranks of heart-wrenching stories of migrant families who have been separated.

Pub Date: May 4, 2021

ISBN: 978-0-7595-5605-8

Page Count: 400

Publisher: Little, Brown

Review Posted Online: Feb. 22, 2021

Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 15, 2021

TEENS & YOUNG ADULT FICTION | TEENS & YOUNG ADULT FAMILY | TEENS & YOUNG ADULT SOCIAL THEMES

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by Daniel Aleman

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A Remarkable Discovery of a Document Shatters One of Shakespeare's Biggest Mysteries

A secret parchment has resurfaced, rewriting the Bard’s sketchy family history.

In the annals of William Shakespeare ’s legacy, a twist has emerged that’s practically as dramatic as any of the Bard’s plays: the real “Shakespeare” behind a centuries-old family document has been revealed ... and it’s not the man we expected.

In 1757, a bricklayer found a religious document hidden in the rafters of the Shakespeare House in Stratford-upon-Avon, England. Historians have long attributed the document, which was signed, “ J. Shakespeare ,” to William’s father, John.

But a new study in Shakespeare Quarterly, from scholars at the University of Bristol, claims John wasn’t actually the writer of the scrutinized document. Instead, the researchers say it was William’s relatively unknown younger sister, Joan Shakespeare Hart, who is mentioned by name in only seven surviving documents from her lifetime, study author Matthew Steggle said in a statement :

“Virginia Woolf wrote a famous essay, Shakespeare’s sister , about how a figure like her could never hope to be a writer or have her writing preserved, so she has become something of a symbol for all the lost voices of early modern women. There are hundreds of thousands of works surviving from her brother, and until now, none at all, of any description, from her.”

In the tucked-away document, which heavily cites an obscure 17 th century Italian religious tract called The Last Will and Testament of the Soul, the writer pledges to die a good Catholic death. If the writer was indeed John Shakespeare, who remained a devout Protestant until his death in 1601, it would have indicated a major shift in his beliefs and suggested a clandestine life during an era when secret allegiance to the Catholic Church in Elizabethan England could have been dangerous. For this reason, many experts have suspected the document to be forged.

But in the new study, Steggle used internet archives to track down early editions of The Last Will and Testament of the Soul in Italian and six other languages and concluded the document could have only been written after John Shakespeare’s death. That left Steggle with just one other “J. Shakespeare”: Joan.

Joan, who was five years younger than William, survived for 30 years after her brother’s death, and long resided in the family home where the document was found.

“Even 30 years ago, a researcher approaching a problem like this would have been based in a single big research library, using printed catalogues and even card catalogues to try to find copies of this text,” Steggle said in the statement. “But research libraries have now made many of their resources available digitally, so that it is possible to look across many different libraries in different countries at once, and what’s more, you can look through the whole text, not just at the title and other details.”

Steggle emphasized the importance of this approach in aligning the document’s quotes with the original timing of the composition of The Last Will and Testament of the Soul. Joan, then, who outlived her tradesman husband and had four children in the old Shakespeare family house, had to have been the secret Catholic supporter.

The mystery flourished for centuries, in part, because William Shakespeare himself was a secretive figure, Biography writes .

Shakespeare, who lived from 1564 to 1616, left behind no letters, no handwritten manuscripts, few contemporary accounts, and only six signatures, all spelled differently. It seems almost unbelievable to scholars and critics that the country boy from Stratford-upon-Avon who never attended university wrote 37,000 words for his plays and added roughly 300 words to the English vocabulary.

Yet, the scarcity of Shakespeare’s personal artifacts does little to dim the luster of his legacy, which stands in stark contrast to his modest, mysterious origins.

The early years of Shakespeare’s life are murky. According to Biography , he was born to a father, John, who managed a portfolio as a landowner, moneylender, local official, and glover and leather craftsman. Instead of pursuing higher education, Shakespeare’s knowledge was gleaned from life experiences, absorbing wisdom from his dad’s civic engagements and perhaps gaining insights from his son-in-law, who was a doctor.

The idea that Shakespeare kept his London-based professional life separate from his personal life in Stratford-upon-Avon plays into the recent findings regarding his sister, Joan. “This secretive attitude,” Biography writes, “may have been because much of his family were known Catholic sympathizers and chose to live quietly in Protestant Elizabethan England. In fact, some believe Shakespeare himself received Catholic communion on his death bed.”

Shakespeare wasn’t known to be loud and boisterous; instead, he carried an air of mystery, relishing the relative anonymity provided by Stratford life. Following his marriage to Anne Hathaway and the birth of their children, there’s a seven-year gap in his historical record. These are known as the “lost years.”

Speculation about William Shakespeare’s “lost years” varies widely; some suggest he may have been in hiding due to accusations of poaching, while more substantiated theories propose he was making a living as an actor and playwright in London. But despite this period of obscurity, Shakespeare’s reputation flourished through his poetry, sonnets, and plays.

As a prominent member of the Lord Chamberlain’s Men, a renowned London acting company, Shakespeare invested in his craft, and his financial success allowed him to buy New Place, one of the largest houses in Stratford-upon-Avon. Shakespeare’s theatrical endeavors didn’t stop there; in collaboration with fellow actors, he started the iconic Globe Theater, which became synonymous with his celebrated playwriting and solidified his legacy.

As Shakespeare grew his name in London’s theaters, he simultaneously established himself as a prominent figure in his hometown of Stratford. Acquiring the family estate in 1601 and subsequently purchasing 107 acres the following year, he strategically invested in additional properties. Experts suggest that the income from leasing these lands gave him the financial stability to pursue his writing.

Meanwhile, Joan resided in the Shakespeare family home amidst speculation and secrets. And its rafters served as a vault for her Italian-inspired religious writings—a hidden gem that’s still sparking scholarly intrigue, and revealing new layers to the Shakespeare legacy today.

Tim Newcomb is a journalist based in the Pacific Northwest. He covers stadiums, sneakers, gear, infrastructure, and more for a variety of publications, including Popular Mechanics. His favorite interviews have included sit-downs with Roger Federer in Switzerland, Kobe Bryant in Los Angeles, and Tinker Hatfield in Portland. 

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Row over claim Shakespeare's works could have been written by a WOMAN

William Shakespeare's mastery of the English language has remained unchallenged for centuries.

But a renowned literary institution has provoked anger by hosting a debate on whether some of the Bard's works could have been written by a woman.

Oliver Kamm, a journalist and author, has written to the Chairman of the London Library to complain about the 'wildly inappropriate' event and its 'promotion of a baseless and anti-intellectual conspiracy theory.'

The 19th century library, which contains one million books, is holding a panel discussion in June with Elizabeth Winkler, the author of the controversial book 'Shakespeare Was a Woman and Other Heresies', which explores 'who the Bard might really be.' 

The book looks at 'how the forces of nationalism and empire, religion and mythmaking, gender and class have shaped our admiration of Shakespeare across the centuries.'

It analyses the 'literary taboo' not to question 'the identity of the god of English literature,' which it's been suggested could involve a 'forgotten woman, a disgraced aristocrat or a government spy' writing some of his works.

The London Library's discussion on such a divisive topic will also involve Sir Derek Jacobi, one of the great Shakesperean actors, and author and critic Stephanie Merritt.

However, Mr Kamm has written to library chairman Simon Goodwin to criticise the 'institution' for holding the event.

He described it as a 'grave misjudgement', adding: 'There is a cost to indulging conspiracy theories, evident in the coarsening of public discourse and the spread of irrationalism.'

Mr Kamm wrote: 'To host a 'conversation' with Shakespeare denialists is a betrayal of the values of literary scholarship and critical inquiry that we hold to.'

He likened it to the Royal Geographical Society holding a discussion with 'flat-earthers.'

Winkler's book explores arguments for possible Shakespeare author candidates including poet Emilia Bassano, playwright Christopher Marlowe, philosopher Francis Bacon and Edward de Vere, 17th Earl of Oxford.

But Mr Kamm commented that 'literary scholars dismiss these fantasies because there is zero evidence to support the notion of concealed authorship'.

Mr Kamm called on the library to add a Shakespeare specialist to the line-up such as Professor Emma Smith, an expert in Shakespeare studies at the University of Oxford.

Another critic of the event was Jonathan Beckman, editor of The Economist's 1843 magazine, who posted on X that he had also written to the director because 'the library is supposed to be a bastion of scholarship.' 

The London Library was not available for comment.

Ms Winkler said her book and the London Library discussion was 'not suggesting Shakespeare was female.'

She said her book 'is about the theories that have been put forward over the centuries. It does not argue for any one of them in particular.'

Commenting on Mr Kamm and critics of the library event, she added: 'I'm not sure why these people feel so threatened by a simple library discussion. 

'Arguments about the past are a fundamental feature of academic freedom and democratic debate. 

'There is nothing dangerous or 'immoral' in exploring this subject. Shutting down discussion is obviously anti-intellectual.'