William Shakespeare

William Shakespeare's comedic play about love, mistaken identities, and magic is reimagined by Shakespeare's Globe as a picture book for children. The story is told from the perspective of Puck the sprite in language that is true to the original play but also accessible. This retelling is a magical way to introduce children to one of the best-loved works of the world's greatest playwright. -- Book jacket.

The play is set on a remote island, where Prospero, the exiled Duke of Milan, plots to restore his daughter Miranda to her rightful place, using illusion and skillful manipulation. The tempest brings to the island Prospero's usurping brother Antonio and the complicit Alonso, King of Naples. There, his machinations bring about the revelation of Antonio's low nature, the redemption of Alonso, and the marriage of Miranda to Alonso's son, Ferdinand.

Othello, a high-ranking Moorish soldier, marries Desdemona, daughter of a Venetian senator who opposes the marriage. Othello wins over her family, but a frustrated ensign, Iago, sabotages his happiness by insinuating that Desdemona is having an affair with Cassio, another officer. Jealousy, racial overtones, confusion, fear, and lies eventually destroy love, honor, friendship, and respect.

Presents the original text of Shakespeare's play side by side with a modern version, with marginal notes and explanations and full descriptions of each character.

In the new Pelican Shakespeare series, each title is redesigned in an easy-to-read format that preserves the favorite features of the original, including an essay on the theatrical world of Shakespeare, an introduction to the individual play, and a note on the text used.

Close friends Valentine and Proteus become rivals for the hand of Silvia, daughter of the Duke of Milan, who has promised her to the foolish coward Thurio. Proteus has Valentine banished, but Silvia escapes to the forest to join him. Proteus follows with Julia, who dotes on him. After a confrontation, the Duke eventually allows Valentine and Silvia to wed, and Proteus marries Julia.

This drama is about love and marriage. But the path to marriage in this play is unusually hazardous. ... To win Portia's hand, Bassanio must put his future at risk in an attempt to choose correctly among three caskets or chests of gold, silver, and lead. If he chooses rightly, he wins, in marriage, the beautiful, intelligent, and supremely resourceful Portia and her great wealth. If he chooses wrongly, he must forever abandon Portia and may never...

"As the Roman Republic faces threats both foreign and domestic, Mark Antony―a triumvir alongside Lepidus and Octavius―abandons his duties to remain in Alexandria with his lover, Queen Cleopatra of Egypt. When the demands of state become impossible to ignore any longer, he returns to Rome. There, he is encouraged to marry Octavia, the sister of his fellow ruler. At the risk of rupturing their fragile relationship, he consents, enraging Cleopatra....

All's Well That Ends Well (1607) is a comedy by William Shakespeare. All's Well That Ends Well was likely inspired by the tale of Giletta di Narbona from Boccaccio's Decameron. Unpopular during Shakespeare's lifetime, the play remains one of his least staged works to this day. Despite this, scholars praise All's Well That Ends Well for its moral ambiguity. "The web of our life is of a mingled yarn, good and ill together, our virtues would be proud...

"In Tales of Shakespeare, Charles and Mary Lamb wished to bring the plays to life in a form which would encourage young readers to enjoy Shakespeare"--Cover p. [4].