Shakespeare Books

Great book, so is Teachers editon. Along with "Picture This Shakespeare" this is wonderful for the novice, or the "hater" of Shakespeare. I love this and so do my kids- I homeschool.

The title of this set: "Shakespear's Oracle" is slightly misleading to those searching around for just the right Tarot deck- but make no mistake, this IS a tarot set(complete 78 cards, major/minor arcana). The great thing about this deck is the subject: Shakespere's plays and characters are so inbedded in our culture(even after 400 years)that it's easy to relate to them(his character's also "reflect" the Tarot's images: King Henry VIII as the "Emperor"- no other historical figure could fit this card better!. Even if you are not familiar with Shakespere(a rare condition!), it's still easy to see the similarities between them. Glad I picked this one up and highly recommend it to any Tarot reader. 5 stars!

This is a very handy book not just for teachers, but wonderful for anyone interested in theater. The practical information is really very good, although the title might limit it's readers. Anyone with a love of drama and the theater will find much useful information and a pleasing read.

Barry Clarke's book does more than just add to the strength of the Baconian case in the authorship debate. He brings his background of scientific rationality and logic (as a Mensa puzzle maker no less) to this literary puzzle. Following in the tradition of serious analysis recently led by N. B. Cockburn in his "The Bacon-Shakespeare Question", the two of them have now created what may be the One-Two punch that both overthrows the Stratfordian arguments and provides Bacon as the strongest likely Shake-speare author, by far.

First, Clarke reiterates the argument that William Shakspere shouldn't be considered the only possible author or that someone else needs to be "proved" beyond doubt as the author to supersede the man from Stratford. Instead, since the authorship has long been doubted with no definitive proof for William Shakspere, the question should be carried out as a trial by evidence. Currently, there is only the presumption, based on tradition and plausible circumstantial evidence, that Shakspere wrote the plays and poems under a name similar to his. (Remember, the Sonnets were written by "Shake-speare", not William Shakespeare.) And the recent evidence supporting Bacon's authorship (and there is a great deal of it) has not been examined by Shakespeare scholars. Barry also points out that literature scholars are not the same as historians and the authorship question is mainly a historical one. So the opinion of Shakespeare scholars as to who they believe is the true author should count for less than that of those who have studied and presented accumulative historical evidence on this question.

In sequence then Clarke reviews the dangerous context of publishing in late 16th and early 17th century England; the evidence for the man from Stratford, the actor, and the playwright being the same person; the proximity to source documents for The Tempest; Francis Bacon's possible motivations for authoring the plays and for doing so anonymously; the evidence of Bacon as a play producer and his connections to The Comedy of Errors and Love's Labour's Lost; Contemporary references to Shake-speare; some of many parallels between Bacon's writings and Shake-speare's; as well as possible allusions to Bacon in the plays and then some ciphers as hidden signatures that are unlikely to be by chance.

Clarke's book is not long on speculation and short on substance, as I have seen in recent books in favor of the Earl of Oxford or for Mary Sidney. He provides much historical evidence and reasonable analysis leading to a supportable but unpopular conclusion on a question that too many intelligent people have stopped thinking about. With the recent creation of the Shakespeare Authorship MA degree programs, such as at Brunei University, the historical evidence should get more exposure and the respect that such an important and intriguing historical question deserves.

This is an important and very clever analysis of what Shakespeare has been used for in recent film. I got it for my course and after I had watched Luhrmann's Romeo and juliet again. I liked it very much and so did my family, more than Richard Burt's or Mark Burnett's books on the same subject which are more unchaste in manner and can be offputting as a result.

Eva Adamson and Cider Mill Press brings Shakespeare into the twenty-first century as a box of literary candy.

Women look forward to Valentine's Day and anniversaries with bated breath and great anticipation, while men, for the most part, dread these so-called "lover's days," because they never know what to buy.

Well, author Eve Adamson, together with the gift book experts at Cider Mill Press, have published an ideal gift for those days-or for that special person in your life, any day of the year. Uniquely presented in a sturdy red heart-shaped box, Shakespeare Select is a delicious, albeit fat-free, combination of sonnets, poetry and special quotes offering readers a collection of compliments, come-ons and insightful suggestions in the art of love.

First you'll notice the box's gorgeous design, complete with a miniature photo of Shakespeare. Inside are 30 carefully crafted, individually wrapped love notes, which resemble old-fashioned penny candies.

Each `Bon Mot has two purposes: one side reveals a Shakespearean work meant to inspire and set the mood, while the other side offers a flirtatious hint or suggestion that your lover will find irresistible. The 128-page mini-book is a replica of the outer gift box, full of Shakespeare's poetry, sonnets and quotes from his many plays, as well as the rules of attraction and ways to woo your lover.

The definition of love is one of the great mysteries of the universe and yet, through his sonnets, plays and poetry Shakespeare infused the literary world with a deep, philosophical portrait of relationships, the excitement of love discovered and the heartache of love lost. His wisdom of his words are captured, spiced it up with 21st century come-ons and with a magical sense of creativity delivered a one-of-kind, super-sweet gift book that says a lot without uttering a single sound.

I enjoyed the book immensely and the love notes are interesting and entertaining.

Every now and then you discover a book that's a delight to read and, even better, a delight to share with others: this is one such book.

Armchair Interviews says: Don't miss the opportunity to share the magic of Shakespeare!

Dude, I just didn't know sheakspeare was that cool. Wow, hes my favorite playwright.

Skura's insights into Shakespeare are subtle and excellent.

She delves into one of the most important facts that we have about Shakespeare: He started his career as an actor. We might not know much more about him, but this much is certain. Shakespeare acted on the Elizabethan stage.

Skura takes this as her starting point and explores what it means that Shakespeare did act. In order to get perspective on the career of acting, she explores contemporary actors' experiences. One of the most fascinating arguments she makes is that acting is a process of hunting. . . and then becoming the hunted. When the reader starts to think about this, it becomes fascinating.

After Skura establishes some careful points about this process, she begins to explore possible parallels between Shakespeare's characters who act, his depictions of actors and plays, and Shakespeare himself. Skura uses her fine understanding of psychology in order to deepen her understanding -- possible understanding!! -- of this elusive historical personage. She is always careful about coming to conclusions, but this is done in a way that is respectful of the reader and of history. Nonetheless, some of her insights are particularly convincing. For instance, William and his actor brother Edmund were both possibly "replacement" children. Nowadays, such children often become accustomed to playing roles and denying their own selves. Skura suggests that this might be what helped both Shakespeare sons be able to act.

The book is scholarly, thoroughly researched, and yet written in an accessible style. Skura writes in somewhat of the tradition of Natalie Davis, whose research helps her offer possible interpretations of what it was like to live in the distant past. Skura is an excellent scholar whose article on The Tempest is one of the most insightful and thorough I have ever read.

I highly recommend Skura's wonderful book! It's a joy for actors, scholars, Shakespeare fans, and anyone interested in performance theory.

I've easily spent (many) hundreds of dollars on books hoping to get a better understanding of Shakespeare's Art, and while many are grave disappointments, this is undoubtably a Home Run. Mr. Cahn not only explains what is going on, Scene by Scene, but makes those 'scholarly' observations which actually give added appreciation for the Power and profound Genius of Shakespeare.

I used to attempt different amounts of research before delving into each play. Now, I typically do a bare amount, read the play Act by Act, and then see what Mr. Cahn has to say about it. Even when we seem to be on the very same wavelength, Mr. Cahn usually makes finer observations which show a greater appreciation of Shakespeare's view than I may have noticed.

There are certainly good books which give great insight and 'Yes' deeper readings or more verbage on mythical / topical references, his use of words and other aspects of Shakespeare's works, etcetera ... but for a single volume reviewing the plays (basic, yet concise and to-the-point) - this is the best I've found.

René Weis breaks down all kinds of artifical and traditional walls between Shakespeare's life and works to discover new evidence and reevaluate old evidence. Weis traces Will's links to hundreds of other people of his time including the most likely youth of the Sonnets (Henry Wriothesley), the dark lady (Aemelia Bassano Lanier), and rival poet (Kit Marlowe). I envy his access to and smart use of documents in Stratford and London. You may want to argue with some of his answers, but his brave confrontation with all the old questions about Shakespeare's life, writing style, and autobiographical clues will amaze and delight you.
A new level of biography writer for Shakespeare lovers!
--Peter Jensen, author of Secrets of the Sonnets: Shakespeare's Code