Outlines of Shakespeare's Plays
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Book Overview
Act-by-act synopses of all the plays are given. To suggest the flavor of the original, actual quotations from the plays are woven into the narratives and the descriptions of characters listed in the dramatis personae . The introduction covers Shakepeare's life and times, sources, and other background material. Illustrations, maps, a selected bibliography, and two helpful genealogical charts are included.
Format:Paperback
Language:English
ISBN:0064600254
ISBN13:9780064600255
Release Date:January 1971
Publisher:Collins Reference
Length:240 Pages
Weight:0.70 lbs.
Dimensions:0.5" x 5.2" x 8.1"
Customer Reviews
2 ratings
Short, simple, useful
Published by Thriftbooks.com User , 17 years ago
The title says it all. This book outlines all of Shakespeare's plays, act by act, and describes each character and his/her relationship to others, where applicable. Each summary is about 3-5 pages (average of about 3.5pgs), and some include important quotations. In addition to the outlines, the book features notes on Shakespeare's life, his theatre, the structure of his plays, sources of his inspiration, by play, and suggestions on reading Shakespeare. Of course, they are not meant as a substitute to the plays, nor are they as thorough as Cliff's Notes, but the succinct format allows you to get a decent sense of the play. Best use: read it before reading the play. It makes for a faster understanding of what is going on and lets you focus on the language, art, plot devices, etc.
Excellent synopsis of all the plays
Published by Thriftbooks.com User , 18 years ago
There is a more recent edition than this one. I thought it MUST still be in print since I have found it to be such a useful little book over the years. Nothing profound, just the dramatis personae for each play with a brief summary of each act, but extremely useful for one who is looking for a bird's eye view of Shakespeare's plays.
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