Book Overview
" Shakespeare For Dummies is exquisite." --from the Foreword by Dame Judi Dench, star of "Mrs. Brown" and "Shakespeare in Love" "What the film Shakespeare in Love has done to make Shakespeare the man accessible to a general audience, this book will do to make Shakespeare the writer enjoyable." --Charlotte J.Headrick, PhD, Professor and Director, Theater Arts, Oregon State University Does the thought of sitting through A Midsummer Night's Dream give you nightmares? Did Romeo and Juliet seem like a foreign film--without the subtitles? As John Doyle and Ray Lischner prove in this uniquely accessible guide, Shakespeare is not only the greatest writer who ever lived, he's also a great entertainer--once you get a handle on his wild plots and witty wordplay. Under their guidance, you'll: Go inside an Elizabethan theater--and find out how they managed with almost no seats, no roof and no women onstage Get a handle on Shakespeare's language--including all those racy puns and jokes Maximize your enjoyment of his plays and poetry Identify contemporary idioms and phrases that come from Shakespeare's plays Find Shakespeare festivals and performances in your area Catch ten of the best show ever made of the Bard's plays and meet ten of the greatest Shakespearean actors of all time In simple, straightforward language, this friendly guide eases you into the wild, wonderful world of Shakespeare. With the help of snappy summaries and scorecards that help you keep track of who's who, who's in love with whom, and who's killed whom in every play, it helps you: Understand Shakespeare the person, his life and times and what makes him so special Make sense of Shakespearean language and why it sounds the way it does Get the inside track on the kinds of stories, characters and settings found in Shakespeare's plays Appreciate Shakespeare's sonnets and other non-dramatic poetry A royal feast for the head and heart, Shakespeare's works have been thrilling audiences for four centuries, as they will four hundred years from now. Now let Shakespeare For Dummies help you to enjoy one the world's great literary treasures.
Format:Paperback
Language:English
ISBN:0764551353
ISBN13:9780764551352
Release Date:April 1999
Publisher:For Dummies
Length:363 Pages
Weight:1.45 lbs.
Dimensions:0.8" x 7.4" x 9.2"
Customer Reviews
6 ratings
Shakespeare ISN'T boring like I thought he would be!
Published by mflorene , 10 months ago
Knowing next to nothing about Shakespeare, I had no idea what to expect. I'd always assumed learning about him would be boring. But since I've read numerous "For Dummies" books, I knew they'd make it interesting: what an understatement! This is well written, leaving me eagerly wanting to turn to the next page. It is (like all the "Dummie" books) very humorous, filled with tidbits of interesting facts. It's written in such a way that I'm able to retain it; at 65 years old, that's not an easy thing to do.
Helpful and informative
Published by Thriftbooks.com User , 16 years ago
Some great info not in more scholarly books on Shakespeare. A fun read as well!
Excellent intro to the Bard
Published by Thriftbooks.com User , 17 years ago
I actually got an advance copy of this because Ray Lischner is an old friend of mine. I was thrilled at how the book turned out- open, accessible and entertaining. Even my teenagers liked it (which is saying a great deal!) I think that it is an excellent introduction to Shakespeare for people who've little familiarity with the material, a terrific way to reintroduce Shakespeare to those who only encountered it in high school, and for medieval/Renaissance geeks like myself, a quick, handy reference and an amusing read.
A Shakespeare dummy no more
Published by Thriftbooks.com User , 20 years ago
"Exquisite," as Judi Dench writes in her forward, a treat for anyone who enjoys Shakespeare and an accessible guide for those who want to learn more about him and his work. Authors John Doyle and Ray Lischner are acutely attune to the difficulties one faces when encountering Shakespeare, whether for pleasure or required reading, and pare down the excesses of language into a digestible, humorous guide.Act-by-act summaries of the plays form the bulk of this book, but a biography and introduction to the Elizabethan era (Chapter 2, "Will's World") as well as the essentials to understanding Shakespeare's work receive a fair amount of attention. Part II is devoted entirely to language, with a small glossary of commonly used words and keys to the many puns and jokes in the plays. Particularly helpful is Chapter 6, "How to Read Shakespeare's English." In Part III, the authors introduce structure, themes, and common character types and explore the actual staging of a play. In addition to his dramatic works, the book also discusses Shakespeare's sonnets and various other poems.You'll find these elements in many introductory works, but few contain as much information and are as easy to read. The authors do all they can to facilitate modern readers - scorecards to track characters and their actions, video suggestions, photos from stage and film productions, and international festivals. After reading this book, you'll be ready to discuss any topic on Shakespeare, from the ten greatest Shakespearean performers to the Dark Lady of the sonnets to whether "Cymbeline" is a comedy, tragedy, or history.
Shakespeare for you and I
Published by Thriftbooks.com User , 24 years ago
This book is brought to you by the same folks who publish all the ". . . For Dummies" books for learning computer programs. I have been known to snicker at these books, as I'm rather computer-dweebic, and don't need computer-dummy books. It turns out that my next screenplay involves Shakespeare, and before I started writing, I needed to do some research on the bloke and his works. At the local library, I found "Shakespeare for Dummies." I scanned the book, then nearly choked on swallowing a dollop of pride as I toted the book through the checkout.It's not easy to be expert at something and at the same time to be able to explain it clearly to beginners (or dummies). These authors definitely do have that talent.Open the cover, and first thing, there's a listing of all of the dude's plays with a one or two sentence summary -- the lay of the land! The book goes on to cover the life and times of William; explanations of his brand of English, the theatrical world he worked in, etc. Deeper into the book, there are two- to three-page summaries of each play, with recommendations for videos of each play.The authors' wholistic approach is very informative, and they take a good-natured approach to a topic that could be oh-so-scholarly.My screenplay, by the way, is titled Learning Shakespeare. The irony of it all.
Fun, funny, and informative!
Published by Thriftbooks.com User , 25 years ago
Shakespeare isn't dull when you read Shakespeare for Dummies. It starts with an overview of Shakespeare's life and world. It tells you what you need to know about Shakespeare's language, plays, and poetry, without burdening you with stuffy academic claptrap. Summaries of every play tell you about the play prior to watching it on stage or on screen. This book is for everyone--Lit. majors, actors, or if you just want to know more about Shakespeare.
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