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Shakespeare on Love
A romantic collection of poems and quotes selected from the plays and sonnets of William Shakespeare is beautifully illustrated in fourcolor by artists such as William Blake, Henry Fuseli, Arthur Rackham, Charles Robinson, and others.
96 pages, Hardcover
First published January 15, 1991
13 people are currently reading
326 people want to read
About the author
William Shakespeare
27.8k books47.1k followersWilliam Shakespeare was an English playwright, poet, and actor. He is widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and the world's pre-eminent dramatist. He is often called England's national poet and the "Bard of Avon" (or simply "the Bard"). His extant works, including collaborations, consist of some 39 plays, 154 sonnets, three long narrative poems, and a few other verses, some of uncertain authorship. His plays have been translated into every major living language and are performed more often than those of any other playwright. Shakespeare remains arguably the most influential writer in the English language, and his works continue to be studied and reinterpreted.
Shakespeare was born and raised in Stratford-upon-Avon, Warwickshire. At the age of 18, he married Anne Hathaway, with whom he had three children: Susanna, and twins Hamnet and Judith. Sometime between 1585 and 1592, he began a successful career in London as an actor, writer, and part-owner ("sharer") of a playing company called the Lord Chamberlain's Men, later known as the King's Men after the ascension of King James VI and I of Scotland to the English throne. At age 49 (around 1613), he appears to have retired to Stratford, where he died three years later. Few records of Shakespeare's private life survive; this has stimulated considerable speculation about such matters as his physical appearance, his sexuality, his religious beliefs, and even certain fringe theories as to whether the works attributed to him were written by others.
Shakespeare produced most of his known works between 1589 and 1613. His early plays were primarily comedies and histories and are regarded as some of the best works produced in these genres. He then wrote mainly tragedies until 1608, among them Hamlet, Romeo and Juliet, Othello, King Lear, and Macbeth, all considered to be among the finest works in the English language. In the last phase of his life, he wrote tragicomedies (also known as romances) and collaborated with other playwrights.
Many of Shakespeare's plays were published in editions of varying quality and accuracy during his lifetime. However, in 1623, John Heminge and Henry Condell, two fellow actors and friends of Shakespeare's, published a more definitive text known as the First Folio, a posthumous collected edition of Shakespeare's dramatic works that includes 36 of his plays. Its Preface was a prescient poem by Ben Jonson, a former rival of Shakespeare, that hailed Shakespeare with the now famous epithet: "not of an age, but for all time".
Shakespeare was born and raised in Stratford-upon-Avon, Warwickshire. At the age of 18, he married Anne Hathaway, with whom he had three children: Susanna, and twins Hamnet and Judith. Sometime between 1585 and 1592, he began a successful career in London as an actor, writer, and part-owner ("sharer") of a playing company called the Lord Chamberlain's Men, later known as the King's Men after the ascension of King James VI and I of Scotland to the English throne. At age 49 (around 1613), he appears to have retired to Stratford, where he died three years later. Few records of Shakespeare's private life survive; this has stimulated considerable speculation about such matters as his physical appearance, his sexuality, his religious beliefs, and even certain fringe theories as to whether the works attributed to him were written by others.
Shakespeare produced most of his known works between 1589 and 1613. His early plays were primarily comedies and histories and are regarded as some of the best works produced in these genres. He then wrote mainly tragedies until 1608, among them Hamlet, Romeo and Juliet, Othello, King Lear, and Macbeth, all considered to be among the finest works in the English language. In the last phase of his life, he wrote tragicomedies (also known as romances) and collaborated with other playwrights.
Many of Shakespeare's plays were published in editions of varying quality and accuracy during his lifetime. However, in 1623, John Heminge and Henry Condell, two fellow actors and friends of Shakespeare's, published a more definitive text known as the First Folio, a posthumous collected edition of Shakespeare's dramatic works that includes 36 of his plays. Its Preface was a prescient poem by Ben Jonson, a former rival of Shakespeare, that hailed Shakespeare with the now famous epithet: "not of an age, but for all time".
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Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews
May 7, 2025
¿Qué otra nota podría ponerle a las mejores frases de Shakespeare sobre el amor? 🖤
September 24, 2020
nice quotes and pretty pictures. what more could i possibly ask for?
November 12, 2023
Much easier to understand and connect with than I expected!
April 27, 2023
A simple collection of wonderful quotes from Shakespearean vast work, all having to do with love. Each is accompanied by a lovely illustration related to the quotation. This book is an easy read for any casual fan.
November 15, 2025
Cute little book of excerpts from Shakespeare, on love. lovey dovey love oh how it fills my heart !
November 7, 2023
It's a lovely read. It's great if you want to get into Shakespeare or if you want to read his work without committing.
October 24, 2015
On my quest to read every book I own(which will probably take a few years or so) I came upon this book. I didn't even know that I had this book. Anyway it was a quick yet interesting read. I enjoyed how each Shakespearean excerpt was paired up with a painting or drawing. At the the top of the page it is stated which works the excerpt came from. There are a few works of Shakespear I haven't heard of yet and of course many that I have. Overall I enjoyed the book and now it has put me in the mood to find and read the works I haven't read yet and also re-read the ones I have.
December 28, 2025
Nigdy złośliwość gniewna a uparta
Słodkim jej myślom nie towarzyszyła
Ja – zakochany! Ja, jeszcze niedawno
Bicz na kochanków, prześmiewca ich łez,
Krytyk, ba – nocny strażnik, pedantyczny
Mentor Amora, chłopczyka, któremu
Żaden śmiertelnik w pysze nie dorówna!
Cokolwiek robisz, wychodzi ci lepiej niż innym
Słodkim jej myślom nie towarzyszyła
Ja – zakochany! Ja, jeszcze niedawno
Bicz na kochanków, prześmiewca ich łez,
Krytyk, ba – nocny strażnik, pedantyczny
Mentor Amora, chłopczyka, któremu
Żaden śmiertelnik w pysze nie dorówna!
Cokolwiek robisz, wychodzi ci lepiej niż innym
October 8, 2014
This little book is so heartwarming - I wish I knew who gave me this, but I've had it for so long that I don't remember. As for the contents, it's what you expect from Shakespeare, and many of the quotations are very well known, but it is still a pleasure to flip through.
April 27, 2016
Tämä oli pikku välipala, liittyen Suomalaisten Lukupiirin huhtikuun teemaan. Tällainen kevytversio, pikkukatkelmia näytelmistä ja muutamia sonetteja. Jälkimmäiset varsinkin oli kivoja, niitä pitää poimia luettavaksi enemmänkin.
January 1, 2026
ES:
Esto es perfecto para los amantes de Shakespeare. En mi caso, me ha dejado con ganas de leerme todas las obras suyas que aún no he leído.
EN:
This is perfect for Shakespeare lovers. In my case, it has left me wanting to read all of his works that I haven't read yet.
Esto es perfecto para los amantes de Shakespeare. En mi caso, me ha dejado con ganas de leerme todas las obras suyas que aún no he leído.
EN:
This is perfect for Shakespeare lovers. In my case, it has left me wanting to read all of his works that I haven't read yet.
January 12, 2012
This book has beautiful illustrations of the quotes selected. I like Shakespeare and he has some great quotes about love.
August 11, 2012
Love is not love when alters if alteration it finds
Nor bends with the remover to remove
My favorite
Nor bends with the remover to remove
My favorite
September 16, 2012
I read this aloud to my wife on numerous occasions. Can not explain how important Shakespeare is to me.
December 18, 2014
Beautifully illustrated, great quotes of Shaekespeare's works!
An awesome gift for your loved one and a great book for every Shakespeare lover.
An awesome gift for your loved one and a great book for every Shakespeare lover.
June 26, 2016
It's a nice book, great coffee table or display book. I found the ending a bit abrupt, like they accidentally omitted the conclusion.
April 20, 2024
Vydanie z 2004 od vyšehradu s trojpixelovou fotkou definitely je moj dizajn :D
June 6, 2018
I love having this to turn to when I need something romantic and to grab a quote for a card or text. I love Shakespeare
Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews