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Arden Shakespeare Library
The Arden Dictionary of Shakespeare Quotations
Part of the ARDEN SHAKESPEARE series, a thematically arranged collection of some 3,000 quotations, both familiar and less well-known, drawn from Shakespeare's works.
408 pages, Hardcover
First published October 14, 1999
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Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
July 27, 2014
Not really a book to read of course but it's a great piece of reference and to make you sound really clever (or maybe just hugely pretentious!).
I love the way the book is laid out and indexed for ease of reference. It's a dictionary so it's in alphabetical order of subject. For example food ('Tis an ill cook that cannot lick his own fingers'), horses (I had rather had my horse to my mistress' etc etc.
It makes you realise how bloody brilliant Shakespeare was. Most great writers might have one or two classic works, Shakespeare had perhaps ten to twenty and even the others are pretty good. Of course he was not writing for posterity. He did it for the classic reasons, money and the ladies.
Pick up this dictionary and turn to any page and find something that has either seeped into the English language and now by extension the world and just 'hits the spot.' I going to do that now:
P.128 Hunting: 'The Game is up'
p.45 Cruelty: 'I will speak daggers to her but use none'
p.275 Summer: 'Now these hot days is the mad blood stirring'
p.118 Hatred: 'In time we hate what which we often fear'
I could go on but you have lives to lead.
Shakespeare: There's a reason you might have loved or suffered him at school and kids do to this day. He is a genius. And most of his work was drama so watch it rather than reading it.
Sermon over!
I love the way the book is laid out and indexed for ease of reference. It's a dictionary so it's in alphabetical order of subject. For example food ('Tis an ill cook that cannot lick his own fingers'), horses (I had rather had my horse to my mistress' etc etc.
It makes you realise how bloody brilliant Shakespeare was. Most great writers might have one or two classic works, Shakespeare had perhaps ten to twenty and even the others are pretty good. Of course he was not writing for posterity. He did it for the classic reasons, money and the ladies.
Pick up this dictionary and turn to any page and find something that has either seeped into the English language and now by extension the world and just 'hits the spot.' I going to do that now:
P.128 Hunting: 'The Game is up'
p.45 Cruelty: 'I will speak daggers to her but use none'
p.275 Summer: 'Now these hot days is the mad blood stirring'
p.118 Hatred: 'In time we hate what which we often fear'
I could go on but you have lives to lead.
Shakespeare: There's a reason you might have loved or suffered him at school and kids do to this day. He is a genius. And most of his work was drama so watch it rather than reading it.
Sermon over!
December 21, 2013
I have been quite the Shakespeare-phile ever since high school and have always wanted to find an accurate summary of quotes. You would think there would be more available but this book is arranged well based on topic/subject, making obtaining the right quote for the right situation possible. While this was given to me as a gift from my wife and daughter, I think the price is excellent for a book of this breadth and depth. Highly recommended.
December 2, 2017
It's not a book you read from back to back. It's one of those you pick from time to time to savour pages or passages.
One has to truly admire Shakespear's wit or whoever wrote his plays ;)
Great stuff.
One has to truly admire Shakespear's wit or whoever wrote his plays ;)
Great stuff.
August 10, 2016
Wonderful quotes, very thorough keyword index, beautiful edition.
April 28, 2011
Could not have for a more satisfying source for everything that is Shakespearean!
April 27, 2011
Has a good glossary
December 9, 2013
Not quite finished but a good book to dip in and out of.
February 27, 2015
my favorite reference book.
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews