The Portable Shakespeare

by William Shakespeare, Stephen Orgel (Editor)

William Shakespeare's plays revolutionized the English language and created some of the most important scenes in Western literature: Hamlet contemplating his mortality, Romeo romancing Juliet, Lear railing against his insanity into the storm, and King Henry V wandering among his soldiers on the eve of battle. With introductions and context from leading Shakespearean scholar Stephen Orgel, the essential works of the most important figure in English literature are collected here: nine complete plays, the most popular scenes and poems, as well as a glossary of 1,000 key words. With clear and authoritative texts from the Pelican Shakespeare series, this user-friendly edition will inspire students, thespians, poets, and general readers alike.

Contents:
Four Complete Plays
- Twelfth night, or, What You Will
- The Tragical History of Hamlet Prince of Denmark
- Macbeth
- The Tempest
Selections from Other Plays
- The Taming of the Shrew
- Love's Labor's Lost
- A Midsummer Night's Dream
- The Merchant of Venice
- Much Ado About Nothing
- As You Like It
- The History of Troilus and Cressida
- Measure for Measure
- The Winter's Tale
- The Third Part of Henry the Sixth
- The Tragedy of King Richard the Third
- The Tragedy of King Richard the Second
- The First Part of King Henry the Fourth
- The Second Part of King Henry the Fourth
- The Life of King Henry the Fifth
- The Life of King Henry the Eighth
- Romeo and Juliet
- The Tragedy of Julius Caesar

Genres: Classics, Plays, Poetry, Shakespeare, Literature, Fiction

584 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1944

About the author

William 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".

Reviews

[Dan · Rating 5 out of 5]

The real selling point for this volume is that "portable" in the title. In one paperback, you get Julius Caesar, Romeo and Juliet, Macbeth, Hamlet, A Midsummer's Night Dream, As You Like It, The Tempest, selections from a number of other plays, and every sonnet. There is no commentary, however, so it's probably not a good choice for readers who are new to Shakespeare.

[K Todd Ramer · Rating 5 out of 5]

My most prized possession. Have owned my copy for nearly 23 years.